African food safari.
Africa, the second largest continent after Asia in terms of both land area and population. There are 54 countries in Africa today, according to the United Nations. The continent also includes Madagascar and various archipelagos. An estimated 1.37 billion, people live on the continent representing about 14 percent of the world's population. Algeria is the largest country by area, and Nigeria is it's largest by population. Cairo is the largest city, the capital of Egypt. There are at least 2000 different languages spoken in Africa and each of them has different dialects. Arabic is widely spoken, followed by English, Swahili & French. The Nile river is the longest river in the world flowing through 11 countries & The Sahara is the world's largest hottest desert both are in Africa. It is also the hottest continent on the earth. Africa is also known for it's wildlife safari's, there are endless possibilities for adventure. Africa is a very diverse continent, with its own unique culture. It is a continent which contains a wide array of peoples, skin colors, religions & cultures.
African cuisine is generally plant & seed based, and do not usually have food imported. African cuisine is as diverse as the many cultures that exists on the continent. The colorful presentation with mixed flavors, different tastes, textures & smells, will likely entice your palate's. The cuisine is a mix of ingredients such as cereal grains, vegetables, roots & tubers, meat products and locally available fruits. The traditional African cuisine always features mostly milk, curd and whey products. African diet is healthier compared to other diets of the world because it contains mostly dietary fibre, low sugar, fat & salt. Yams, plantains, green bananas and cassava are the essential staples in Africa. Meat is often used rarely. Vegetables, beans and lentils are also popular food staples.
African cuisine can be broken down into five distinct regions: Northern, Southern, Central, Eastern & Western Africa. Let's begin with.....
Northern africa lies along the Mediterranean sea including nations like Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt & Sudan. Seafood, goat, lamb, beef, date, olives, spices, garlic, preserved lemons, almonds as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables are the most important part of Northern African cuisine. Food cooked in a tagine is a true symbol of North Africa.
Most popular dishes of North Africa are couscous, which is probably the most famous dish and also has been called the national dish of Morocco, Algeria & Tunisia. Others are shakshouka, harissa, chicken tajine, pastilla, masfouf, ful medames, mrouzia, harira soup, fish chermoula, kofta, molokhiya, mint tea and many more.
(Ful medames)
Southern Africa, southernmost region of the continent, consists of countries like Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia & Zimbabwe. Sometimes called " rainbow cuisine " the cuisine reflects the diverse range of culinary tradition incorporated by the various communities that inhabit the region. South Africa cuisine is a unique fusion of many different external cultural influences; including Dutch, French, Indian and Malaysian flavors & techniques.
Maize, mealie(corn), biltong, rice, potatoes, meat, chicken, beans, samp, seafood are some of the staples.
Some famous dishes are boerewors, cape Malay curry, malva pudding, chakalaka & pap, braai, bunny chow, bobotie, potjiekos, vetkoek, funge, calulu, farofa, matapa, chamussas, michopo, bota, porridge, nhopi etc.
Central Africa, a subregion of the African continent, which is rich in natural resources and contains the second largest tropical forest area in the world. Many Central African countries are among the poorest in the world; which include countries like Chad, Cameron, Central African republic, Burundi, Gabon, Angola, Rwanda, Republic of the Congo etc. Central African cuisine is diverse as it comes from different traditions & cultures. Their cuisine is also influenced by Portuguese and the Swahilis, a culture that is a combination of Yemeni, Bantu, Omani & Indian. The dishes are made with strong flavors and has vibrant colors that make them stand out to other cuisines. The staple food in every household in Central Africa consists of starches like cassava(tapioca), Millet, potatoes, peanuts, sorghum, okra, spinach, yams & plantains, meat (often goat & chicken), game meat such as crocodile, antelope and warthogs are also served on some occasions, though this is rare.
Some of the favorites are fufu, a popular dish made from fermented cassava, koki, daraba, poulet nyembwe, makara, kanda, boule, arroz doce, egusi soup, ugali and many more.
Eastern Africa part of sub-saharan Africa consists largely of plateaus and is well known for its magnificent physical features. The region consists of countries like Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Somalia, Uganda etc. East African cuisine have been influenced by many different cultures, resulting in a melting pot of ingredients, flavors & cooking techniques. Dishes are almost always cooked with a vast array of spices, which gives the food a strong pure flavor. The cooking tends to focus on grains, slow cooked stews, curries and dairy, which are flavored with a variety of spices. Meat is not a primary dietary source although milk & the blood of cattle is consumed. Starchy grain-based foods are most commonly eaten, & ugali is an important staple, which is made from maize flour. Barbecued meat is popular but generally not eaten daily, instead dishes of beans, corn and leafy greens (often kale), tropical fruits, seafoods along with rich spices are consumed, also sugarcane juice is a favorite.
Some of the popular food are ugali, sambaza, matoke, tilapia, brochette, sambusa, chapati, nyama choma, injera bread, doro wat, dhollpuri, zigni, sukuma wiki etc.
Western Africa, westernmost region of Africa. The region contains a remarkable diversity of ethnic groups. There are 16 countries in Western Africa according to the United Nations which are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Niger, Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia, Senegal, Ivory coast, Ghana, Guinea, Mali & few more. West African food has a distinctive, traditional cuisine, which has been deeply influenced by colonizing nations; but still the traditional flavors are intact. The staples of West African meal's are yams, plantains, cassava, dried peas, tomatoes, okra, peanuts, lemongrass, rice, garlic, green vegetables etc.
(Peanut stew)
The dishes which are enjoyed by people are egusi soup, moin moin, waakye, cachupa, ndole, yassa, kedjenou, jollof rice, fufu, ogbono soup, suya, peanut stew, pinto beans, squash soup, chicken stew, thieboudienne & many more.
African cuisine is as diverse & fascinating as the continents history, culture & traditions. The foods of Africa are colorful, flavorful, healthy and simple yet delicious. So this was my African food safari of some popular and yummy foods that you will find across the continent of Africa. Hope you enjoyed it!
Informative....good one
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