Fakoye: dried jute leaf powder from Mali

Fakoye is a powder of dried leaves, used in northern Mali to thicken a smooth, green sauce served over rice. Less well known in France than okra, it nonetheless shares its source plant with Egyptian molokheya and Nigerian ewedu. This guide explains what fakoye is, how to prepare it and where to find it in France.

What is fakoye?

Fakoye refers to the dried then ground leaves of jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius), a herbaceous plant. Once cooked, its dark green powder develops a thick, slightly stringy texture, close to that of okra. It gives its name to fakoye sauce, prepared with meat and served over white rice.

Not to be confused with lalo, a baobab leaf powder also used to thicken sauces in West Africa, but coming from a different plant, with a different taste.

Fakoye in the cuisine of northern Mali

Fakoye is associated with northern Mali, particularly the region of Gao, along the Niger River. The sauce that bears its name simmers for a long time with mutton or beef, onion and garlic, before being poured over hot white rice. It is as much a festive dish as an everyday one, prepared as a family.

How to prepare fakoye sauce?

Two reference recipes give comparable proportions: count on about 75 to 80 g of fakoye powder for 500 g to 1 kg of meat, for 4 to 6 people.

1. Brown the meat, cut into pieces, with onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover with water and let simmer until the meat starts to become tender.
3. Dilute the fakoye powder in a little melted butter or oil to avoid lumps, then pour this mixture into the pot while stirring.
4. Let simmer over low heat for about an hour and a half, until you get a green, coating sauce.
5. Serve hot, over white rice.

Some recipes also add soumbala (fermented néré seed paste) or dried fish during cooking: see the soumbala guide to learn more about this condiment.

Fakoye, molokheya, ewedu: one plant, several names

Jute mallow changes name depending on the region where it is cooked. It is called molokheya or mloukhiya in Egypt and the Maghreb, ewedu among the Yoruba of Nigeria, adèmè in Togo and kplala in Côte d'Ivoire. Each tradition prepares it differently: Tunisian mloukhiya simmers for a long time in olive oil, Nigerian ewedu is beaten fresh and frothy to accompany amala, while Malian fakoye thickens a meat sauce served over rice. NKOSI also sells the same dried leaf under the name ground molokheya, for Egyptian and Maghrebi recipes.

Composition of the jute mallow leaf

Fresh jute mallow leaves provide, per 100 g, about 34 kcal, 4.7 g of protein, 10.4 mg of vitamin C, 1.33 mg of iron and 58 mg of calcium. The product sold in France is dried then ground into powder; its composition, altered by dehydration, remains to be measured precisely.

Frequently asked questions about fakoye

What does fakoye taste like?

A vegetal taste, between spinach and green tea, with a thick, slightly stringy texture once cooked, close to that of okra.

How do you avoid lumps in fakoye sauce?

First dilute the powder in a little melted butter or warm oil, then pour this mixture into the pot while stirring. Added directly to a hot liquid, the powder forms lumps.

Where can you find fakoye powder in France?

NKOSI sells NUMBER ONE fakoye powder and ships it from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.