The African Gourmet: African Cuisine, Folktales and Cultural Stories

The Man Who Never Lied — African Folktale of Wisdom and Truth The Man Who Never Lied An African folktale told across generations in Ghana and Nigeria — a story of a man whose honesty was tested by a king and who proved that truth, spoken with wisdom, is stronger than pride. Illustration inspired by West African storytelling traditions The Story Long ago, in a small African kingdom, there lived a man named Mamad . People said Mamad had never told a lie — not once in his life. His words were as clean as clear water, and his honesty brought peace wherever he went. One day, the king heard of this man and became curious. “No one can live without lying,” said the king proudly. “Bring Mamad to me. I shall make him lie before sunset.” When Mamad arrived, the king studied him closely. “Is it true,” he asked, “that you have never lied?” “It is true, Your Majesty,” Mamad replied calmly. ...

Sierra Leone community surveillance project with the Environmental Justice Foundation is working to combat illegal fishing in the small Western African country. What is the big deal about illegal fishing in Sierra Leone Over a billion people, most of whom are poor, depend on fish as a source of animal protein. Fish is the cheapest source of animal protein in the country and it, therefore, affects positively on Sierra Leone food security issues. Sierra Leone is gifted with abundant fish resources that have the potential of contributing significantly to food security, income, and employment. Opportunities for aqua-farming are plentiful in Sierra Leone's marine environment and the inland water bodies. Sierra Leone made around US $1.1 million in the fishing industry. Overfishing can result in the collapse of entire communities due to loss of income from illegal fishing. Response to illegal fishing in Africa. Sierra Leone’s industrial fisheries are significantly export-ori...

How to Cure Meat How to Cure Meat Home cured meat is a straightforward technique used to create wonderful cured meats. Two in every three people, around 621 million in total, have no access to electricity in Africa below the Sahara desert. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Malawi and Sierra Leone, fewer than one in 10 people have access to electricity. In Nigeria, a global oil-exporting superpower, 93 million people lack electricity. Emerging countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda each have over 30 million people without electricity. With limited access to reliable electricity, curing meat is an age-old process in Africa. Steps used to cure meat; the two most common methods of curing meat are first the brine or sugar cure process and second the dry-curing process. The dry-curing requires considerable time to rub and salt the meat at different times while the only attention that is necessary for brine-curing is to properly prepare an...

Peanut Therapeutic Food Paste Treating Malnutrition Children in sub-Saharan Africa are more than 15 times more likely to die before the age of 5 than children in high income countries. Lack of access to highly nutritious foods, and rising food prices is a common cause of malnutrition. Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods or RUTF was first introduced in situations of humanitarian emergencies during the early 2000s. Malnutrition is the underlying cause of death in an estimated 34 percent of all children worldwide. RUTF is high energy; lipid-based nutrient supplement paste used for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition. RUTF provides energy, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals to treat severe acute malnutrition in children six months to under 5 years of age.  RUTF has around 550 kilo-calories per 100 grams of the product. RUTF is basically peanut butter mixed with dried skim milk, vitamins and minerals and can be stored for three to four months without refrigeratio...

South African Frikkadelle is an Afrikaner dish of meatballs that's quick to make and eaten with a side of fried potatoes. An Afrikaner or Boer is a person born, raised, or living in South Africa whose first language is Afrikaans and whose ancestors were Dutch. Afrikaners dominated South African politics for most of the 20th century but national attitudes and power shifted to the African National Congress after general elections on April 27, 1994. Afrikaner recipes are prominent in the rainbow cooking, rainbow nation of South Africa. South African Frikkadelle is a delicious traditional meatball Afrikaner dish. Easy Frikkadelle Meatball recipe Ingredients 1 pound ground beef 1 medium onion finely chopped 1 cup of dried bread crumbs 1/4 cup whole milk 3 tablespoons of your favorite Chutney 1 large egg 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 teaspoon Worcester sauce Salt and pepper to taste Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Soak bread crumbs in milk then mix all ingredients wel...