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{{Short description|Granular flour from fermented cassava}}
{{Italic title}}{{distinguish|text=''[[gari (ginger)|gari]]'', or ginger in Japanese cuisine}}

{{other uses}}
[[File:Garri flour.jpg|thumb|224x224px|Garri flour]]
[[File:Individual plate of garri to eat by hand with fish and greens, Baba1 (5570984125).jpg|thumb|Cooked garri ([[eba]]) on a plate in Cameroon]]
[[File:Manihot esculenta dsc07325.jpg#file|thumb|right|180px|Whole cassava tubers]]
[[File:PeeledCassava.jpg#file|thumb|right|180px|Peeled cassava pieces]]

In [[West Africa]], '''''garri''''' (also known as '''''gari''''', '''''galli''''', or '''''gali''''') {{IPAc-en|audio=LL-Q33578 (ibo)-Newtrains-Garri.wav}} is the flour of the fresh starchy [[cassava]] root. 

In the [[Hausa language]], ''garri'' can also refer to the flour of [[Sorghum bicolor|guinea corn]], maize, rice, yam, plantain and millet.{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}} For example, ''garin dawa'' is processed from [[guinea corn]], ''garin masara'' and ''garin alkama'' originate from [[maize]] and wheat respectively, while ''garin magani'' is a powdery medicine. 

Starchy flours mixed with cold or boiled water form a major part of the diet in [[Nigeria]], [[Benin]], [[Togo]], [[Ghana]], [[Guinea]], [[Cameroon]] and [[Liberia]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2022}}

Cassava, the root from which ''garri'' is produced, is rich in fiber, copper and magnesium.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nwosu |first=Martin|date=2023-08-23 |title=10 Amazing Health Benefits of Garri |url=https://www.nccmed.com/10-amazing-health-benefits-of-garri/ |access-date=2023-08-23 |website=Nccmed |language=en-us}}</ref>

Garri is similar to farinha de mandioca of Brazil, used in many food preparations and recipes, including [[farofa]], particularly in the [[Nordeste]].

==Preparation==
[[File:Processing of Garri (cassava flakes).jpg|thumb|Process of garri making ]]
To make ''garri'' flour, [[cassava]] tubers are uprooted, peeled, washed and grated or crushed to produce a mash. The mash can be mixed with palm oil and placed in a porous bag, which is then placed in an adjustable press machine or iron presser for 1–24 hours to remove excess water. Once dried, it is [[sieve]]d and [[frying|fried]] in a large stainless steel frying pot or in a large aluminum frying tray, with or without palm oil. The resulting dry granular garri can be stored for long periods. It may be pounded or ground to make a fine flour.<ref name="gari">{{Cite web|title=Garri|url=http://www.africanfoods.co.uk/gari.html|access-date=August 6, 2015|publisher=African Foods}}</ref> ''Garri'' comes in various consistencies, including rough, medium and smooth, which are used to prepare different foods.

== Dishes ==
''[[Eba]]'' is a stiff dough made by soaking ''garri'' in hot water and kneading it with a wooden baton until it becomes a smooth doughy staple. It is served as part of a meal with soups and sauces. Some of these include okra soup, [[Egusi soup|''egusi'' soup]], [[Efo riro|vegetable soup]], [[Afang soup|''afang'' soup]], [[Banga soup|''banga'' soup]] and [[Bitter leaf|bitter leaf soup]]. Similar starchy doughs are found as staples in other African cuisines.

[[File:Eba and Egusi soup.JPG|thumb|''Eba'' and ''egusi'' soup]]

[[Kokoro (snack food)|''Kokoro'']] is a Nigerian snack food common in southern and southeast Nigeria, especially [[Abia state|Abia State]], [[Rivers state|Rivers State]], [[Anambra state|Anambra State]], [[Enugu state|Enugu State]] and [[Imo state|Imo State]]. It is made from a paste of [[maize]] flour, mixed with ''garri'' and sugar and deep-fried.

As a [[snack]], cereal, or light meal, ''garri'' can be soaked in cold water (in which case it settles to the bottom), mixed with [[sugar]] or [[honey]], and sometimes roasted [[peanut]]s and/or [[evaporated milk]], also known as Soaking Garri. The amount of water needed for soaked ''garri'' is 3:1. ''Garri'' can also be eaten dry with sugar and roasted peanut. Other ingredients include coconut chunks, [[Cyperus esculentus|tiger nut]] milk, and cashews.

In [[Liberia]], ''garri'' is used to make a dessert called ''kanyan'' which is combined with peanuts and honey.
[[File:Food market 4.jpg|thumb|216x216px|Dry garri flour]]
In its dry form, ''garri'' is used as an accompaniment for soft cooked [[beans]] and palm oil. This food mix is called ''yoo ke garri,'' or ''garri-fɔtɔ''/''galli-fɔtɔ'' (crushed garri) in the [[Ga language]] of [[Ghana]] and the [[:fr:Gen|Gen]] dialect of southern [[Togo]] and [[Benin]]. This type of garri is a mixture of moistened garri kneaded with a thickened tomato paste, oil, salt, seasonings. Yoo ke garri is garri with beans, which is typically eaten as lunch.<ref name=gari/> It is also eaten with bean cake ([[Akara]]) in Nigeria.

Smooth ''garri'' (known as ''lebu'' to the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]]) can be mixed with pepper and other spicy ingredients. A small amount of warm water and [[palm oil]] is added and softened by hand. This type of ''garri'' is served with fried fish. It is served with [[frejon]] on [[Good Friday]].

In Nigeria, the Efik people use dry ''garri'' to thicken light soups like egg soup and white soup (also known as up and down soup)

==Variations==
In [[West Africa]], two types of garri include white and yellow garri''.'' Yellow ''garri'' is prepared by adding palm oil just before the fermenting stage of the cassava mash.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=https://thewisebaker.com/garri-a-guide-to-west-africas-staple-food/
 |title=Garri: A Guide to West Africa's Staple Food
 |date=16 September 2020
 |publisher=The Wisebaker
 |access-date=2021-06-13}}</ref> Alternatively, it can be made using the yellow-fleshed breed of cassava. White garri on the other hand is fried without palm oil.

Variations of yellow and white ''garri'' are common across Nigeria and Cameroon. One variation of white ''garri'' is popularly known as ''garri-Ijebu''. This is produced mainly by the [[Yoruba people]] of [[Ijebu Kingdom|Ijebu]] in Nigeria.

In [[Ghana]], ''garri'' is classified by taste and grain size. The sweeter types with finer grains are more valued over sourer, large grain varieties. Commercial food vendors prefer coarser grains with high starch content, as this produces a greater yield when soaked in water.

Buyers often look out for crisper grains when trying to determine freshness.

==See also==
{{portal|Food}}

* [[African cuisine]]
* Similar [[cassava-based dishes]] 
** [[Farofa]]
** [[Fufu]]
** [[Ugali]]
* [[Ogi (food)]]
* [[Poi (food)|Poi]]
* [[List of African dishes]]
* [[Tapai]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Garri (West Africa)}}
*[http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/food/gari.html Gari on Ghanaweb.com]
* [http://www.igboguide.org/guests/garri-process.htm Igbo guide on garri]

{{African cuisine}}

[[Category:Ghanaian cuisine]]
[[Category:Nigerian cuisine]]
[[Category:Igbo cuisine]]
[[Category:Cameroonian cuisine]]
[[Category:Fermented foods]]
[[Category:Staple foods]]
[[Category:Sierra Leonean cuisine]]
[[Category:Yoruba cuisine]]
[[Category:Liberian cuisine]]
[[Category:Cassava dishes]]