The historic town of Kong, in Côte d'Ivoire's Tchologo region, hosts the 4th Festival national de la cuisine ivoirienne (FNCI) on 16 and 17 October 2026. Twenty-six finalists, selected across the country's 13 tourism and leisure regions, will cook in front of a national jury of seven chefs.
Two categories are on the menu: "modern chefs" and "traditional cuisine of the terroir". Around the contest, the programme announced by the Ivorian News Agency (AIP) includes exhibitions, a culinary village, a market for local produce, workshops on passing down know-how, cultural performances and gastronomic evenings. Nearly 5,000 visitors are expected.
The event is placed under the patronage of Téné Birahima Ouattara, Vice Prime Minister and president of the Tchologo regional council, and chaired by Tourism Minister Siandou Fofana. The ministry's stated aim is to promote the national culinary heritage and make it a draw for international tourism.
One strand of the work happens away from the stoves: more than 120 technical recipe sheets have been prepared to document and standardise classics such as attiéké with fish, chicken kedjenou, foutou banane with sauce graine, placali with sauce claire, riz gras, kabato and garba. For the authorities, writing these recipes down is a way to preserve a culinary memory that has largely been passed on orally.
