Kanwa’a is an earthy material widely used as active ingredient in dishes in Cameroon and other West African countries. It is used as food tenderizer and thickener to help speed up the cooking process

Also known as limestone, kanwa'a, kaun and akanwu, this is used in virtually all West African kitchen as soup thickener and food tenderizer. It is used to soften vegetables like bitter leaves, and to reduce cooking times for black and red beans. Kanwa is also one of the key ingredient used to make achu/taro yellow soup in the North West and western regions of Cameroon.