Khati Khati: Food and Culture

Our rich gastronomy is one of the things we can boast of as a distinguished nation. The great triangle (Cameroon) harbours numerous ethnic groups, all with diverse and unique cuisines. The Grassfield is one of the geographical classifications that make up the three main ethnic zones of Cameroon. It consists of the West and the North West Regions. The North West region on its part has a popular, yet unique, recipe for preparing chicken. Khati Khati has remained one of the outstanding dishes of the North West in terms of its appropriation, touristic potential and cultural inclinations. 

A couple of sources (written and oral) have stated that Khati Khati originates from Kom in Boyo Division. The Kom word Khati Khati designates the English verb ‘to cut’ or ‘to butcher’ which describes what is done with the chicken. Neighboring tribes and villages probably adopted the dish as a result of the proximity to Kom and the hospitality of the Kom people. It’s far from being a gross exaggeration if one says almost all the tribes of the region that have appropriated Khati Khati as their main traditional dish have a common significance attached to it.

There are certain rules guarding the preparation and consumption of Khati Khati during strictly traditional events. The traditional method is adopted by most groups like village njangis, juju dance groups and prominent secret cults in most traditional setups of the North West region. Men are usually in charge of the chicken while women are responsible for the complement— corn fufu.

Khati Khati is locally prepared chicken; mostly done with a rooster. From the slaughter spot, the feathers are plucked with the aid of fire. The flame burns off the fluff as well as the barbs from the shaft and then the quills are carefully uprooted from the flesh. When this is done to “satisfaction," a portion of the stomach is opened so as to take out the intestines and other internal organs.

The next phase involves the roasting of the chicken. It’s done in such a way that it gets tender and ready for consumption — though still a full chicken. When this is achieved, the rooster is sliced into desired pieces. While this goes on, some palm oil (the quantity of oil is determined by the quantity of the slices of chicken) must have been put in a pot and placed on a three stone fire side or local firewood stove. The palm oil is heated in a way that it gets warmer but not too hot. The chicken is then poured into the oil and some kitchen salt is added to it and the mixture is stirred. At this point, it is ready for consumption. 

The serving of Khati Khati is the last and most important phase. Before the food is served, the eldest person in the group tastes it first. Then a small portion of the food is kept for those in charge of the sharing. Plantain or cocoyam leaves are used for serving. 

Traditional setups have strict rules on how members sit during socio-cultural gatherings. The sitting positions are not randomly allocated and there are some key people whose sitting plan must never be tampered with. The elder(s) sit by the door to the left. If there is a ‘big man' (bikiman) amongst them, then he equally sits by the door but to the right. ‘Big man’ is a traditional title for a lineage head. The other seats are occupied by the middle aged men and then by the youth.

Note that certain parts of the chicken are reserved for particular people. The head of the chicken, the intestines and the feet can be eaten by the person who prepared the dish even before serving it. These parts are considered less important in such gatherings. The gizzard(s) and the duodenum(s) are the parts reserved for the eldest member. A full pot of Khati Khati in traditional setups, is considered incomplete if the vital parts, the gizzard and the duodenum, are absent.

            Gizzards reserved for the eldest              

Reserved for those serving

When sharing goes round and to everyone’s satisfaction, the pot of Khati Khati is placed in front of the eldest member(s) of the house for him to finish the few slices left and equally lick the palm oil which is no longer considered oil as such but as Khati Khati sauce. It’s optional for him/them to give out a piece of Khati Khati once more to any member of their choice. 

Khati Khati is eaten with corn fufu prepared by women in the background. ‘Njama njama’ (huckleberry) is just an extra complement and it's optional. It's probably added to make the dish more balanced. Some theories hold that, as the sizes of Kom families grew, providing chicken for the entire became less affordable; adding huckleberry resolved the problem.

Over a period of time and considering the fact that cooking is an art, Khati Khati has witnessed a modification in its preparation process. Modernisation has pushed many to start using chickens other than the 'country fowl' (local chicken) in some traditional occasions but true traditionalists don't use genetically modified birds and are specific about roosters. It has equally crept from traditional setups and has gained a permanent space in restaurants in our towns and cities. This has introduced Cameroonians from other areas out of the North West to Khati Khati and some have adopted it as a main dish on their cuisine menu. 

While the head, the intestines and the feet in typical traditional settings are consumed by the person who prepared it, restaurant owners do not give out these parts. They constitute a slice. The feet of the chicken are inserted into the beak horizontally and the intestines carefully wrapped on it. A major difference here is with the choice of chicken used. Restaurant owners use genetically modified ‘old layers’ and broilers unlike in traditional settings where local roosters are required. 

Time has greatly had a relaxing influence on the restrictions surrounding Khati Khati. In most communities nowadays, a woman can be seen savoring the gizzard and the duodenum which hitherto were strictly reserved for the family heads, the elderly and titled men. However, traditionalists have remained conservative.

Photo credit: Gilbert King