Kwacoco and Mbanga Soup (Timbana Mbusa)

  Mami keep me last pan.

Growing up We had food sold at school, and if I can afford it I would buy food at school for lunch. The food that was sold at school changed from day to day. There was Kwacoco and mbanga soup, ekwang, beans and puff puff, rice and tomato stew, Kwacoco bible, and the list goes on and on

Growing up We had food sold at school, and if I can afford it I would buy food at school for lunch. The food that was sold at school changed from day to day. There was Kwacoco and mbanga soup, ekwang, beans and puff puff, rice and tomato stew, Kwacoco bible, and the list goes on and on. From the classrooms, I could tell when the food ladies had arrived at the dinning shed. The food flavors were hitting my nose in class I could barely concentrate. The Kwacoco and mbanga soup lady came on Wednesdays, and I always looked forward to Wednesdays. I always told the lady to save ‘last pan’ for me. I knew I would get more Kwacoco and sauce.

The traditional name for this food speaks for itself timbana mbusa (go and comeback.) This traditional Bakweri dish is one on Cameroon’s best, thus the name go and comeback.

Legend has it that when this dish is served to a man, after eating, he comes back for more and more and more and eventually marries the cook.  I know of a few cases were this actually came to pass.

This dish time consuming, but the results are worth it. The savory flavor of the palm nut pulp, the native spices are addictive, with the addition of smoked fish and other meats of choice makes it even more so. The Kwacoco which is made from grated cocoyams and wrapped in banana leaves and steamed adds to the flavor. the family across the street with her familiar uhuuuu uhuuu, when she was cooking Kwacoco and mbanga soup. We were always very excited and looking forward to dinner.  We congregate at her house for dinner, the presentation of the dish looked like a piece of art that one should not want to destroy, but we all washed our hands, since Kwacoco timbana mbusa is meant to be eaten with fingers and we all dug in, destroying that dish of art and enjoying every taste of it.

My friends always invited me over when Kwacoco and mbanga soup was the meal of the day, it was always a treat, still is.