Cuisine

A thick grain porridge called boule is a common dish throughout Chad. The grain used in the north is generally maize; in the south, millet is the primary grain consumed. Boule can also be made of peanuts, cassava or sorghum, depending on which crop is grown locally. The porridge is rolled into a ball and served with any number of different sauces, made of dried fish, meat or vegetables. Crops such as potatoes, rice and sesame are more common in the agricultural south. A sweetened peanut and millet porridge flavored with lemon is known as bouillie. A typical Northern Arab dish is known as esh, a boiled millet flour served with a sauce called moulah.

Goats are the most commonly raised animals in Chad; their meat is frequently eaten and incorporated into meals. When beef is used, it is chopped and made into a tomato-sauce dish called nashif. For special occasions, Southern Chadians prepare tan oul (long sauce) out of meat, dried fish or beans. Due to their cost, meat and fish are often dried; they’re preserved for later use, especially in the south.

Milk from cows and goats forms a staple of the diet of the nomads of Northern Chad. Clarified butters and yogurts are sweetened and spiced with cardamom; they come in all varieties. Southern Chadians consume very little dairy. They supplement their protein with peanuts and dried fish.