Grains, Roots & Other Starches

Appears in

Published 2015

About

Gari

Gari (aka gali or garri) is Ghana’s original convenience food. It is a processed form of cassava (manioc, mandioca, yucca, yuca, singkong, ketela, or ubi kayu around the world) similar to Brazil’s farinha de mandioca. But unlike Brazil’s version, gari is fermented. In Nigeria and Ghana, especially, gari is a popular and growing urban convenience food: it is inexpensive, has a long shelf life, is quick and simple to prepare, and is very filling.

North Americans have traditionally only known the root “cassava” as “tapioca,” a starch commonly used to make puddings and thicken sauces. There is much more to the cassava than that. It is a staff of life to many people in tropical places, and especially in West Africa. With the popularity of gluten-free cooking rising, there has been increased awareness of cassava in the U.S.

Processing cassava to make gari involves washing, peeling, grating, soaking, pressing, drying, and toasting. The net result is a kind of cassava “couscous,” that can be served simply by adding lightly salted water. I prefer to boil the water before sprinkling/pouring it on the gari. Gari is quite filling. It swells up to three times its size when water is added, and can be eaten as a side accompaniment to a stew. There is a wonderful tangy smell from the fermentation of the cassava that releases when the water hits the gari.

Gari has a very accessible flavor, even to those who have never tasted it before. It is mild, and a good accompaniment for a variety of stews, or when cooked into a one-pot like Gari Foto. We give you three recipes for it here. Dry gari is likely only available in the U.S. at African or international markets or online. There is no substitute.