Although the species is not native to the Congo River, the Nile perch was introduced here in the middle of the 20th century. The rapid growth of this species caused great problems for local varieties, but despite this, the fish was quickly incorporated into Congolese cuisine.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Nile perch is also known as “Captaine”. In Kinshasa, we can eat grilled or fried Nile perch with Pili-Pili peppers and palm oil. There are many side dishes that go well with it, such as cassava or fried plantains.