Working with local produce

 Its a fishermans dream here. In fact most of the guys I know here go off at the weekend and land enormous fish, personally I can catch them with my hands. The Tuna I'm holding is around the 35kg mark and the season for this and local Lobster has just started. They are quite like a large crayfish in taste, no claws and the lack of any purification makes them quite earthy. They call this a red tuna (despite the yellow fins) The flesh is really light pink, some of the best tuna I've ever had.

Believe it or not this is local Asparagus! Bear in mind that the brat pan behind it is about 6ft wide!!! Bears little resemblance to any asparagus Ive eaten before. More like a palm heart really. Bastard to prep as there is loads of sharp shards to stick in your hands.

Below is Manioc, its made from manioc tuburcle, Ive yet to see how its made from scratch but comes in warm and I believe its fermented and then baked in its own leaves. It really is void of any taste but fills you up. If youve never tried manioc its like a sour taste with a rubbery texture.Each area of Gabon has a different manioc this is the Bateke Manioc of the Presidents region. I will do a separate blog on manioc as its such an integral part of the diet here. There also must be some other ways to eat it but the preference here is cold and sliced.

Sweet potato is great. Its the white variety rather than the bright orange one the Aussies put with everything. Local Avocados are the size of your fist and again really nice although they insist on bagging them in 15kg sacks which does nothing for the flesh.

Koumou is a local herb, it comes really finely shaved and usually served with a smoked chicken and peanut sauce. One of my favorite local dishes.

Deep fried Bananas or Aloko, is more of a treat here. The younger green bananas are steamed or boiled.

Lastly Piedmont  super hot chillies much like a scotch bonnet. I couldn't understand how anyone could eat something as hot as this but after drinking Vin de palme you need something to take the taste away.
I've had a few ideas on how some of these flavours could work in a modern way, Nitro banane vapeur may be a bit of a way off but more to come..