Beninese Okra Stew: A Delicious Dish and a Lesson in Budgeting

Cooking Beninese Okra Stew: A Budget-Friendly Recipe Benin, a West African nation, boasts a rich culinary heritage. One popular dish is Gombo, a flavorful okra stew. Recently, a video showcasing the preparation of Gombo went viral, highlighting not just the cooking process but also the economic considerations involved. The video's author, RestauChezChiro, meticulously documents the steps involved in making the stew, from preparing the ingredients to the final simmer. In response to a viewer's question, RestauChezChiro reveals that preparing enough Gombo for 15 people requires approximately 2500 CFA francs in market purchases alone. This doesn't include the time and effort spent preparing the ingredients. "2500 CFA francs at the Wologuèdé market in Cotonou will get you the okra and other ingredients," explains RestauChezChiro. "But that's just the cost of the ingredients; you also have to consider the time spent cleaning and preparing everything." This comment speaks to the often-overlooked element of labor costs in food preparation. The video's success underscores the growing interest in authentic cuisine and the value of transparency in food preparation. It provides a valuable lesson about the cost and effort involved in cooking, even for a seemingly simple dish.