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Traditionally, people of the African rainforest had a rich variety of animals and vegetation to use as food. Today, not always living within the forest proper, rainforest cuisine is much less diverse.
The Bakas' daily meals are mostly starchy, using ingredients such as plantains and yams, or sometimes, boiled manioc. Honey is highly prized. Meat comes from Baka snares - a small antelope, cane rats or forest buffalo. Women also build dams of sticks to catch rainforest fish. These meats are either roasted over a fire or boiled. When a large animal is killed, it is usually boiled in a pot along with palm oil and scraps of chili peppers. Children sometimes use their catapults to kill lizards and small birds, which are roasted and eaten instantly.
Other foods and insects are available by season. In August, the Baka harvest large amounts of caterpillars, a great delicacy. In July, seeds from forest mangos are pounded and used to make a sauce.
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