The cooking of Africa has roots reaching back thousands of years. This huge continent is the origin of many unique grains and vegetables, many found nowhere else in the world. In recent centuries, African cuisine has been influenced by Arab traders, European colonizers and Asian immigrants.
Most African meals center around a starchy gruel — fufu, ugali or nshima — that is served a vegetable stew or a soup. Grilled meats and smoked fish are also popular. Many dishes get fiery heat from hot chile peppers.
Ingredients of the African Pantry
Many of the grains and vegetables eaten in Africa are found nowhere else. Others, like corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and coconut milk, are common around the world. Grains like millet, teff and sorghum can sometimes be found at many health food stores. Latin or Asian markets will carry plantains and cassava root.
Here is a list of foods commonly eaten on the African continent south of the Sahara. Use it to stock your own home with the essentials of the African kitchen.
Breads and Grains
- Barley, Cornmeal, Millet, Rice, Sorghum, Teff
Vegetables and Beans
- Collard Greens, Corn, Eggplant, Okra, Onions, Peppers, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato Leaves, Tomatoes, Wild Greens
- Cassava, Plantains, Sweet Potatoes, Taro, Yams
- Black-eyed Peas, Lentils
Fruits, Nuts and Seeds
- Avocado, Bananas, Coconut, Guavas, Mangoes, Pineapples, Tamarind, Watermelon
- Kola Nuts, Palm Nuts, Peanuts
- Baobab Seeds, Sesame Seeds
Meats, Poultry and Fish
- Beef, Bushmeat, Goat, Lamb
- Chicken, Guinea Fowl, Ostrich
- Tilapia, Lake Victoria Perch, Shrimp, Smoked and Dried Fish
Eggs and Dairy
- Buttermilk, Curds, Eggs, Milk
Sauces, Condiments and Oils
- Coconut milk, Honey, Maggi© Seasoning
- Butter, Palm Oil, Shea Tree Butter
Spices and Herbs
- Chili Peppers, Gingerroot
- Dried Shrimp
- Curry Powder, Egusi (ground gourd seeds), Grains of Paradise
Beverages
- Coconut Juice, Coffee, Ginger Beer, Palm Wine, Tea
Cuisines and Recipes of Africa
Get African recipes and find out what makes the cuisines of Africa so delightfully delicious.
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Ethiopia: Cuisine and Recipes
The cuisine of Ethiopia is one of the world’s best kept secrets. Ethiopian food is a spicy mix of vegetable and lentil stews and slow-simmered meats.
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Ivory Coast, Côte d’Ivoire: Recipes and Cuisine
The food of the Ivory Coast, or Côte d’Ivoire, has slow-simmered stews and a variety of starches and grains.
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Kenya: Recipes and Cuisine
From Mombasa on the east coast to Lake Victoria in the west, Kenya has a nourishing and hearty cuisine just waiting to be discovered.
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Mali: Recipes and Cuisine
The cuisine of Mali, located on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, consists mainly of millet, corn, or rice porridges served with a variety of “sauces,” or stews.
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Nigeria: Recipes and Cuisine
Nigerian food is typically West African, but individual ethnic groups within the country give Nigerian cuisine a wonderful variety of dishes and flavors.
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Senegal: Recipes and Cuisine
Senegalese cuisine is made up of an amalgam of influences, from local Wolof culinary traditions to the cuisine of Morocco and cooking of former French colonizers.
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South Africa: Recipes and Cuisine
The cooking of South Africa, often called “rainbow cuisine,” is a mix of indigenous African dishes, the cooking of Dutch and English settlers and the well spiced foods of Malays, Indians and Indonesian.
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