Why has Ivory Coast’s national dish attieke become a global icon? | Food

Rumour has it that some Ivorians can eat attieke morning, afternoon and night.

The fermented cassava meal has long been a marker of national identity in Ivory Coast, beloved across all levels of society in the West African nation. And now, the United Nations has secured attieke’s status as one of the region’s most important servings.

In December, UNESCO (the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation) recognised attieke’s icon status by listing the dish as an intangible cultural heritage. That move elevates the tangy meal to the status of other globally renowned…