Description
Fufu is a smooth, elastic starchy dough made by boiling and pounding tubers such as cassava, yam, or plantain.
Technical
Boiling raises the tuber temperature to ~100 °C, causing starch granules to gelatinize as water penetrates and amylose leaches. Subsequent mechanical shear during pounding ruptures the swollen granules, aligning amylose and amylopectin chains into a continuous viscoelastic network. Optional fermentation hydrolyzes cyanogenic glycosides, reducing toxicity and adding mild acidity.
Science
Primary Reaction
Starch gelatinization and granule rupture forming a viscoelastic amylose‑amylopectin network
Sensory Profile
Aroma ()
earthymildly fermentedneutralwoody (from pestle pounding)subtle sweetness
Origin & History
Civilization
West African peoples
Era