Top 7 Liberian Foods

Despite its name, Liberian chicken gravy is a flavorful, scrumptious stew that is traditionally prepared only for special occasions because meat is quite expensive for the average Liberian household. The stew typically consists of chicken pieces, shrimp, green beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and chicken stock. While the dish is simmering, it is often flavored with garlic, ginger, hot peppers, and parsley. When the chicken gravy is ready to be served, it is usually paired with white rice on the side.Expand

Dumboy is the national dish of Liberia. In order to prepare it, fresh cassava is peeled and boiled, while the fibers from the center are removed. The cooked roots are placed in a big mortar and beaten with a heavy pestle, then shaped into balls. The pounding requires expertise and skill, so if dumboy is prepared by a novice, it will probably be quite lumpy and inedible. Before serving, meat stock or hot pepper soup is poured over the dumboy, along with some vegetables, because the sticky dough will adhere to anything dry if it's not consumed immediately after it's been prepared. Dumboy is especially prized by the Mano, Gio, and Bassa people of Liberia.Expand

This traditional Liberian peanut soup is made with a combination of peanuts, herbs, spices, and meat. The ingredients include beef, chicken, chicken stock, onions, bell peppers, celery, hot peppers, dried fish (optional), potatoes, okra, and peanut butter. In order to prepare it, the ingredients are simmered in a pot until the potatoes and the meat become fully cooked, and the peanut butter is then added to the pot until it melts completely. This soup is always served hot, usually for lunch. If it's too thick, it's recommended to add more water, and if it's too thin, add some more peanut butter.Expand

This flavorful Liberian dish is healthy and nutritious, using collards and cabbage which are full of vitamins, calcium, manganese, and dietary fiber. The dish consists of chopped collard greens and cabbage, onions, red pepper, black pepper, and pieces of bacon. The meal can be consumed after the vegetables become tender. It is recommended to serve collards and cabbage in bowls. The dish can be enriched by the addition of chicken, beef, or shrimp, and it is typically paired with fried plantains or rice on the side.Expand

Liberian cabbage stew, as the name suggests, is a traditional stew from Liberia. It's made with a combination of cabbage, chicken, Maggi cubes, meat tenderizer, beef, tomato paste, black pepper, chicken bouillon, onions, and vegetable oil. The meat is fried together in oil until golden brown. The remaining ingredients are then added to the pot and the stew is simmered until it thickens and the ingredients become tender. It's recommended to watch the stew carefully to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pot.Expand

This traditional Liberian bread is the visitor's favorite amongst all the local bread varieties. Country rice is typically beaten in a mortar with a pestle, and it is then sifted to remove the larger pieces. The rice flour is combined with ripe mashed plantains, butter, eggs, baking soda, sugar, salt, water, and grated ginger. After it has been baked, Liberian rice bread is usually consumed as a coffee cake or as regular bread, and it stays nice and moist even after a full week.Expand

Torborgee is a spicy and bitter Liberian stew made with torborgee beans and palm oil. The dish is often enriched by the addition of dried meat, chicken, pork, or fish, and it is usually associated with the Lorma people inhabiting the area of Lofa County in Liberia. It is said that there are three varieties of torborgee: beans torborgee, pepper torborgee, and bitter-ball torborgee.Expand