Fufu Flour
Fufu flour is the modern shortcut to fufu — the soft, stretchy 'swallow' that pairs with soups like egusi, ogbono, light soup, and palm nut soup. Instead of pounding boiled cassava and plantain by hand, you stir the flour into hot water for 5–10 minutes. This guide covers the main types, how to cook them, and where to buy fufu flour near you.
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The most common type — bright white, neutral flavor, slightly sour. Used across Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Made from green plantains. Mild, slightly sweet, often beige. Popular in Ghana and southern Nigeria.
Yam-based flour for amala — dark brown, earthy, made into the Yoruba swallow eaten with ewedu and gbegiri. (See our dedicated Yam Flour guide.)
Less common — denser, smoother fufu used in parts of Cameroon and southern Nigeria.
Tropiway, Praise, Ola Ola, Iya Foods, Nina's. Sold in 24 oz, 1 lb, and 4 lb bags.
Boil water, gradually whisk in flour, stir constantly until smooth and stretchy (~8 minutes). Cover and steam 3 minutes.
Mix flour with cold water in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave 1 minute, stir, repeat 2–3 times until smooth and pulling away from the bowl.
Egusi, ogbono, okra, ewedu, light soup, palm nut soup, banga, groundnut soup.
Pair with palm oil, crayfish, egusi, locust beans, scotch bonnets, and dried fish.
Most often from cassava, but also plantain, yam, or cocoyam — sometimes blended. The roots or fruit are peeled, dried, and milled into a fine flour that reconstitutes into fufu when cooked with water.
Both are 'swallows,' but eba is made from garri (toasted, fermented cassava granules) and has a coarser, more granular texture. Fufu is made from cassava (or plantain/yam) flour and is smoother, softer, and less sour.
African grocery stores always stock it — usually multiple brands across cassava, plantain, and yam. Some Caribbean stores carry it. See our African Grocery Stores Near Me directory.
Cassava, plantain, yam, and cocoyam are all naturally gluten-free. Check the label — most authentic brands are 100% single-ingredient flour.