Mbongo tchobi: the Bassa black sauce recipe (Cameroon)
An emblematic specialty of the Bassa people (Littoral and Centre), mbongo tchobi is a deep, almost mysterious black sauce, made by lightly burning the spices before grinding them. Served with fresh fish and plantains, it’s one of the most powerful — and sought-after — tastes in Cameroonian cuisine.
Ingredients (serves 6)
1.5 kg fresh fish (catfish, sea bass or Nile perch) in steaks — or beef
4 to 6 pieces of mbongo bark (the master of the sauce — it blackens and perfumes it)
The spices: dry-roast the mbongo, pèbè and olom until slightly blackened, then grind them with the njansang, garlic and ginger into a black paste.
The base: sauté the sliced onion, add the crushed tomatoes then the black spice paste. Let it melt for 10 min, stirring: the sauce should darken and become fragrant.
Adding liquid: pour in 50 cl hot water, season with salt and simmer for 10 min.
The fish: gently add the fish steaks, the messep and the whole chilli. Simmer 20 min without stirring (shake the pot so as not to break the fish).
Serving: a glossy, slightly thick black sauce — with boiled plantains, miondo or white rice.
Secrets of a successful mbongo
Roast without charring: spices burnt through make the sauce bitter; aim for aromatic black, not charcoal.
Fish goes in last: it cooks in the sauce, never before.
Go easy on stock cubes: mbongo stands on its own — it’s a spice sauce, not an industrial broth.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find mbongo and pèbè?
At the spice section of any Cameroonian market (ask for “mbongo spices”) and from spice sellers on Jangolo — the diaspora can also find them vacuum-dried.
Fish or meat?
The Bassa classic uses fresh fish; the beef version (meat mbongo) simply simmers 20 min longer.
Why isn’t my sauce black?
The spices weren’t roasted enough, or there isn’t enough mbongo: it’s the natural pigment of the sauce.
No time to cook? Find a restaurant
Want to enjoy this dish without cooking — or, if you run a restaurant or catering service, want to offer it to more customers? Discover the restaurants and caterers listed on Jangolo.
An emblematic specialty of the Bassa people (Littoral and Centre), mbongo tchobi is a deep, almost mysterious black sauce, made by lightly burning the spices before grinding them. Served with fresh fish and plantains, it’s one of the most powerful — and sought-after — tastes in Cameroonian cuisine.
Ingredients (serves 6)
Method (1 h)
Secrets of a successful mbongo
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find mbongo and pèbè?
At the spice section of any Cameroonian market (ask for “mbongo spices”) and from spice sellers on Jangolo — the diaspora can also find them vacuum-dried.
Fish or meat?
The Bassa classic uses fresh fish; the beef version (meat mbongo) simply simmers 20 min longer.
Why isn’t my sauce black?
The spices weren’t roasted enough, or there isn’t enough mbongo: it’s the natural pigment of the sauce.
No time to cook? Find a restaurant
Want to enjoy this dish without cooking — or, if you run a restaurant or catering service, want to offer it to more customers? Discover the restaurants and caterers listed on Jangolo.
Read also
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