The two are actually different. Although both are starchy side dishes eaten in most African countries, fufu, which also goes by the name foufou or foofoo, differs from ugali in that it is made from cassava tubers (yuca) or yam. Ugali, on the other hand, is made by cooking maize flour (cornmeal) in boiling water and stirring until it forms a dense ball. Fufu is made by blending or pounding peeled starchy tubers (normally cassava (yuca) or yam tubers) into a thick batter, which is then cooked until it reduces to a stretchy form. Once cooked, fufu is normally shaped into balls and served with stews and soups, such as egusi. Fufu is less compact or dense than ugali and more stretchy.