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The African Gourmet

The African Gourmet: Explore African Culture & Recipes

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How to use a pestle and mortar

African spice recipe that makes full use of your pestle and mortar. Use a mortar and pestle to grind and mix spices, crush herbs and nuts.

The mortar and pestle are one of the oldest most recognized pharmacy and kitchen tool used throughout the world.

Pestle, mortar and spices

African spice recipe that makes full use of your pestle and mortar.

The mortar and pestle is a kitchen gadget that was found in every urban and rural African kitchen. However, emerging technology in the African food culture is threatening the once commonplace mortars and pestles of old. Mortars and pestles were once used to husk and dehull grain but village electric grain mills are slowly replacing the hand labor intensive mortars and pestles.

There are many recipes where hand mixing and grinding with a mortar and pestle put the consistency of the mixing and grinding in your hands. Place ingredients in the mortar or bowl portion, using the pestle end slowly move the rounded pestle end against the mortar to grind. In order to pound, move the pestle up and down rhythmically to the desired consistency. 

The town of Sรฉvarรฉ aka Sevare is near Mali's border. In the town of Sรฉvarรฉ, a daughter helps her mother prepare a meal by pounding onions in a wooden mortar.

To the left is a charcoal stove for cooking along with a container for water and a plate of red pepper. To the right are two traditional earthen jars for water as well as plastic buckets for washing the dishes.

Typical meals in Mali consist of some kind of starch, rice or pounded millet, along with a sauce, which can be leafy green or more like gravy. Sometimes the meals may include a little meat.

Using a mortar and pestle in Mali, Africa photo by L. Lee McIntyre

African spice recipe that makes full use of your pestle and mortar.

All-Purpose Blazing Seasoning Salt.

Ingredients

¼ cup garlic salt

1 tablespoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

¼ cup dried onion

2 whole allspice berries

2 dried bay leaves

1 ghost chili pod

 

Directions

In the mortar, place allspice, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cardamom seeds grind with the pestle to the desired consistency. Add remaining ingredients to the mortar and mix well. Store in an airtight container store away from heat and light. Do not store spices in the refrigerator.

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Recipes as Revolution

Recipes as Revolution

When food becomes protest and meals carry political meaning

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African woman farmer

She Feeds Africa

Before sunrise, after sunset, seven days a week — she grows the food that keeps the continent alive.

60–80 % of Africa’s calories come from her hands.
Yet the land, the credit, and the recognition still belong to someone else.

Read her story →

To every mother of millet and miracles —
thank you.

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African Gourmet FAQ

Archive Inquiries

Why "The African Gourmet" if you're an archive?

The name reflects our origin in 2006 as a culinary anthropology project. Over 18 years, we've evolved into a comprehensive digital archive preserving Africa's cultural narratives. "Gourmet" now signifies our curated approach to cultural preservation—each entry carefully selected and contextualized.

What distinguishes this archive from other cultural resources?

We maintain 18 years of continuous cultural documentation—a living timeline of African expression. Unlike static repositories, our archive connects historical traditions with contemporary developments, showing cultural evolution in real time.

How is content selected for the archive?

Our curation follows archival principles: significance, context, and enduring value. We preserve both foundational cultural elements and timely analyses, ensuring future generations understand Africa's complex cultural landscape.

What geographic scope does the archive cover?

The archive spans all 54 African nations, with particular attention to preserving underrepresented cultural narratives. Our mission is comprehensive cultural preservation across the entire continent.

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Yes. As a digital archive, we're committed to accessibility. Our 18-year collection is fully searchable and organized for both public education and academic research.

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Through consistent documentation since 2006, we've created an irreplaceable cultural record. Each entry is contextualized within broader African cultural frameworks, preserving not just content but meaning.