Mbongo Tchobi

Mbongo tchobi is a dark, spiced stew from Cameroon, made with beef or fish and a distinctive mbongo spice blend. It is a slow-cooked dish in which the sauce takes on its colour and character from the spices, so the same cut of meat can taste quite different from one kitchen to the next.

What it really is

Beef is cooked in a simmered sauce with onion, garlic, chilli and salt, and the mbongo spice blend gives the stew its distinctive, pungent flavour. The meat is cooked until it is tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick, dark sauce. Fish is also used in place of beef, and the spice blend stays the same.

Mbongo tchobi is not a plain beef stew. The spice blend is what sets it apart, and a version made without it tastes like a different dish. Heat and thickness vary from kitchen to kitchen, so the sauce can be mild or fiery and loose or rich.

How it's served

• Hot, ladled over the meat in a deep bowl, with plenty of sauce.
• With a starch on the side, such as rice or plantain, to soak up the sauce.
• Shared at the table, as a main dish alongside other plates.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the protein in the title: beef, or beef or fish if both are offered.
• State the heat level, because chilli varies, and offer a milder option if the sauce is hot.
• Flag the allergens. The beef version has no common declarable allergens, but fish is an allergen, so mark the fish version separately.
• Check any stock or stock cube for wheat, milk or celery, and list it as an ingredient.