Baguitche — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

A pungent, umami-rich stew built on fermented locust beans, leafy greens, and smoked fish — a taste unique to the forests of Guinea-Bissau.

Ingredients

100g fermented locust beans (netetu)
300g smoked catfish, flaked
1 large bunch cassava leaves, finely shredded
200ml red palm oil
2 medium onions, diced
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1 tsp ground dried shrimp
Salt to taste
600ml water

Instructions

1 Rinse the fermented locust beans and pound lightly in a mortar to release flavor.
2 Heat palm oil in a large pot. Sauté onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
3 Add tomatoes and scotch bonnet peppers. Cook until a thick paste forms, about 10 minutes.
4 Add locust beans, ground dried shrimp, and water. Bring to a boil.
5 Add shredded cassava leaves. Simmer for 15 minutes until leaves are tender.
6 Add flaked smoked catfish. Cook for 5 more minutes. Adjust salt and serve over rice.

Did You Know?

The fermented locust bean, called netetu in Wolof, smells intensely pungent but delivers a deep umami flavor that no other ingredient can replicate in West African cooking.