Congolese (Republic) Cuisine

The cuisine of the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville) shares deep roots with its larger neighbor the DRC but has developed its own character shaped by the Kongo, Teke, and Mbochi peoples, French colonial influence, and the country's position between the equatorial forest and the Atlantic coast. Cassava, plantains, and palm oil form the culinary backbone, supplemented by river fish from the Congo and its tributaries, bush meat from the forest, and tropical fruits and vegetables. French colonial rule from 1880 to 1960 left a stronger culinary imprint here than Belgian rule did across the river in the DRC.

French baguettes, patisserie, and cafe culture became deeply embedded in Brazzaville's urban life. Cameroonian, Gabonese, and Central African cuisines share many dishes.

The cooking technique of wrapping food in banana or marantaceae leaves (liboke) for steaming or grilling is a distinctive Central African practice that defines some of the cuisine's finest dishes. Cassava leaves (for saka saka), palm oil, dried and smoked fish, peanuts (groundnuts), and pili-pili peppers.