The traditional diet of the Fang and other forest peoples in Gabon relies on rice and such tubers as yams and cassava. Gari is a cassava flour that can be prepared as porridge and served with spicy sauce, and the leaves of plantains are used both as plates and for wrapping food to be cooked. Gabon's national dishes are stuffed crab and nyembwe, a chicken dish made with palm nuts.
Palm nuts are also the source of cooking oil.
The Gabonese make wine from bananas and a light beer from millet. In the capital, Libreville, there are many restaurants serving French cuisine.