Garri is a popular West African granular food made from processed cassava roots, introduced from South America by Portuguese colonizers in the 16th century. It gained widespread popularity in the 19th century through returning formerly enslaved people, and it is cherished for its long shelf life, affordability, and versatility as a “soaking” snack or cooked eba.
Bantu cuisine originates from West-Central Africa (around modern-day Nigeria/Cameroon) and was shaped by the Neolithic expansion of Bantu-speaking peoples, who introduced agriculture, ironworking, and livestock (cattle, goats) across sub-Saharan Africa. The cuisine is historically rooted in farming yams, sorghum, and millet, later incorporating bananas/plantains and, post-Columbian exchange, maize and cassava.