What's In a Name?

The condiment known as daddawa is widely used in West Africa, and known by various names throughout the continent. Kainda in Sierra Leone, Ogiri/Iru/Ugba in Nigeria, Dawadawa in Chad, Afintin in Benin, Soumbala/Soumbara/Ôdji  in Mali & Guinea, Nététou in Senegal and Nere in Burkina Faso.

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Widely used in West African cuisine, the daddawa enhances the taste of traditional soups and sauces. The resulting molded black balls are used as a condiment to make savoury food more flavourful. It is described as a substitute for meat due to its relative affordability and the
nutritional content.