Saka-saka

Saka-saka is a stew of finely pounded cassava leaves, simmered in palm oil with peanuts and chilli. It is a shared dish of the Congo region, cooked in the Republic of the Congo and also in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which lies across the Congo River.

What it really is

Cassava leaves are pounded in a mortar until they are very fine, then simmered for a long time with palm oil, peanuts, onion and chilli until the stew turns thick and dark green. The long cooking is essential, because raw cassava leaves contain compounds that must be broken down by heat before they are safe to eat. The peanuts give the stew body and a nutty richness, and the palm oil gives it colour and flavour. Recipes differ from household to household: some add smoked or dried fish, and some add meat, but the pounded leaves, palm oil and peanuts form the core of the dish.

The leaves are the main ingredient, and the peanuts are the allergen to declare.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep bowl, as a main course.
• With a starch to scoop it up, such as cassava bread (chikwangue) or rice.
• Often eaten by tearing off pieces of the starch and dipping them into the stew, rather than with cutlery.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredient: cassava leaves, cooked in palm oil (dende oil).
• Flag peanuts, which are a declarable allergen, and say whether the stew contains fish or meat, since recipes vary and guests ask.
• Name the starch it is served with, and price it separately if it is sold as a side.
• State the chilli level, since heat varies between kitchens.