What to Eat in Chad: A Food Guide

Chad sits where the Sahara meets the Sahel and the greener south, and its cooking reflects that map. Millet, sorghum, and peanuts anchor everyday meals, while herding traditions add beef, goat, and dairy. Along Lake Chad, fishing communities rely on tilapia and other species, prepared fresh, dried, or smoked.

Meals are typically shared from a communal bowl, eaten by hand with the right hand or with thin sorghum flatbreads. The midday meal is hearty, followed by lighter evening plates and street-grilled meat once the heat eases. Markets and home kitchens favor straightforward techniques that conserve fuel and honor seasonal produce.

Boule is Chad’s staple: a firm, elastic paste cooked from millet, sorghum, or sometimes maize flour whisked into boiling water, then beaten until smooth. Cooks form it into balls and serve it alongside sauces that deliver the flavor—sauce gombo (okra), sauce d’arachide (peanut), or leafy sauces made with amaranth or moringa; dried fish or small pieces of beef may be added when available. Mildly nutty and neutral, boule is designed to be dipped, pinched with the right hand to scoop up sauce. Its role as a reliable, filling base is central to food security across regions. Families eat it daily at lunch or dinner, from N'Djamena canteens to village courtyards, and people often judge a meal by the depth and aroma of the sauce that accompanies it.

Daraba is a vegetable-forward stew built from okra, tomatoes, onions, and ground peanuts, often enriched with sweet potato or squash and a handful of leafy greens. Home cooks saute aromatics in groundnut oil, stir in chopped okra, tomato, and peanut paste, then simmer until thick and glossy; dried fish or a small quantity of meat may go in, but the dish remains balanced and satisfying without it. The texture is lush and lightly viscous from okra, with a roasted nuttiness and gentle heat from chilies. In southern towns such as Moundou and throughout the Sudanian zone, daraba is a practical way to stretch garden produce during the rainy season. It is ladled over boule or served with rice for midday meals, and its affordability makes it common in market-side stalls as well as family kitchens.

Agashe are charcoal-grilled skewers of beef, mutton, or goat dusted with a dry rub of ground roasted peanuts, chili, salt, and sometimes garlic or cumin. Vendors thread bite-size pieces onto metal or wooden skewers, sear them quickly over hot coals, then finish with another shake of the peppery peanut mix for a crackly, aromatic crust. The result is smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet from the caramelized nuts, with juicy meat at the center. Agashe reflects Chad’s eastern ties and resembles Sudanese street grills; in N'Djamena it appears at dusk when the air cools, often eaten with slices of onion, tomato, and a scrap of kisra or a pinch of boule. It is popular at gatherings and on ordinary evenings alike, a quick protein that travels well and suits the rhythm of Sahelian nights.

Kisra is a thin, foldable flatbread made from a fermented batter of sorghum (and sometimes millet), poured onto a hot, smooth griddle and peeled off in sheets. Its gentle tang and soft chew make it the preferred partner for mullah—savory gravies such as mullah bamia (okra), mullah rob (soured milk), or mullah sharmout (with dried meat). In Abéché and other eastern towns, the technique mirrors practices across the Sudanese border, with fermentation enhancing flavor and improving digestibility in a hot, arid climate. Kisra is eaten daily, especially at lunch, with diners tearing pieces to scoop sauce from a communal bowl. The combination offers a balance of grain and modest protein, and it underscores how regional trade and nomadic routes have shaped Chad’s eastern table.

Salanga refers to small fish from Lake Chad—often tilapia or other local species—cleaned, salted, and sun-dried on racks, sometimes finished with light smoking. The process concentrates flavor and ensures durability, allowing the fish to travel from lakeside towns like Bol to markets across the Sahel. Cooked briefly in oil until crisp or simmered into sauces, salanga brings a briny, savory punch and a hint of smoke to otherwise simple dishes. For many households, it is a dependable source of protein when fresh catch is scarce or the lake recedes seasonally. You will find it fried as a snack, pounded into flakes for stews, or used to fortify sauces served with boule. Its trade supports fishing communities and links Lake Chad’s shores with urban demand in N'Djamena.

Chadian cuisine stands out for its grain foundations, resourceful sauces, and regional contrasts—from Sahara-frugal techniques to fish-rich lakeside cooking and Sudan-influenced flatbreads. Meals are communal, practical, and deeply tied to climate and mobility. To dive deeper into regional food culture and plan travel by season, explore more culinary and destination guides on Sunheron.