Fufu is a staple side dish made by pounding cassava and unripe plantains together with a big wooden pole and mashing them while adding water. As it needs to be vigorously stirred, it usually takes two people to make it - one pounding it, and the other moving it around between the pounding.

Once the mixture is smooth, it gets shaped into small balls that are then placed in a stew or soup with meat. Similar to the Tanzanian ugali, an indentation is made in the ball, used for scooping up the sauce, with fufu acting as a spoon.

The texture is quite gummy and stretchy, while the flavor is bland, but dipping it into a stew gives fufu a spicy flavor that is slightly reminiscent of peanuts. 

Wagassi is a cow's milk cheese from northern Benin, characterized by its mild flavor and red rind, which is a result of dipping the cheese into warm water with the Calotropis procera leaf extract. It is traditionally prepared by the Fulani people, mostly women, and it can be bought in towns such as Parakou.

The cheese is praised for its unique properties such as the fact that it does not melt easily, even at high temperatures. It can be consumed fried or cooked in sauces, but it is rarely consumed fresh.

Kuli-kuli is Benin's national dish, also popular in Nigeria and Ghana, providing nutrition, protein, and sustenance to the poor and often malnourished locals who have limited access to food. This simple meal consists of ground, smashed peanuts that are shaped into balls or biscuits which are deep-fried in their own oils.

Prior to frying, the paste is mixed with salt, pepper, and some spices, if available. To put it simply, it is deep-fried peanut butter. The finished product doesn't look appetizing, but it tastes quite good, with golden brown fritters drained and served either hot or cold and eaten as a snack. 

Yovo doko is typical Beninese street food that is considered a national dessert. These sweet fritters consist of flour, water, yeast, and sugar. The dough is deep-fried until a golden crust develops on the exterior, while the inside remains soft and tender.

Yovo doko fritters are traditionally topped with powdered sugar and consumed any time of the day. The name of the dish is literally translated to European pastry, because yovo doko is very similar to the French beignet, a popular type of fritter made from deep-fried choux pastry.