Ivory Coast’s loved staple, attiéké – constructed from fermented cassava flour – has formally been added to Unesco’s listing of intangible cultural heritage.

Attiéké, pronounced atchekay, is one of those couscous constructed from field cassava roots. It’s so well-loved that many population have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Nicknamed “Ivorian couscous”, it’s usually eaten with grilled fish. It originated from the coastal gardens of Ivory Coast centuries in the past, however is now usual throughout West Africa.

Ivory Coast’s Unesco delegate, Ramata Ly-Bakayoko, advised the nineteenth consultation on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in Paraguay, that attiéké was once “deeply rooted in the daily lives of its communities”.

Jap sake, an alcoholic beverage constructed from grains, was once additionally added to the listing this week.

In Ivory Coast, attiéké is steadily served at ceremonies equivalent to weddings, baptisms, funerals, and crowd conferences.

However it’s greater than only a meal, it’s some population’s livelihood and a pathway to monetary democracy for lots of girls.

Attiéké is historically made through girls and women. The method can remove a couple of days as there are lots of steps rooted in custom.

The cassava root is peeled, grated and combined with a up to now fermented cassava.

The pulp is upcoming pressed to take away the starch and nearest processed manually and hardened and upcoming steamed.

It’s upcoming taken to native markets, the place it is usually bought in plastic luggage each and every containing a unmarried ball of attiéké.

However on the middle of it, attiéké, is a cultural connection from one year to every other.

The recipes, processes, and modes are handed i’m sick from mom to daughter and the dish “is a pillar of their identity and that of the whole of Ivory Coast”, stated Ms Ly-Bakayoko.

The Unesco listing highlights intangible cultural heritage which might be in peril, emphasising the desire to give protection to and saving conventional practices. The inclusion of attiéké highlights its significance to humanity as a collective, Unesco says.

Previous this week, the African Regional Highbrow Detail Group registered a collective trademark to cancel cassava produced in alternative international locations being bought underneath the title attiéké – in the similar approach that champagne needs to be produced within the branch of France with that title.

Ivory Coast sought this coverage nearest alternative international locations, as a long way afield as south-east Asia, have tried to capitalise at the approval for attiéké.