Cou-cou, coo-coo or fungi (as it is known in the Leeward Islands

Leeward Islands

The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...

) makes up part of the national dishes

National dish

A national dish is a dish, food or a drink that is considered to represent a particular country, nation or region.A dish can become a national dish for a variety of reasons. It can be the national dish because it is a staple daily food for the majority of the population. It can also be the national...

 of Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...

, Barbados

Barbados

Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...

, British Virgin Islands

British Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands, often called the British Virgin Islands , is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union, located in the Caribbean to the east of Puerto Rico. The islands make up part of the Virgin Islands archipelago, the remaining islands constituting the U.S...

 and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It consists mainly of cornmeal

Cornmeal

Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...

 (corn flour) and okra

Okra

Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West African origins...

 (ochroes). The cornmeal which comes readily packaged and is available at supermarkets island wide and the okra which is accessible at supermarkets, vegetable markets and home gardens, they are very inexpensive ingredients. It is because these main components are inexpensive that the dish became so common for many residents in Barbados' early colonial history. Cou-cou derives from the island's African ancestry and was a regular meal for those slaves who were brought over from Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 to Barbados.

A unique cooking utensil called a 'cou-cou stick' (or 'fungi stick') is used in its preparation. A cou-cou stick is made of wood and has a long, flat rectangular shape like a 1 foot (0.3048 m) miniature cricket bat

Cricket bat

A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....

. It is believed by Barbadians to be essential in stirring the cou-cou, as cou-cou takes on a firm texture and the cou-cou stick makes it easier to stir in a large pot.

Flying fish prepared fried or steamed is a usual complement to cou-cou. Cou-cou and flying fish serves as Barbados' national dish. Corned beef

Corned beef

Corned beef is a type of salt-cured beef products present in many beef-eating cultures. The English term is used interchangeably in modernity to refer to three distinct types of cured beef:...

 or just beef stew

Stew

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...

 is also a common accompaniment to cou-cou. Traditionally, cou-cou is served on Fridays at homes across Barbados and local food establishments.

In some islands, e.g. Barbados, Antigua

Antigua

Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...

, or the Virgin Islands

Virgin Islands

The Virgin Islands are the western island group of the Leeward Islands, which are the northern part of the Lesser Antilles, which form the border between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean...

, cou-cou may be cooked without okra and go by the name fengi, fungie or fungi.

The following is a conventional method of preparing cou-cou:

Ingredients

• 6 okra pods
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 3 cups cold water
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Pour one cup of water over cornmeal in a bowl.
2. Wash okra and cut pods diagonally, discarding each end.
3. Boil remaining water and add okra.
4. Reserve one cup of the boiling water and gradually add the wet cornmeal to the okra and water combination. While adding cornmeal, use the coo-coo stick to stir.
5. Reduce heat and gradually add the one cup of water that was reserved.
6. When the mixture is smooth, add butter.