by Cameroon is blessed with amazing food. The missionaries in Cameroon get to eat out a lot because there are many inexpensive restaurants and lots of good food vendors in the cities. When it comes to street food, be smart about where you buy from. If something looks suspicious, its probably best to steer clear but once you know a certain place is good, you can eat there without fear.
1. Beignets with beans
Beignets with beans is a Cameroonian staple. Beignets are small sugary fried balls of dough that taste delicious. They sell them along with beans that are made with a mouthwatering sauce. This can double as a hearty breakfast or inexpensive lunch. For 500 francs or $1, you can feed both yourself and your companion for a whole meal.
2 . Eru
Eru is a street food specialty mainly found in Douala. It’ my favorite street food. My companion and I would eat it at least 3 times a week. It cost 400 francs or $0.80 cents for both of us. It is a made of spinach leaf cooked in palm oil with pieces of cow skin inside. I feel in love with it the first time that I ate it in Douala. We were having a “break the fast” in the Douala Branch and they were serving it and I was like “what is this?” I needed more.
3. Shawarma
Shawarma can be found all over the world including the US and Europe. It is is chicken or lamb meat cooked on a rotating rotisserie and the meat is shaved off and put in pita bread. It’s very popular in Cameroon. We would get shawarma religiously every P-Day in Douala after going to the cyber café.
4. Sandwich of bread, sausage, and mayonnaise
Every little store in Cameroon is guaranteed to sell sausage, mayonnaise, and egg sandwiches. You can also add hot sauce if that’s your thing. It is a simple but crave-worthy lunch.
5. Top and D’jino
Top is a soda brand that only found in Cameroon. My favorite flavor is pamplemousse or grapefruit. It reminded me of Mountain Dew and is very delicious. D’Jino is another soda brand you can only find in Cameroon. It is very good.
6. Homemade yogurt
Homemade yogurt is very popular in Cameroon. It is this really thick, sugary, chilled yogurt that is sold in small and large bottles and is actually super good! You’ll see men everywhere in pushing carts full of the yogurt or carrying it in buckets on their heads. The yogurt is often paired with some beignets. The Cameroonians can’t get enough of their delicious yogurt!
7. Street corn
Street corn is a cheap good snack that you can find everywhere. If you want a cheap, quick snack you can buy and eat it and then get back on your way.
8. Safou
Safou is unique to Central Africa. It is a savory fruit (same idea as a tomato) that is eaten as a side with a meal or as a snack. Safou only grows in the rainy season so they are only available in large quantities for half the year.
To prepare safou at home, put the safou in a cup of water and cook it in the microwave for 2 minutes and it should be well cooked. Or it can be boiled or grilled.
9. Street cooked banana
Street cooked bananas a cheap but hearty snack during the day. You can eat one and it fills you up for a long time. I was afraid to buy them at first but was glad I tried it.
10. Pineapple
Cameroon is blessed with fruit in abundance that can be bought at a low price. Lots of people walk around the cities selling baskets full of fruit on their heads. You can also find tons of people selling precut, chilled pineapple. Instead of buying a soda, if I wanted a refreshment, I would buy a sac of pineapple for 50 francs or $0.10.
