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Akpan
Akpan: Benin's tangy fermented corn 'yoghurt', loosened with cold milk and sugar
Street sellers in Cotonou and Porto-Novo keep akpan in cool boxes, ladled into cups or tied plastic bags as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. The base is fermented maize starch cooked into a thick pap, then left to sour further until it tastes like a mild, slightly yeasty yoghurt; cold milk and sugar loosen it into a creamy drink you can sip or eat with a spoon. It is refreshing, tangy and filling, and many people treat it as a light meal on hot days. Budget a day for the second souring, though the hands-on time is under half an hour, and always use pasteurised milk and keep the finished drink in the fridge. Don't let the fermented base sit at room temperature for longer than stated; past that it sours too far. Chef's tip: sieve the slurry before cooking; any maize husk left in makes the drink gritty.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz fermented maize paste (ogi or akassa dough)fresh or frozen from African grocers
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 1 ¾ cups whole milkpasteurised, chilled; or half evaporated milk
- 2 ⅛ oz sugaror to taste
- ice cubes (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk the 10 ½ oz fermented maize paste (ogi or akassa dough) with 300 ml cold 3 ¼ cups water until smooth, then pour it through a fine sieve, pressing; discard any husk.
5 minStep 2: Bring the remaining 500 ml water to the boil in a heavy pan. Pour in the slurry, stirring constantly, and cook over a low heat for 5–8 minutes until thick, glossy and slightly translucent, like a custard.
8 minStep 3: Pour into a clean bowl and cool to room temperature for about an hour. Cover and leave in a cool place for 12–24 hours, or in the fridge for 24 hours for a milder taste, until it sets thick and tastes pleasantly sour.
Step 4: Whisk the soured pap until smooth, then whisk in the cold 1 ¾ cups whole milk and the 2 ⅛ oz sugar until creamy and pourable. Add a splash more milk if you like it thinner.
3 minStep 5: Serve very cold, over ice cubes if you like. Keep in the fridge and drink within 2 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does akpan take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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