DRC

In the lush interior of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the forest canopy presses close and rivers cut through red earth, the nation’s culinary traditions draw deeply from both the soil and the stories carried by generations. Here, food is more than sustenance; it is a living archive of culture, geography, and history, layered with meaning as much as with flavor. At the foundation lies cassava, a root that has anchored the Congolese table for centuries. Pounded into fufu—a smooth, starchy accompaniment to stews and sauces—or boiled, baked, or fried, cassava adapts effortlessly to the rhythms of daily cooking. Mild in taste yet rich in texture, it binds...