The cuisine of Africa reflects indigenous traditions, as well as influences from Arabs, Europeans, and Asians. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding
The continent of Africa is the second largest landmass on the earth and is home to hundreds of tribes, ethnic and social groups. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Not to be confused with Land mass. A landmass is a large continuous area of land. EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally consists of a Social group existing before the development of or outside of States Many anthropologists use In Sociology, a group can be defined as two or more Humans that interact with one another accept expectations and obligations as members of the group and share a This diversity is also reflected in African cuisine, in the use of basic ingredients as well as in the style of preparation and cooking techniques. Cuisine (from French cuisine, "cooking culinary art kitchen" ultimately from Latin coquere, "to cook" is a specific set Cooking is the process of preparing Food by applying Heat, selecting measuring and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure for producing safe and edible
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Traditional
Traditionally, as in almost all cultures, the food of Africa uses a combination of locally available fruits, grains, and vegetables, milk and meat products. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. In modern English usage meat most often refers to Animal tissue used as food mostly Skeletal muscle and associated Fat, but it may also refer In some parts of Africa, the traditional African diet has a predominance of milk, curd, and whey. Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes. Curd is a Dairy product obtained by curdling (coagulating Milk with Rennet or an edible Acidic substance such as Lemon juice Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after Milk has been Curdled and strained it is a By-product of the manufacture of Cheese In much of tropical Africa however, cow's milk is rare and cannot be produced locally (owing to various diseases that affect livestock). Yet, differences, sometimes significant, are noticeable in the eating and drinking habits across the continent of Africa - African food differs in different parts of Africa, and East Africa, North Africa, West Africa, Southern Africa and Central Africa each have their own distinctive foods. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. Southern Africa is the Southernmost Region of the African Continent, variably defined by Geography or Geopolitics. Central Africa is a core Region of the African Continent often considered to include Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad They are very well known for their distinctive cooking styles.
African household, green vegetables
Traditional green vegetables occupy an important role in household nutrition throughout Africa as these are the main source of vitamins and provide variety to meals otherwise consisting of maize, cassava, yam, millet, beans and occasionally, meat stews. These green African vegetables also provide a secondary source of proteins. In general, green leaves and young stems are collected, washed, chopped and either steamed or boiled in combination with spices and other vegetables such as onions and tomatoes. The green vegetables have occupied an important role in traditional kitchen gardens in the rural areas throughout East Africa. Furthermore, these vegetables are now being grown and marketed, both in rural areas and urban consumption. These vegetables are likely to become more important within urban gardens as well.
Most African traditional greens are drought tolerant. Traditional foods provide a varied diet, often rich in minerals and vitamins including vitamin A, iron and calcium.
Crop origins and farm biodiversity
Many of the most important crops in small hold farms of Africa originated outside of the African continent. Maize and beans, along with cassava and pumpkin, originate from America and were spontaneously adopted and spread by farmers throughout the continent of Africa after introduction by early European explorers in the 16th century. Today many African farmers are unaware that these are not indigenous African crops. Kale (Brassica oleracea ssp accephala, sukuma wiki) and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris ssp. Cicla) are two important leafy vegetables originating from Europeans that are widely grown by East African highland farmers. Yet another category of plants are those that are "pan–tropical" and cosmopolitan. For Example, the green vegetable solanum (Solanum nigrum) is so very widespread, no one is sure of its origin.
Central Africa
Central Africa stretches from the Tibesti mountains in the north to vast rainforest basin of the Congo River, and has remained largely free of culinary influences of the outside world, until the late 19th century, with the exception of the widespread adaptation of cassava, peanut, and Chile pepper plants which arrived along with the slave trade during the early 1500s. The Tibesti Mountains are a group of Dormant volcanoes forming a Mountain range in the central Sahara Desert in the Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti Rainforests are Forests characterized by high Rainfall with definitions setting minimum normal annual rainfall between 1750–2000 mm (68-78 inches The Congo River (for a time known as the Zaire River) is the largest River in Western Central Africa. These foodstuffs have had a large influence on the local cuisine, perhaps less on the preparation methods. Central African cooking has remained mostly traditional. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of Nevertheless, like other parts of Africa, Central African cuisine also presents an array of dishes.
The basic ingredients are plantains and cassava. Fufu-like starchy foods (usually made from fermented cassava roots) are served with grilled meat and sauces. The most traditional meats are those that are hunted in the forests. A variety of local ingredients are used while preparing other dishes like spinach stew, cooked with tomato, peppers, chiles, onions, and peanut butter. Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. Cassava plants are also consumed as cooked greens. Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a Vegetable, sometimes accompanied Groundnut (peanut) stew is also prepared, containing chicken, okra, ginger, and other spices. The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from Okra ( American English:, British English,) also known as lady's finger, bhindi ( Hindustani) and gumbo, is a Ginger is commonly used as a cooking spice throughout the world Another favorite is Bambara, a porridge of rice, peanut butter and sugar. Porridge, or porage, is a simple dish made by boiling Oats (normally crushed oats occasionally Oatmeal) or another cereal in Water Beef and chicken are favorite meat dishes, but game meat preparations containing crocodile, monkey, antelope and warthog, are also served occasionally. A crocodile is any Species belonging to the family Crocodylidae (sometimes classified instead as the Subfamily Crocodylinae) A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys two of the three groupings of Simian Primates the third group being Antelope are Ruminant hoofed Mammals of the family Bovidae in the order of Even-toed ungulates. The warthog or common warthog ( Phacochoerus africanus, "African Lens-Pig" is a wild member of the pig family that lives in Africa
East Africa
The cuisine of East Africa varies from area to area. East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. In the inland savannah, the traditional cuisine of cattle-keeping peoples is distinctive in that meat products are generally absent. Cattle, sheep and goats were regarded as a form of currency and a store of wealth, and are not generally consumed as food. Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family The domestic goat ( Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat Domesticated from the Wild goat of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is In some areas, traditional peoples consume the milk and blood of cattle, but rarely the meat. Elsewhere, other peoples are farmers who grow a variety of grains and vegetables. Maize (corn) is the basis of ugali, the East African version of West Africa's fufu. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Ugali (also sometimes called sima or posho) is a Cornmeal product and a staple Starch component of many African meals especially Fufu, variants include foofoo, foufou, foutou or fu fu, is a Staple food of West and Central Africa. Ugali is a starch dish eaten with meats or stews. In Uganda, steamed, green bananas called matoke provide the starch filler of many meals. The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. Matoke is a Meal consisting of steamed green Plantain and is one of the national dishes of Uganda.
Around 1000 years ago, the Arabs settled in the coastal areas of East Africa, and Arabic influences are especially reflected in the Swahili cuisine of the coast – steamed cooked rice with spices in Persian style, use of saffron, cloves, cinnamon and several other spices, and pomegranate juice. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding East Africa is the Easternmost Region of the African Continent. layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox Saffron ( Kurdish/Persian زَعْفَرَان is a Spice derived from the dried Stigma of the Flower of the saffron crocus ( Crocus sativus This article is about the Spice; for other meanings see Clove (disambiguation. Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 The pomegranate ( Punica granatum) is a Fruit -bearing Deciduous Shrub or small Tree growing to between five and eight metres tall
Several centuries later, the British and the Indians came, and both brought with them their foods, like Indian spiced vegetable curries, lentil soups, chapattis and a variety of pickles. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Curry is the English description of any of a general variety of spicy dishes best known in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan The lentil or daal or pulse ( Lens culinaris) is a bushy Annual plant of the legume family grown for its lens-shaped Seeds Soup is a Food that is made by combining ingredients such as Meat and Vegetables in stock or hot/boiling Water, until the flavor Pickling, also known as brining or corning, is the process of preserving Food by Anaerobic fermentation in Brine (a solution Just before the British and the Indians, the Portuguese had introduced techniques of roasting and marinating, as also use of spices turning the bland diet into aromatic stewed dishes. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Marination, also known as marinating, is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned often acidic liquid before cooking Portuguese also brought from their Asian colonies fruits like the orange, lemon and lime. Colonie is the name of a town and a village in Albany County New York Colonie (town Colonie (village An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn The lemon ( Citrus × limon) is a hybrid in cultivated wild plants Lime is a term referring to a number of different fruits (generally Citruses, both Species and hybrids, which are typically round green to yellow From their colonies in the New World, Portuguese also brought exotic items like chilies, peppers, maize, tomatoes, pineapple, bananas, and the domestic pig – now, all these are common elements of East African food. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. The chili pepper, chilli pepper, or chili, is the fruit of the plants from the Genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade Capsicum is a Genus of Plants from the nightshade family ( Solanaceae) native to the Americas, where it was cultivated for thousands Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. The domestic Pig (or in some areas hog) is normally given the scientific name Sus scrofa scrofa, though some taxonomists use the term
North Africa
North Africa lies along the Mediterranean Sea and encompasses within its fold several nations, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. This is a region marked by geographic, political, social, economic and cultural diversity, and the cuisine and the culinary style and art of North Africa are also as diverse as the land, its people and its history. Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena Politics Politics is the process by which groups of people make decisions Definition In the absence of agreement about its meaning the term "social" is used in many different senses referring among other things to attitudes An economy is the realized social system of production exchange distribution and consumption of goods and services of a country or other area Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate" generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic The roots to North African cuisine can be traced back over 2000 years.
Over several centuries traders, travelers, invaders, migrants and immigrants all have influenced the cuisine of North Africa. The Phoenicians of the 1st century brought sausages, the Carthaginians introduced wheat and its byproduct, semolina. Phoenicia ( Phoenician: Phoenician nunsvg|12px|נ]]Phoenician nun A sausage is a prepared Food, usually made from Ground meat, animal fat salt and Spices (sometimes with other ingredients such as herbs typically packed Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. Semolina is the purified middlings of hard wheat used in making Pasta; also the coarse middlings used for breakfast cereals puddings and Polenta. The Berbers, adapted this into couscous, one of the main staple diet. Berbers are the indigenous peoples of North Africa west of the Nile Valley. For the possum species see Cuscus Couscous or kuskus as it is known in Morocco Algeria Tunisia and Libya (ˈkuːskuːs in the US /ˈkʊskʊs/ A staple food is a Food that forms the basis of a Traditional diet. Olives and olive oils were introduced before the arrival of the Romans. The Olive ( Olea europaea) is a Species of small Tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees From the 7th century onwards, the Arabs introduced a variety of spices, like saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, which contributed and influenced the culinary culture of North Africa. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive Saffron ( Kurdish/Persian زَعْفَرَان is a Spice derived from the dried Stigma of the Flower of the saffron crocus ( Crocus sativus The nutmegs Myristica are a Genus of Evergreen Trees indigenous to tropical southeast Asia and Australasia Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 Ginger is commonly used as a cooking spice throughout the world This article is about the Spice; for other meanings see Clove (disambiguation. The Ottoman Turks brought sweet pastries and other bakery products, and from the New World, North Africa got potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini and chiles. The Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. This article describes Pastry in food For the Distributed Hash Table system see Pastry_(DHT. A bakery (also called baker's or bakehouse) is an establishment which produces or/and sells Bread, pies pastries Cakes Biscuits The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family Zucchini ( in North American and Australian English) or courgette (/kʊǝrˈʒɛt/ or in New Zealand and British English
Most of the North African countries have several similar dishes, sometimes almost the same dish with a different name (the Moroccan tangia and the Tunisian coucha are both essentially the same dish: a meat stew prepared in an urn and cooked overnight in a public oven), sometimes with a slight change in ingredients and cooking style. An urn is a Vase, ordinarily covered and without handles that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed Pedestal. To add to the confusion, two completely different dishes may also share the same name (for example, a "tajine" dish is a slow-cooked stew in Morocco, whereas the Tunisian "tajine" is a baked omelette/quiche-like dish). An omelette is a preparation of beaten egg cooked with Butter or oil in a Frying pan, usually folded around a filling such as In French cuisine, a quiche (IPA) is a baked dish that is made primarily of eggs and Milk or Cream in a Pastry There are noticeable differences between the cooking styles of different nations – there's the sophisticated, full-bodied flavours of Moroccan palace cookery, the fiery dishes of Tunisian cuisine, and the humbler, simpler cuisines of Egypt and Algeria. Moroccan cuisine is one of the most diversified cuisines in the world Tunisian cuisine is a blend of European, Oriental and desert dweller's culinary traditions This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's [1]
Southern Africa
Cuisine of South Africa and the neighboring countries is sometimes called 'rainbow cuisine' and rightly so as the cuisine of South Africa and the countries around them have largely become polyglot cuisines, having influences of indigenous Black people as well as several waves of immigrants which included Indians, Malays, Chinese as well as Europeans. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Malays (Melayu are an Ethnic group of Austronesian peoples predominantly inhabiting the Malay Peninsula, the east coast of Sumatra, the coast The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following A person who resides in and holds citizenship of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Thus, the food here is a blend of many cultures – African, European and Asian. Asian cuisine is a term used in the West as an umbrella term for the various cuisines of South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia and for fusion
The Malay influence has brought spicy curries, chutneys, and pickled fish and curry-marinated pork or lamb kebabs, and variety of fish stews. The concept of a Malay race ( Bangsa Melayu) was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1752-1840 Curry is the English description of any of a general variety of spicy dishes best known in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan Chutney ( Hindi: चटनी Urdu: چٹنی) (British spelling or chatni is a term for a variety of sweet and spicy Condiments, usually Pork' is the Culinary name for Meat from the domestic Pig ( Sus scrofa) often specifically the fresh meat but can be used as an all-inclusive Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget Kebab (also transliterated as kabab, kabob, kibob, kebhav, kephav) refers to a variety of meat dishes in Middle Eastern A stew is a combination of Solid Food Ingredients that have been Cooked in Water or other water-based liquid typically by Simmering The Indians have introduced a different line of culinary practices, including a variety of sweets and savories. Sweet is one of the five Basic tastes and is almost universally regarded as a pleasurable experience The Afrikaners have their succulent potjies or stews of maize with tomato and onion sauce, with or without rice. The term Afrikaner people refers to white Afrikaans -speaking people who have been established in Southern Africa since the 17th century and are mainly of northwestern Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family Organicsalsajpg||thumb|right|Onions used in salsa.]]Cooked onions in frying pan Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many There are many European contributions like Dutch fried crueler or koeksister and milk pies. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands French Hugenots brought wines as well as their traditional recipes. The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France (or French Calvinists) from the sixteenth to the eighteenth
During the pioneering days of the 19th century, new foods such as biltong, droë wors (dried sausage) and rusks evolved locally out of necessity. Biltong is a kind of cured meat that originated in South Africa. Droëwors ( Afrikaans lit " dry Sausage " is a popular South African Snack food, made by drying the traditional See Rusk (disambiguation for other meanings A rusk is a rectangular hard dry biscuit or a twice-baked Bread (
The basic ingredients include seafood, meat products (including wild game), poultry, as well as grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits include apples, grapes, mangoes, bananas and papayas, avocado, oranges, peaches and apricots. The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous species of tropical fruiting Trees in the Flowering plant family Anacardiaceae For the fruit see Banana. For other meanings see Banana (disambiguation. The papaya (from Carib via Spanish) is the Fruit of the Plant Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. The avocado ( Persea americana) (from Nahuatl āhuacatl) also known as aguacate ( Spanish) butter pear or An orange —specifically the sweet orange —is the Citrus fruit Citrus sinensis ( syn The peach ( Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach The Apricot ( Prunus armeniaca, "Armenian plum" in Latin syn Desserts may simply be fruit, but there are some more western style puddings, such as the Angolan Cocada amarela, which was inspired by Portuguese cuisine. Originating from Angola, Cocada amarela is a heavy dessert made principally from eggs and coconut and has a distinctive yellow colour due to the quantity of eggs it contains Portuguese cuisine is characterised by rich filling and full-flavoured dishes and is an example of a Mediterranean diet. Meat products include lamb, and game like venison, ostrich, and impala. Venison is the Culinary name for Meat from the family Cervidae. The Ostrich ( Struthio camelus) is a large Flightless bird native to Africa (and formerly the Middle East) An impala ( Aepyceros melampus Greek αιπος aipos "high" κερος ceros "horn" + melas "black" pous The seafood includes a wide variety such as crayfish, prawns, tuna, mussels, oysters, calamari, mackerel, and lobster. Seafood is any Sea Animal or Seaweed that is served as Food, or is suitable for eating particularly saltwater animals such Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, or crodgers are freshwater Crustaceans resembling small Lobsters to which they are closely Prawns are Crustaceans belonging to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata Tuna, are several Species of ocean-dwelling Fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. The common name mussel is used for members of several different families of Clams or Bivalve Molluscs, from both saltwater and freshwater habitats The common name oyster is used for a number of different groups of Bivalve Mollusks most of which live in marine habitats or Brackish water. Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of Fish, mostly but not exclusively from the family Scombridae. Clawed lobsters compose a family ( Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine Crustaceans Lobsters are economically important as Last but not least, there are also several types of traditional and modern alcoholic beverages including many European-style beers. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea
West Africa
A typical West African meal is heavy with starchy items, light on meat and generous on fat. Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water Fufu, a semi-solid starchy mass similar to mashed potatoes or polenta, is served with soups and stews, such as egusi. Fufu, variants include foofoo, foufou, foutou or fu fu, is a Staple food of West and Central Africa. Mashed Potato or mashed potatoes is a common way of serving Potato in many countries worldwide Polenta is a dish made from boiled Cornmeal. Although the word is borrowed into English from Italian, the dish (under various names is popular in Soup is a Food that is made by combining ingredients such as Meat and Vegetables in stock or hot/boiling Water, until the flavor Egusi seeds are the Fat - and Protein -rich Seeds of certain Cucurbitaceous plants Fufu is often made from starchy root vegetables such as yams, cocoyams, or cassava, but also from cereal grains or plantains. Root vegetables are plant roots used as Vegetables Other underground plants are often erroneously called root vegetables Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) Xanthosoma is a genus of about 50 species of tropical and sub-tropical arums in the Flowering plant family Araceae, all native to tropical America The cassava, yuca, manioc, or mandioca ( Manihot esculenta) is a woody Shrub of the Euphorbiaceae (spurge family native
Another characteristic is the hot spices, including peppers and chiles. Seeds of Guinea pepper (Aframomum melegueta; also called grains of paradise or melagueta pepper) a native West African plant, were used as a spice and even reached Europe, through North African middlemen, during the Middle Ages. For the similarly-named Luso-Brazilian chili pepper see Malagueta pepper. Centuries before the influence of Europeans, West African people were trading with the Arab world and spices like cinnamon, cloves, and mint were not unknown and became part of the local flavorings. Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 This article is about the Spice; for other meanings see Clove (disambiguation. Mentha ( mint) is a Genus of about 25 Species (and many hundreds of varieties) of Flowering plants in the family Centuries later, the Portuguese, French and British influenced the regional cuisines, but only to a limited extent. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. However, as far as is known, it was European explorers who introduced the American Chile, or chili(Capsicum) to Africa sometime soon after Columbus sailed to America. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America
Thus, in essence, the local cuisine and recipes of West Africa continue to remain deeply entrenched in the local customs and traditions, with ingredients like rice, peanuts (another plant from the New World, similar to the Bambara groundnut and Hausa groundnut of Africa), black-eyed beans, brown beans, and root vegetables such as yams, cocoyams, sweet potatoes, and cassava (yet another American plant). Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many The peanut, or Groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea) is a species in the Legume family Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico The Bambara groundnut (or Bambarra groundnut) is a member of the family Fabaceae. Macrotyloma geocarpum, also known as the geocarpa groundnut, Hausa groundnut, or Kersting's groundnut, is an Herbaceous Annual Root vegetables are plant roots used as Vegetables Other underground plants are often erroneously called root vegetables The sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) is a Dicotyledonous plant which belongs to the family Convolvulaceae Cooking is done in multiple ways: roasting, baking, boiling, Frying, mashing, and spicing. Baking is the technique of prolonged Cooking of Food by dry heat acting by conduction, and not by radiation, normally in an Oven, Boiling (also called ebullition) a type of Phase transition, is the rapid vaporization of a Liquid, which typically occurs when a liquid Frying is the Cooking of food in Oil or Fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500BC A range of sweets and savories are also prepared. Use of items introduced by colonizers are also not uncommon – like plantains, peppers and green peas, citrus fruits, and pineapples, which are legacy of slave ship traffic between Africa and the New World. The plantain is a crop in the genus Musa and is generally used for cooking in contrast to the soft sweet Banana (which is sometimes called the Citrus is a common term and Genus of Flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of Pineapple ( Ananas comosus) is the common name for an edible Tropical Plant and also its Fruit It is native to the southern part of Brazil As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another
Cooking techniques of West Africa often combine fish and meat, including dried fish. Flaked and dried, fish is often fried in oil, and sometimes cooked in sauce made up with hot peppers, onions and tomatoes various spices and water to prepare a highly flavored stew. In some areas, beef and mutton are preferred, and chevon (goat meat) is the dominant red meat. It is common to have a preponderance of seafood and the seafood, as earlier stated, is sometimes also mixed with other meat products. Eggs and chickens are also preferred.
As far as beverages, water has a very strong ritual significance in many West African nations (particularly in dry areas) and water is often the first thing an African host will offer his/her guest. Palm wine is also a common beverage made from the fermented sap of various types of palm trees and is usually sold in sweet (less-fermented, retaining more of the sap's sugar) or sour (fermented longer, making it stronger and less sweet) varieties. Palm Wine also called Palm Toddy or simply Toddy is an Alcoholic beverage created from the Sap of various species of Palm tree such Arecaceae or Palmae (also known by the name Palmaceae, which is taxonomically invalid or commonly palm tree) the palm family is a family of Flowering
Amala (a dish of processed yams) and Ewedu (a soup) are typically eaten by the Yoruba people. Amala is a type of Food eaten in West Africa, precisely among the Yoruba of Nigeria. Corchorus is a genus plant of about 40-100 species of Flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout The Yoruba (Yo•row•ba ( Yorùbá in Yoruba Orthography) are one of the largest ethno-linguistic or Ethnic groups in West Africa
See also
External links
- Algerian Cuisine a Northwest African cuisine
- The Congo Cookbook
- Betumi
- African Mystery Food
- Try African Food
- Lost crops of Africa: Corn, Vegetables, Fruits
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