Chilled · Millet & Yogurt

Dèguè (Thiakry)

Photo: Atamari / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

This chilled market snack is basically couscous for dessert, steamed from millet instead of wheat.

Dèguè is small steamed balls of millet semolina folded into sweetened, cultured milk or yogurt, sometimes with a splash of condensed milk. Market vendors sell it by the cup or bag as a cooling snack, breakfast, or light dessert during the heat of the day.

Why it's made this way: Millet has been a Sahelian staple grain for centuries, and pairing it with fermented dairy created a filling, portable food that holds up well in Mali's heat without refrigeration.