fufu

or fu-fu, foo·foo, foo-foo

[ foo-foo ]

noun

1. a doughlike West African dish of boiled and ground plantain, yam, or cassava, made into balls to go with soups or stews.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fufu¹

First recorded in 1740–50; from a West African language; compare Twi fufuu, Ewe fufu, Yoruba fùfú, Cuban Spanish fufú

Example Sentences

Have you ever tried fufu or efo riro?

From BBC

At its center, a substantial orb of fufu sits, a pale gold plantain mash formed into a plump dumpling.

From Seattle Times

Fufu tastes gently vegetal, and it’s a texture-eater’s dream, dense yet smoothly yielding.

From Seattle Times

Get hands-on with it if you like: Gold Coast Ghal’s menu invites diners to use their fufu as a utensil in the West African way, which servers will explain is simply pulling a piece off and pressing an indentation into it to scoop up the soup.

From Seattle Times

The mild, squidgy fufu makes a perfect flavor-and-texture foil.

From Seattle Times