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Showing posts from August 4, 2013



Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

How to buy the perfect piece of fruit in Uganda Africa

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Uganda has fertile soils growing apples, bananas, pineapples, passion fruit, mangoes, and watermelons, jackfruit, papayas, grapefruits, lemons and limes and more. How to buy the perfect piece of fruit in Uganda Africa Chic African Culture Shopping for fruit in Uganda Africa Apples Look for firm, crisp, well-colored apples. They may have a shriveled appearance after being held in storage. Avoid overripe apples, they yield to slight pressure on the skin, and have soft, mealy flesh. Grapefruit Look for firm fruits, which are heavy for their size. Thin-skinned fruits have more juice than coarse-skinned ones. If a grapefruit is pointed at the stem end, it is likely to be thick-skinned. Rough, ridged, or wrinkled skin can also be an indication of thick skin, pulpiness, and lack of juice. Kiwifruit Avoid kiwi that show signs of shriveling, mold, or excessive softening, all of which indicate spoilage. Look for plump, unwrinkled fruit, either firm or slightly yielding. Kiwifruit is

Why Women Have Long Hair African Folktale

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Why Women Have Long Hair is a wonderful African folktale about loving yourself inside and out. Read with your child and share wonderful African folktales, children enjoy listening to many types of African folktales learning from the wisdom and rich tradition of African storytelling. Why Women Have Long Hair African Folktale Two women quarreled, and one of them went out secretly at night and dug a deep pit in the middle of the path leading from her enemy’s house to the village well. Early next morning, when all were going to the well for water with jars balanced on their heads, this woman fell into the pit and cried loudly for help. Her friends ran to her and, seizing her by the hair, began to pull her out of the pit. To their surprise, her hair stretched as they pulled, and by the time she was safely on the path, her hair was as long as a man’s arm. This made her very much ashamed, and she ran away and hid. But after a while, she realized that her long hair was beautiful, and the

Why you should know the writer Chinua Achebe “Things Fall Apart”

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African Author Albert Chinualumogu Achebe (pronounced CHIN-you-ah Ah-CHAY-bay) the Igbo author of Things Fall Apart was born on Nov. 16, 1930, in Ogidi Nigeria in an Ibo village. Chinua Achebe passed away March 21, 2013 in Boston. Why you should know the writer Chinua Achebe "Things Fall Apart” Chinua Achebe is one of Africa's greatest novelists. Chinua Achebe, after graduating from college in 1953, Achebe moved to London, where he worked for the BBC in London where he hand wrote “Things Fall Apart”. The original hand written manuscript was lost by a London typing service but was discovered months later. Born: Nov 16, 1930 Ogidi, Anambra Died: March 21, 2013 Boston In 1958, his groundbreaking novel Things Fall Apart was published. It went on to sell more than 12 million copies and translated into more than 50 languages. The groundbreaking novel centers on the cultural clash between native African culture and the tra

On the way to school before and after apartheid

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There are many black rural areas in South Africa where access to school remains problematic and children wade through rivers and cross dangerous roads. School children in South Africa walk long distances to and from school. For South African school children walking to school before and after apartheid, things have changed little. In South Africa, 64.8% of students walk to school, while 9.5% travel by private car and 6.6% use a taxi, according to last year's General Household Survey conducted by the government's national statistical service Statistics South Africa. The survey also showed that 11.1% use a vehicle hired by a group of parents, 3.6% use a bus, 2.8% use a bus provided by the school or government, 0.9% use a bicycle or motorcycle to get to school, and 0.5% use a train. There are still a number of primarily black rural areas in South Africa where physical access to school remains extremely problematic

African Children Long Walk To Education

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African Children Long Walk To Education Educating Parents on African Children Long Walk To Education Long Walk to Education in Rural Africa It is estimated that 29 million primary school-aged children, more than half of them girls, are out of school in Africa. UN figures show that between 1999 and 2008 girls’ enrolment in Africa has increased from 54% to 74%, but about 16 million are out of school.  Free primary education was introduced in Tanzania in 2001. After school, and another hour’s walk home, children will walk another hour each way to fetch water, and then eat dinner, study, and sleep. One teacher at Mwangala Primary School in Mombasa County, Kenya says, "Maybe 70% of our students come here from more than 3 miles or about 5 km away, so a lot of children arrive late—and they haven't had any breakfast and they don't get lunch here. The only get food at night. Can you imagine trying to teach a child who has not eaten anything all day an

Ghanaian Catfish Stewed With Tomatoes

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A truly delicious Ghanaian Catfish Stew made in one-pot. Catfish are a bottom-dwelling freshwater fish with barbels that look a lot like whiskers but are sensory organs around the catfish mouth. Most of the meat from catfish is found around the belly. There is a large piece of meat on the belly of the catfish so larger the fish the more meat to make catfish stew. Fish is the cheapest source of animal protein in Africa. Ghana’s fisheries provide 65% of the countries protein requirements, and support the livelihoods of almost 10% of Ghana’s population.  Ghanaian Catfish with Stewed Tomatoes African Recipes by African Gourmet   Easy Ghanaian catfish stewed with tomatoes is healthy, an inexpensive recipe to make and incredibly delicious.   Prep time: 20 min Cook time: 30 min Total time: 40 min Ingredients 4 medium sized catfish fillets 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon allspice 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 cups vege

East African Fish Recipe Marake Kaloune

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Marake Kaloune or stewed fish in sauce,  East African one pot dinner ready in 30-minutes. Marake Kaloune East African Dinner  East African Fish Recipe Marake Kaloune  East African Dinner in 30-minutes Ingredients 2 large firm fresh cod fish fillets 1 large potato, unpeeled and sliced 2 yellow onions diced 1 cup okra, chopped 1 eggplant, peeled and diced 2 large tomatoes, diced 1 bunch parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons tamarind paste 1 tablespoon diced garlic Salt and pepper to taste Directions Add potatoes, onions, okra, tomatoes, parsley, and eggplant in a large pot with a lid. Mix tamarind paste and seasoning in a little water and pour over vegetables. Add the fish on top and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cook for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft. About Sustainable Seafood We all share the same oceans, keep our oceans healthy and choose sustainable seafood. Sustainable seafood is seafood that is eith

Easy Nigerian Chicken Palm Oil Stew

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Easy Nigerian Chicken Palm Oil Stew Nigerian Stew is easy to make, learn how to cook the tastiest Nigerian stew for your family. Nigerian Stew is made from a blended mix of peppers, tomatoes, and onions and with Nigeria's famous palm oil. This tasty and aromatic stew is everyone's favorite in Nigeria and around the world. Easy Nigerian Chicken Palm Oil Stew Yields 3-4 servings  Ingredients 2 pounds chicken cut into small pieces 1 large yam cut into bite-size pieces 2 large chopped tomatoes 1 large can tomato sauce 1 chopped yellow onion 1 chopped hot pepper Black pepper and salt to taste 3 tablespoons palm oil 2 cups white rice Directions Heat oil brown onions. Add all ingredients into a large pot cover and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with bread. Quick facts about palm oil African palm oil aka macaw-fat is the world’s most popular and most purchased vegetable oil making up about 35 percent of the total international trade in cooking oils. The Palm oil

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

Chic African Culture


Be better than average and support African history and culture. Since 2008 Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet highlight Africa through her food and culture. Contact us culture1africangourmet@gmail.com

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