Foo Foo

Name: Foo Foo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Guyanese
Ingredients: 4 green plantains, peeled; Water for boiling; Pinch of salt; 1 tbsp butter (optional)

Foo Foo (FOO-foo)

Pounded Plantain Dumplings

⏱ Prep Time 40 min

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 229 kcal

Boiled green plantains pounded into a smooth, stretchy dough and shaped into balls, served with rich soups and stews for dipping.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 3.0g

Carbs 52.0g

Fat 1.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian gluten-free nut-free

Equipment Needed

large pot mortar and pestle or food processor wooden spoon

Presentation Guide

Vessel: plate beside soup bowl

Accompaniments: pepperpot, metemgee, chicken soup

Ingredients

4 green plantains, peeled
Water for boiling
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp butter (optional)

Instructions

1
Peel green plantains and cut into two-inch chunks. Place in a pot of salted boiling water.
2
Boil for twenty minutes until very soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving a little cooking water.
3
Immediately pound the hot plantain in a mortar with a pestle, or mash vigorously with a wooden spoon.
4
Continue pounding, adding tiny splashes of reserved water, until the mixture becomes smooth and stretchy like mochi.
5
Shape into balls with wet hands, making each about the size of a tennis ball.
6
Serve immediately alongside pepperpot, metemgee, or any hearty soup for dipping and soaking up the broth.

💡

Did You Know?

The rhythmic pounding sound of making foo foo was once a familiar soundtrack in Guyanese villages and could be heard across entire neighborhoods.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large pot
mortar and pestle or food processor
wooden spoon

Accompaniments

pepperpot, metemgee, chicken soup

The Story Behind Foo Foo

Foo foo is one of Guyana's most direct links to West African culinary tradition, where pounded starchy foods accompany soups and stews across the continent. Enslaved Africans brought the technique to Guyana, using local plantains instead of African yams. The dish has remained virtually unchanged for centuries, a testament to its fundamental role in the cuisine.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed accompaniment to soups and stews 📜 Origins: West African heritage

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