Bush meat smoked hard over wood until it will survive days of travel to market without refrigeration. The trade supplies Bangui’s markets from villages far up the rivers, and smoking is what makes that trade possible at all.
The method depends on a continuous wood fire under a rack for days, and where the meat is wild game it carries zoonotic risks that smoking does not remove; the Central African bushmeat trade is also restricted under CITES for many species.
What goes into it
- game meat, cut into pieces
- hardwood for smoke
- sometimes salt
How it is made
The meat is cut up and laid on a raised wooden rack over a slow smouldering fire, where smoke and gentle heat work on it together for a day or more. It is turned as it darkens and ends up dry, black-crusted and hard, with much of its water gone and the surface carrying antimicrobial compounds from the smoke.
How long it takes: one to three days over a smouldering fire
How it is eaten
Simmered soft in groundnut and cassava-leaf sauces, or cut into pepper soup.
History
Smoking preserves game across the Central African forest without refrigeration; the trade supplies Bangui markets from villages days away.
Frequently asked questions
What is Viande boucanée?
Viande boucanée is a charcuterie & cured from Central African Republic: bush meat smoked hard over wood so it survives the journey to market. Smoking preserves game across the Central African forest without refrigeration; the trade supplies Bangui markets from villages days away.
How is Viande boucanée made?
The meat is cut up and laid on a raised wooden rack over a slow smouldering fire, where smoke and gentle heat work on it together for a day or more. It is turned as it darkens and ends up dry, black-crusted and hard, with much of its water gone and the surface carrying antimicrobial compounds from the smoke. It takes one to three days over a smouldering fire.
Can I make Viande boucanée at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. The method depends on a continuous wood fire under a rack for days, and where the meat is wild game it carries zoonotic risks that smoking does not remove; the Central African bushmeat trade is also restricted under CITES for many species.
What goes into Viande boucanée?
Game meat, cut into pieces, hardwood for smoke, sometimes salt.
How is Viande boucanée eaten?
Simmered soft in groundnut and cassava-leaf sauces, or cut into pepper soup.
