To make nyembwe sauce, cooks boil palm nuts until they are soft, then crush them and squeeze out the thick, orange palm oil. The chicken is browned first, then simmered slowly in this oil along with spices, onions and sometimes chilli. The longer it cooks, the deeper and richer the flavour becomes. The whole kitchen fills with a warm, nutty aroma.
Palm nuts have been used in cooking across central and west Africa for thousands of years. The oil palm tree is extraordinary – its fruit produces oil used for cooking, and different parts of the tree provide materials for baskets, roofing and even wine. Many Gabonese families grow oil palms in their gardens.
Poulet nyembwe is typically served with fufu – a smooth, stretchy dough made from cassava or plantain flour – or with boiled plantains and rice. Eating is often communal: a large pot is placed in the centre and everyone gathers around, scooping up the sauce with fufu or bread.
The dish is a point of pride for Gabonese people. When Gabon's national football team plays an important match, families often cook poulet nyembwe to celebrate together. It is the taste of home for Gabonese people living in other countries.