Traditional staple food from the Cote d’ivoire, attieke, has picked up as a lucrative export earner as international customers enjoy it. Attieke is similar in texture with couscous, affordable and a hearty dish that is appreciated both at home and a growing number of other places such as Gabon, France, Senegal and France among others.
Attieke is cassava that is peeled, crashed and fermented for two days before it cooked and sold off as a meal. The meal is served traditionally with meat or fish. It has is also named cassava couscous or garba.
Other than the food being praised for its tastiness it is also said to be very filling and also a source of energy for many.
“As long as I have not eaten garba, I am not satisfied. When I eat garba, I have the strength to do anything because it boosts me. It is a very solid food. If you eat at 9 am you can take your next meal at 6 pm.” Said Dakoury Rodrigue, a customer at an attieke restaurant
With the growing popularity, there are concerns that the export need might lead to a local shortage of the food. Small cassava farmers are afraid that they might be side lined when plantations pick up on the business.
