About the dish
Tô is the everyday staple of the Sahel – from Mali and Burkina Faso to Niger and Chad. Millet, sorghum or maize flour is cooked with water and beaten hard with a wooden paddle until it becomes a thick, smooth mass, which is scooped into bowls as a dome. It is often slightly acidified with tamarind or ash water, which improves the texture. It is eaten with the right hand, pulling off pieces and dipping them in a slippery sauce of okra, baobab leaves, sorrel or peanuts. Tô itself is mild; the sauce gives the meal its character.
Main ingredients
- millet, sorghum or maize flour
- water
- tamarind or lime
Burkina Faso: The basis of everyday meals in Burkina Faso, most often with okra or baobab leaf sauce.
Chad: Called boule in Chad, usually with okra or dried fish sauce.
Niger: Also called tuwo (in Hausa) in Niger.
