AFRICAN FOOD CULTURE
African cuisine combines locally available fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, milk and meat. However, each region has their own food habits:
Central Africa – Common ingredients used are plantain and cassava. Cassava is used to make starch foods like Fufu to be served with meat and sauces. Beef and chicken are the most used meats however they also occasionally enjoy some crocodile, monkey and antelope. Cassava is also used to cook greens such as Groundnut stew (peanut stew) that includes chicken, okra and ginger.
East Africa – In different areas, people consume different things. Common ingredients used are oranges, limes, maize and tomato. The people living in the Savannah island do not eat meat since animals are seen as a form of currency, not for consumption. Corn is the basis of many dishes, like fufu they have their own version called Ugali which Is also served with meat or stew.
Once the British and Indians came to Africa they brought with them food such as spiced vegetable curry and lentil soups.
In the Horn of Africa, Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine mainly consists of tsebhis which is served with a flatbread called injera and hilbet which is a pasture made of lentils and fava beans. As the 2 countries share much history, their dishes are very similar.
North Africa – There is so much cultural diversity in this region making the cuisine just as diverse. Arabs introduced spices like cinnamon, coriander, ginger, saffron, turmeric, and paprika and Turks introduced sweet, bakery products. This region also does not eat Pork as the major religion is Islam.
South Africa – Here the cuisine is referred to as ‘Rainbow cuisine’ (coined by Nelson Mandela) because the food blends many cultures from indigenous African tribes to Asian. The common food is pap which is a thick porridge that you eat with your hands and can be accompanied by any meat.
The Asian (Cape Malay) local dishes include samosas, salomies (rootis and curry) and koesisters, a doughnut made with dry spices.
The Afrikaans speaking community’s traditional cuisine includes milk tarts, boerewors (combo of pork and beef sausage) which is a national favourite.
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West Africa – Like East Africa, the West is made up of many nations that have their own unique cuisine but every nation relies on the use of starch for most foods. The region produces a lot of fruits such as avocado, mango and coconut for snacks and dried fruit is used for deserts. The most popular dish is Jollof rice which its basic ingredients are rice, tomato, salt, pepper and onion and any meat can be added.
Source: Diabetes UK
Source: Amaniaafrica