If you’ve grown up cooking African or Caribbean dishes, you’ll know that a handful of fresh vegetables show up again and again — not because they’re trendy, but because they’re the foundation of the food. Here’s a quick guide to some of the staples we stock most, and where each one fits in the kitchen.

Plantain

Green for firm, savory dishes and fufu; yellow for sweeter, fried preparations. One of the most-asked-about items in our fresh section — we cover it in more detail in our plantain guide. Shop Plantain Vert and Plantain Jaune.

Cassava (Manioc)

A dense, starchy root that needs proper peeling and cooking before eating, but rewards the effort — boiled, fried, or ground into flour. See our full cassava preparation guide. Shop Manioc / Cassava.

Okra (Gombo)

The backbone of countless soups thanks to its natural thickening quality. Best picked firm and green, and cooked according to how much of that thickening texture you want. Shop Okra / Gombon.

Aloe Vera

Both a cooking ingredient and a refreshing drink — fresh leaf needs careful prepping to remove the bitter latex, while bottled aloe drinks are ready to go. Shop fresh aloe vera or the ready-to-drink version.

What else is worth knowing

These four are just the start — our Fresh Vegetables section also carries lalo/ademe, aubergine varieties, papaya, guava, mangoes, and more, sourced to match what our customers actually cook with at home rather than what’s simply easy to stock.

New arrivals land regularly. Browse the full Fresh Vegetables category to see what’s in this week, or check our Spices for everything you’ll need to season it.