Gari is a snack and staple food made from fermented cassava and traditionally eaten in parts of West Africa.
To make gari, cassava roots are peeled, grated, fermented, pressed, and roasted. The roasting produces small, dry granules with a slightly sour flavor and a long shelf life. Gari can be eaten dry as a crunchy snack or soaked in water and combined with sugar, milk, peanuts, or coconut.
It is widely consumed in countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, and Togo. The fermentation process reduces some naturally occurring cyanogenic compounds in cassava and also contributes to gari’s characteristic taste.
Gari is not the same as fufu. Fufu is a soft dough-like food made by pounding or processing starchy ingredients, while gari consists of roasted cassava granules.