Traditional preparation of Achu, a cultural keystone dish in western Cameroon

Abstract Traditional gastronomy and cuisine play an important role in building national and personal identities. In an era of globalization of food systems and dietary patterns where transnational food companies are rapidly expanding in Sub-Saharan Africa, and there is a risk that national differences blur and fade away, communities can keep a strong and confident sense of their identity and culture. Preserving culinary knowledge helps to preserve genetic diversity and it is also essential to maintain and strengthen ethnic and cultural identities. During a study on taro cultivars, Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott, conducted in Southwest, Northwest and West Cameroon, local farmers mentioned a traditional dish known as Achu made by pounding taro corms into a dough-type paste, which is accompanied by different sauces. To document the culinary heritage associated to this popular dish, we asked farmers to show a step-by-step preparation of Achu, identify different ingredients and explain why these were included. We recorded the preparation of this traditional meal with pictures that we report here with the original recipe.