Koba: the Banana-Peanut-Rice Cake in Leaves

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By Jordan Lamont · Last updated 7 October 2026

Say it like a local: koba (KOO-ba); akondro (a-KOON-dru) — banana; ravina — leaf.

At any Malagasy bus station a vendor will be slicing coin-shaped discs off what looks like a fat, speckled log wrapped in leaves. That is koba, the country’s favourite sweet snack — a dense, sticky slab of peanuts, rice and sugar that has fuelled generations of travellers, schoolchildren and market-goers. It is cheap, it is everywhere, and it is one of the most satisfying things you can eat on the road in Madagascar.

One name, two very different cakes

“Koba” actually covers two related treats. The first is koba ravina (or kobandravina): a large cylinder of ground peanuts, rice flour and brown sugar, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for hours, then sliced into rounds for sale. The second is koba akondro — small individual parcels of mashed ripe banana, ground peanuts and flour, tied in banana leaves and steamed. One is a big log you buy by the slice; the other is a single-serving banana cake. Both are dense, moist and generously sweet.

How it’s made

The method rewards patience. Peanuts are roasted and ground to a coarse flour, then mixed with rice flour, sugar and, for the banana version, plenty of mashed very-ripe banana. The batter is packed tightly into banana leaves — which give koba its subtle fragrance and keep it moist — and steamed or boiled, sometimes for three to four hours, until it sets into a firm, sliceable block. Good koba should never be dry; it should be dense and slightly sticky, almost fudge-like.

The ultimate Malagasy road food

Koba’s genius is practicality. It is calorie-dense and filling, it keeps for a day or two without refrigeration, and it is sold exactly where hungry people are: markets, street corners, bus stations and highway stops. For anyone taking a long taxi-brousse journey across the highlands, a wedge of koba and a cup of ranon’apango is the classic travelling meal. It is Madagascar’s answer to the energy bar, except handmade, wrapped in a leaf, and far more delicious.

How to try it

Buy koba freshly made from a busy stall — turnover means freshness — and eat it the same day for the best texture. The highlands, especially around Antananarivo and Antsirabe, are koba country. Try both forms if you can: the big peanut log and the little banana parcels taste quite different. It sits naturally alongside the rest of Madagascar’s street food, built, like almost everything here, on a foundation of rice.

Why it matters today

Koba is everyday Madagascar in edible form: peanuts and rice, patience and banana leaves, sold cheaply to keep ordinary people going. Sharing a slice at a market is a small, genuine way to join daily life. Plan where to find the best local food with our Madagascar travel guide.

FAQ

What is koba?

A dense Malagasy sweet of ground peanuts, rice flour and sugar. The large log form is koba ravina; the small banana version steamed in leaves is koba akondro.

What does koba taste like?

Rich, nutty and moist, like a firm peanut-and-banana cake, with a subtle flavour from the banana-leaf wrapping.

Where do you buy it?

At markets, bus stations and roadside stalls, sliced fresh from a big log or sold as small leaf-wrapped parcels — Madagascar’s classic grab-and-go snack.

How is it made?

Peanuts are roasted and ground, mixed with rice flour, sugar and (for koba akondro) mashed banana, wrapped tightly and steamed for hours until set.