The fresh starchy cassava root’s flour is referred to as garri in West Africa, where it is also called gari, galli, or gali.

In the Hausa language, garri can also refer to the flour of guinea corn, maize, rice, yam, plantain and millet. Garin dawa, for instance, is made from guinea corn, whereas garin masara, garin alkama, and garin magani are all made from maize and wheat, respectively.

Starchy flours mixed with cold or hot water form a prominent element of the diet in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon and Liberia. Cassava, the root from which garri is produced, is rich in fiber, copper and magnesium.