Food of DR Congo

Congolese cooking features cassava in all forms: fufu (fumbwa leaves), chikwangue, and leaves cooked with palm oil and peanuts. Fish from the Congo River, smoked meat and plantain are everyday foods, and stews are rich with palm oil and hot pepper. Meals are shared from a central dish.

National dish

Moambe chicken

Staples

  • cassava
  • plantain
  • rice
  • beans
  • fish
  • palm oil

Signature flavors

  • palm oil
  • peanuts
  • garlic
  • pili-pili
  • onion

Main dishes

Poulet a la moambe
Poulet a la moambe

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with chicken, palm nut, garlic, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: chicken, palm nut, garlic
Fufu
Fufu

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with cassava flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: cassava flourFull guide →
Liboke de poisson

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with fish, leaves, pepper, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: fish, leaves, pepper
Pondu

Cassava leaves stewed with palm oil.

Key ingredients: cassava leaves, palm oil
Fumbwa

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with fumbwa, peanut, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: fumbwa, peanut
Saka saka

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with cassava leaves, fish, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: cassava leaves, fish
Chikwangue
Chikwangue

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with cassava, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: cassava
Mikate

A traditional dish of DR Congo made with flour, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: flour, sugar

Breakfast

Mandazi
Mandazi

A traditional breakfast dish of DR Congo made with flour, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: flour, sugarFull guide →
Bouillie

A traditional breakfast dish of DR Congo made with maize, milk, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: maize, milk

Street food

Brochettes

A traditional street snack of DR Congo made with beef, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: beef
Bananes plantain frites

A traditional street snack of DR Congo made with plantain, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: plantain
Mikate

A traditional street snack of DR Congo made with flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: flour

Soups

Soupe de poisson

A traditional soup of DR Congo made with fish, pepper, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: fish, pepper

Salads

Salade de legumes

A traditional salad of DR Congo made with tomato, cabbage, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: tomato, cabbage

Desserts and sweets

Beignets

A traditional sweet treat of DR Congo made with flour, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: flour, sugar
Banana pudding

A traditional sweet treat of DR Congo made with banana, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: banana

Drinks

Tangawisi

A traditional drink of DR Congo made with ginger, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: ginger
Congolese coffee

A traditional drink of DR Congo made with coffee, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: coffee
Bissap

A traditional drink of DR Congo made with hibiscus, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.

Key ingredients: hibiscus

Fruits and produce

Plantain
Plantain

Plantain is a well-loved fruit or crop in DR Congo, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: plantain
Mango
Mango

Mango is a well-loved fruit or crop in DR Congo, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: mangoFull guide →
Papaya
Papaya

Papaya is a well-loved fruit or crop in DR Congo, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: papayaFull guide →
Safou
Safou

Safou is a well-loved fruit or crop in DR Congo, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.

Key ingredients: safou

Dish guides from DR Congo

Fufu
FufuMain dishes
Mandazi
MandaziBreakfast
Mango
MangoFruits
Papaya
PapayaFruits
Explore DR Congo on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.

More cuisines of Middle Africa

About this page

Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.

Photo credits
  • Elaeis guineensis fruits on tree: Bongoman, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Fufu, A typical Ghanaian cuisine: Jeffery Agyenim-Boateng, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Cassava Bread - cassava cooked in leaf wrap (Kwanga, Chikwangue): T.K. Naliaka, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Bowl of mandazi: The original uploader was ChildofMidnight at English Wikipedia., CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mega racimos de guineos: J & E, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Safoutier: Unknown, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)