What was this hot sauce?
June 14, 2012 6:12 AM Subscribe
A few years ago, I spent three months in Guinea, where I repeatedly was served the most incredible hot sauce. What was it?!
The first month that I lived in Guinea, I worked at a non-profit that served me lunch every day. It was always rice with some sort of stewy concoction. The cook always placed a very small dollop of chunky red sauce in the corner of the dish, and I was expected to spread it over the top of my meal.
I've always been a glutton for spice -- the hotter the vindaloo, the happier the girl! -- but the first day I was served this, I took a big bite of it pure (I didn't know any better), and seconds later I was dripping with sweat, gasping for breath, and eating copious amounts of mango to ease the pain. The Guineans eating lunch with me were laughing hysterically, and never let me forget that moment.
I asked the cook what it was, and she said that on my last day, she would share. ALAS: there was a military mutiny, and my last day was much earlier than anticipated.
It was not any form of harissa that I've since come across. Is there some sort of special West African spicy condiment? I loved it, once I used it correctly, and hope to make it for myself.
The first month that I lived in Guinea, I worked at a non-profit that served me lunch every day. It was always rice with some sort of stewy concoction. The cook always placed a very small dollop of chunky red sauce in the corner of the dish, and I was expected to spread it over the top of my meal.
I've always been a glutton for spice -- the hotter the vindaloo, the happier the girl! -- but the first day I was served this, I took a big bite of it pure (I didn't know any better), and seconds later I was dripping with sweat, gasping for breath, and eating copious amounts of mango to ease the pain. The Guineans eating lunch with me were laughing hysterically, and never let me forget that moment.
I asked the cook what it was, and she said that on my last day, she would share. ALAS: there was a military mutiny, and my last day was much earlier than anticipated.
It was not any form of harissa that I've since come across. Is there some sort of special West African spicy condiment? I loved it, once I used it correctly, and hope to make it for myself.
Best answer: Was the stew meal Maafe? If so, I've found a reference in a couple places to serving it with scotch bonnet sauce: 1 2. And YIKES that's a spicy pepper.
posted by specialagentwebb at 8:35 AM on June 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by specialagentwebb at 8:35 AM on June 14, 2012 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you! I believe it was Maffe. I appreciate your input! Now, to the kitchen to experiment...
posted by eenagy at 11:10 AM on June 14, 2012
posted by eenagy at 11:10 AM on June 14, 2012
A Ghanaian version of groundnut stew was posted on AskMe by a real Ghanaian. It jives with what I ate in Ghana and Togo, maybe it will be similar to what you had in Guinea? No hot sauce recipe there but perhaps the author of the post can help you out.
posted by whatzit at 3:45 AM on June 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by whatzit at 3:45 AM on June 15, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Sidhedevil at 6:52 AM on June 14, 2012 [1 favorite]