Alright, let’s talk ’bout them Liberian desserts, you know, the sweet stuff folks eat after a good meal. I ain’t no fancy cook or nothin’, but I know what tastes good, and them Liberians, they got some mighty fine treats.
First off, they got all kinds of cakes. Yeah, cakes! Like them chocolate ones, all rich and gooey, and them fruit cakes, light and fluffy. My grandbaby, she loves cake, any kind of cake, really. Liberia, they got a cake for everybody, I reckon. Cakes in Liberia ain’t just somethin’ you eat for birthdays, they eat ’em whenever they want a little somethin’ sweet, just like me with my cookies after supper.
Now, you ever heard of rice bread? Sounds funny, don’t it? But it’s kinda like banana bread, only they use mashed bananas and rice flour, I think. I ain’t never made it myself, but I seen pictures, and it looks mighty tasty. Folks on them Pinterest thingy, they got all sorts of ideas for makin’ it. Said it’s real popular over there.
- Rice Bread
- Cakes (Chocolate, Fruit)
- Shortbread
- Peanut Candy (Kanyan)
- Milk, Rice, and Fruit Desserts
Then there’s this shortbread they got. Now, shortbread I know. It’s all buttery and crumbly, melts right in your mouth. Them Liberians, they got their own way of makin’ it, I hear. Recipes and such. I bet it’s good with a cup of coffee, the way I like my cookies. Liberian shortbread recipe, that’s somethin’ I might try findin’ one day.
And oh, the peanut candy! They call it “Kanyan” over there, but it’s just peanut candy, far as I can tell. Only it ain’t like the hard peanut brittle we got here. It’s more like… well, they call it “delicious sand” which sounds funny, but I guess it’s kinda crumbly and crunchy. Peanuts and sugar, can’t go wrong with that, right? That Kanyan stuff sounds like somethin’ my grandkids would gobble right up.
Them Liberian folks, they like their milk and rice too. They make all sorts of desserts with milk and rice, and fruit too. Puddings and such, I guess. Reminds me of rice pudding my mama used to make, all creamy and sweet. They use all sorts of local fruits, stuff we ain’t even heard of over here, I bet. But fruit is fruit, right? And sweet is sweet. So I figure them milk, rice, and fruit desserts are probably mighty fine.
You know, Liberia ain’t a big place, but they sure got a lot of good food. Not just desserts, neither. I heard they got stews and street food and all sorts of stuff. But the desserts, that’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout today. They use all sorts of stuff we use here, like cassava and bananas and plantains and coconuts. But they got their own way of doin’ things, their own flavors and spices. And that’s what makes it interesting, I reckon.
Liberian desserts are all about sweetness and flavor, that’s for sure. Whether it’s a big ol’ slice of cake or a little piece of peanut candy, it’s all about makin’ your belly happy. And that’s somethin’ I understand, no matter where you come from. So next time you want somethin’ sweet, maybe you can try lookin’ up one of them Liberian dessert recipes. Might be somethin’ you like.
And listen, don’t get all hung up on fancy cookin’ terms and measurements. Just use your common sense, like I do. If it looks good and smells good, it’ll probably taste good too. That’s my philosophy, anyhow. And that’s all I gotta say ’bout them Liberian desserts.
