Africa Factbook

Light African Dessert Walnuts Honey and Figs North African Dessert Walnuts Honey and Figs  Light sweet African dessert of walnuts, honey and figs are a delightful way to amaze your guests and are so delicious you will serve this easy fig walnut recipe at every party.   Light African Dessert Walnuts Honey and Figs Ingredients 5 large dried figs 5 whole walnuts  3 tablespoon honey Directions Cut open fig lengthwise and place the whole walnut inside. Close the fig and drizzle honey on top. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts and enjoy!

Arab slave trader Tippu Tip made himself very wealthy in the internal slave trade and ivory trading business by specializing in traveling to the interior of Africa buying and capturing slaves. Arab Tippu Tip Notorious African Slave Trader Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Rev. Dr. David Livingstone was a reverend, doctor, Scottish explorer and Victorian missionary for Britain who was the first European to cross the width of southern Africa. Livingstone opposed the slave trade after witnessing its horrors firsthand in Africa. Tippu Tip and Livingstone paths crossed while Livingstone was searching for the source of the Nile River. Arab slave trade is a fact of history Hamid bin Mahamed bin Juma Borajib best known as Tippu Tip was the most notorious Arab slave trader. In the 1840 Tippu Tip was born in Zanzibar and at a very young age, he became involved in the internal slave trade and ivory trading business.  Most of the thousands of slaves taken by Tippu Tip

Learn about stewing and baking African recipes. Stewing means food that is cooked by simmering or boiling very slowly. Different kinds of vegetables and meats are added to a pot.  Cooking methods such as stewing may stem from African cooking traditions. Stewing involves making food that requires long-simmering periods of vegetables and sometimes meat.  Africans stewed vegetables by laying thick slices of salty meat on top. Stewing is suitable for the least tender cuts of meat that become tender and juicy with the slow moist heat method.  Frying is not ingenious to African cooking, Native Americans taught frying techniques to the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-1806.  Stewing food on a wooden stove Spicy Ostrich Stew Recipe South Africa Yield 6-8 servings  Ingredients 4 cloves garlic crushed 2 cups peeled yam cut into 1 ″ cubes 3 cups fresh green beans 1 ½ pounds cleaned ostrich 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 medium onion, sliced 2 teaspoons coriander 2 tablespoons red pepper fl

African Proverb lesson.   African proverb meaning is no one is truly alone; everybody needs somebody to rely on. We never do things in our own strength alone, the knowledge came from our ancestors and our family and friends and mentors still with us here on earth.  Because of this we stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us we stand on the shoulders of those who have pave the way for our lives today. We pay homage to the Known and unknown ancestors brilliance and sacrifice. More African proverb lessons from the ancestors about never truly being alone. A climbing plant with tendrils cannot grow on its own without the support of a tree. One hand alone cannot wash the body. A man with a cough cannot conceal himself. Ashes always fly back in the face of him who throws them. One should either become a pillar or lean against one. If generously shared, a flea can be bitten twice. The head that touches the ground a birth, will not fail to touch the ground at

Why Turtles love rain and live in water is a truly captivating African folktale. African folktales are stories forming part of an oral storytelling tradition shaped by the tongues of African elders passed down from one generation to the next. Water, Elephant and Turtle Short African Story Two superpowers, Elephant and Rain had a dispute. Elephant said, “If you say that you nourish me, in what way is it that you do so?” Rain answered, "If you say that I do not nourish you when I go away, will you not die?” Hurt, Rain then left. Elephant said, "Vulture! Go tell Rain to make rain for me." Vulture said, “I will not." Then Elephant said to Crow, “Go tell Rain to make rain for me !” who answered, “Give the things and I will ask." Crow summoned Rain and rain fell. It rained at the lagoons, but they dried up, and only one lagoon remained. Elephant needed to find food; he summoned Turtle to watch over the only remaining watering hole. Elephant said, &

Gift of a Cow Tail Switch is a true fascinating African folktale.  Gift of a Cow Tail Switch African Folktale A great warrior did not return from the hunt. His family gave him up for dead, all except his youngest child who each day would ask, "Where is my father? Where is my father ?" The child's older brothers, who were magicians, finally went forth to find him. They came upon his broken spear and a pile of bones .  The first son assembled the bones into a skeleton; the second son put flesh upon the bones; the third  son breathed life into the flesh. The warrior arose and walked into the village where there was great celebration. He said, "I will give a fine gift to the one who has brought me back to life ." Each one of his sons cried out, "Give it to me, for I have done the most." "I will give the gift to my youngest child," said the warrior . "For it is this child who saved my life. A man is never truly dead

It would be hard to find a simpler recipe to create than Africa Mungongo fruit sweet porridge cereal to satisfy your hunger.  Mungongo Fruit Sweet Porridge The African native Mundalama or Mungongo tree produces an egg-shaped fuzzy fruit in parts of Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe between March and May. The Schinziophyton rautanenii or Mungongo tree is important to sub-Saharan Africa due to its extreme drought tolerance once established. Some believe it is not the fruit, but the Mungongo tree’s seed that it is valued.  Mungongo tree’s fruit seed does produce rich edible and therapeutic oil.  However, the fruit is used in all manner of African cooking from soup and stews, sweet porridge, dips, and relishes.   The fruit tastes like plum and can be eaten fresh, dried or cooked. Mungongo fruit sweet porridge cereal is an inexpensive and deliciou

Stigmatized mental illness and mental health problems in Africa What is Africa's mental health impact of displacement, war, sexual violence and rape, famine, and disaster in Africa? Mental illness and mental health problems are taboo subjects that leaves people stigmatized in much of Africa. Mental health issues often come last on the list of priorities.   Most developing countries dedicate less than 2 percent of governmental healthcare budgets to mental health care. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 56 percent of African countries have community-based mental health facilities, 37 percent have mental health facilities for children and 15 percent for the elderly. Mental illness is a taboo subject that is stigmatized in much of Africa but people in Africa don’t suffer any less because they are African and believe mental illness is caused by the wrath of God, witchcraft, or possessed by spirits. We don’t often think about the long-term mental health impact of the

What is the African bread with therooster in it's name? Roosterkoek is a traditional bread to accompany a braai. Roosterkoek is a bread recipe made to grill on a fire in the great outdoors. Roosterkoek are best eaten piping hot and straight off the braai. Now let's make a simple Roosterkoek Yeast Roll Recipe Roosterkoek means as much to Southern Africa as biscuits mean to the Southern USA. An excellent homemade roosterkoek is essential to life itself. Once you have become skilled at making roosterkoek, you will serve it at every braai (BBQ). Easy bread African Recipe Roosterkoek also known as grill cakes is a traditional South African recipe for yeast bread made on the braai or barbeque grill. Ingredients Cake Flour 2 1/4 cups Olive Oil 2 tablespoons White Sugar 1/4 cup Warm Water 1 cup Active Dry Yeast 1 package Beaten Egg 1 large Salt 1/2 teaspoon Directions In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, and warm water then mix in the yeast until diss

Savory Peanut Butter Dip Zambia Savory Peanut Butter Dip is a unique recipe for the peanut butter lover. Wildcat whiskers are an important plant in Zambia culture. Wildcat whiskers and peanuts are a major crop in the everyday food lives of the Zambia people. Culture and food of Zambia would not be complete without including the African food recipe Zambia wildcat whiskers. This easy peanut butter recipe is a dip for breads and chips and a sauce for poultry it’s a tasty homemade peanut butter recipe when paired with healthy Zambia wildcat whiskers. Zambia Wildcat Whiskers Savory Peanut Butter Dip Serves 6 Zambia food  Total time from start to finish 30 minutes Ingredients 2 cups wildcat whiskers leaves (substitute spinach) 1 medium tomato diced 1 medium chopped onion ½ cup chunky peanut butter 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon salt Directions: In a large pot boil wildcat whiskers leaves with salt for 20 minutes and drain. In a small frying pan add oil and cook onion

Zambian Impwa Eggplant Mushroom Soup Eggplants are known in Zambia as Impwa, garden eggs or simply eggplants.  Garden eggs are a smaller variety of the eggplant that is grown and loved by most people of Zambia. The garden egg gets its name from the small size of the eggplant. Zambian impwa eggplant mushroom soup is a healthy African recipe. Garden eggs are low in calories with about 35 calories in a one-cup serving and mushrooms are typically 16-90 calories per one-cup serving. Zambian Impwa Eggplant Mushroom Soup Ingredients 1 cup diced eggplant 2 cups any type of mushroom 1 medium tomato diced 1 medium chopped onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups vegetable broth *Add 1 cup of cooked chicken if desired Directions Add all ingredients into a large pot and simmer 20 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Serve warm with crusty bread. Did you know? Zambia was known as Northern Rhodesia until independence from Britain in

Chad Pasta African Recipe Chad Recipe With a size slightly more than three times the size of California but only 3.9 percent of the land is used to grow crops, tomatoes and onions are the most common vegetables grown in the Central African country of Chad and our Chad pasta recipe is popular throughout the country. With 40 percent of Chad’s population lives below the poverty line, Chad pasta recipe are filling and economical. Pasta Meal from Chad Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture 1-21-2011 Simple Chadian Pasta Dish  Simple Chadian Pasta Dish Ingredients: 4 cups cooked penne pasta 2 cans chunky tuna in oil One can whole kernel sweet corn 2 large ripe tomatoes, chopped Three hard boiled eggs Directions: Except eggs, add ingredients into a large pot heat mixture until warm. Transfer to a large serving dish garnish with eggs and serve with bread.  Video on how to make Chadian pasta Chad in Africa I

Madagascar recipe Romazava is slow cooked meat stew with green leafy vegetables. Romazava Beef and Greens Stew is the national dish of Madagascar. Romazava is very simple to make, with ingredients that are certainly found in every grocery store when you substitute beef for Zebu cattle meat. Zebu cattle are a sacred animal in India but the main source of meat in Madagascar. I ngredients 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ pound beef cut into small pieces 6 large ripe tomatoes, chopped 11 large yellow onion, chopped 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 bunch of fresh spinach washed and shredded 1 bunch of fresh chard leaves washed and shredded Salt and black pepper to taste 1 dried hot chili pepper Directions Over high heat add oil to a saucepan, heat, add the beef pieces and brown on all sides. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, ginger, and cook over medium heat 40 minutes or until beef is tender. Finally, add the greens, season with salt and peppers

Learn to make Ugali and Sukuma Wiki Chic African Culture Ugali Sukuma Wiki Traditional Kenyan Recipe Ugali is a dish made of various types of flours cooked in boiling liquid into a soft dough. Ugali is the most common staple starch in the recipes of the African Great Lakes region and Southern Africa.  In the African Great Lakes region and many parts of East Africa, sukuma wiki or collard greens is a common dish. The word for word translation of the phrase sukuma wiki is to push the week since it is a vegetable that is affordable.  Sukuma wiki is usually eaten together with Ugali for dinner in the African Great Lakes region and many parts of East Africa. Sukuma Wiki Collard Greens Recipe Ingredients 2 pounds collard greens, chopped 1 cup vegetable broth 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large white onion, chopped 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped Salt to taste Directions In a large pot, add oil heat on medium high then add onions saute 2 minutes. Add greens a

Bobotie is the national dish of South Africa. Pronounced ba-boor-tea, Bobotie is the national dish of South Africa. Bobotie is a South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. Bobotie is a slightly sweet but savory dish. Bobotie is a very old South African dish with probable origins in Indonesia or Malaysia. The name derives from the Indonesian bobotok.  Pronounced ba-boor-tea, Bobotie is the national dish of South Africa. Bobotie Ingredients and Directions Ingredients: 3 slices day old white bread 1 1/2 cups whole milk 2 medium onions chopped 1 garlic clove minced 1/2 cup slivered almonds 1/2 cup raisins 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp. salt 1 tsp curry powder 1/8 tsp black pepper 3 tbsp mango chutney 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef 2 eggs Directions: Soak bread in milk. Squeeze milk from bread, reserving milk. Combine all ingredients, except milk and 1 egg. Press mixture in