Do not substitute lettuce for dark leafy greens. Many different types, colours and sizes of hot pepper are available in West Africa, but one thing they have in common is heat. If you like spicy food, do not hold back here. The Africans use peppers generously to make what can only be described as fiery dishes. Remove the veins and seeds to decrease the heat.
Calabashes are large bowls made from dried and hollowed gourds, often decorated with engravings.
These bamboo-like stalks are sugary sweet, and chewing them is a pleasant pastime. You can buy sugar cane swizzlers in some grocery stores, or order them from Frieda's on the Sources page. These pointed, ridged green pods have a stem on one end, and many small round whitish seeds inside. They give sauces a slippery texture very common in African foods. The more you chop them and release the seeds, the more thickening power they will have.