The oil palm tree grows abundantly across Central Africa and has been used in cooking for thousands of years. To make moambé sauce, the palm nuts are boiled until soft, then mashed and squeezed to release their creamy, oily pulp. This takes skill and strength - the process is often done by hand at home.
The chicken pieces are rubbed with salt and spices and then cooked slowly in the moambé sauce until the meat becomes so tender it falls from the bone. Sometimes garlic, chilli, bay leaves and onion are added to deepen the flavour. The smell from the cooking pot drifts through the whole neighbourhood.
Poulet à la moambé is served on special occasions - family gatherings, celebrations and welcoming important guests - as well as on regular weeknights. It is usually eaten with rice, fufu or plantain. Versions of the same dish appear across many Central African countries, showing how cooking traditions cross borders just like rivers do.