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The African Gourmet

The African Gourmet: Explore African Culture & Recipes

One bowl of fufu can explain a war. One proverb can outsmart a drought.
Welcome to the real Africa—told through food, memory, and truth.

Christmas & New Year in Africa

Christmas & New Year Across Africa

Holiday traditions, recipes, and celebrations

Christmas across Africa

Merry Christmas in African Languages

Traditions
Krampus dessert

Krampus's Favorite African Dessert

Recipes
New Year fireworks in Africa

How Africa Celebrates New Year

Celebrations
Black eyed pea casserole

New Year's Black Eyed Pea Casserole

Luck & Prosperity

FOOD PROVERBS

African Food Proverbs

Culinary wisdom passed down through generations

African food sayings and proverb

Best Ten African Food Sayings & Proverbs

Culinary Wisdom
Meat stew representing animal wisdom

Honoring Animal: African Wisdom of Thankfulness

Gratitude
Diverse hands placing food on shared table

Bring Something to the Table

Community
Lemon varieties representing spice of life

6 African Proverbs That Will Spice Up Your Cooking

Transformation

Growing Kenyan Fields of Purple Tea Leaves

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📁 African facts 📁 Wildlife of Africa

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Mount Kenya grows purple tea leaves that make a royal cup of thistle colored purple tea.

Black tea was first introduced in Kenya around 1904, on a farm on the foothills of Mount Kenya, today's farmers grow unique purple tea plants.

Kenyan Purple Tea Leaves
Kenyan farmers grow purple tea leaves that make a unique cup of purple tea.

Growing Fields of Purple Tea leaves in Africa’s Kenya

Kenyan farmers grow purple tea leaves that make a unique cup of purple tea.
Kenyan farmers grow purple tea leaves that
make a unique cup of purple tea.

Kenya in East Africa is the world’s leading exporters of tea and Kenya's Kirinyaga County town of Kerugoya is the crown jewel of purple tea leaves. The purple comes from leaves with high levels of anthocyanins, responsible for the red, purple, and blue colors in fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, and flowers.

Kenya's purple tea leaves were developed and pre-released by the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya however, there is currently a very small market for purple tea, the processing techniques use hand rolling methods, a lengthy process.

According to the Tea Research Foundation of Kenya, currently Kenya produces and exports over 96 percent of its tea as black teas. The tea is sold to the world market in bulk largely used for blending lower quality teas.

Subsequently, Kenya’s teas fetch low prices at the markets. Introducing specialty purple tea is a challenging market for Kenya’s tea farmers since the new variety of purple tea sells for up to 4 times the price as black tea and red tea.


Kenyan farmers grow purple tea leaves that make a unique cup of purple tea.
Kenya's purple tea leaves

When brewing a perfect cup of purple tea, use a tea strainer. The tea strainer eliminates the need to strain off leaves later. Add your desired amount of tea leaves to a tea strainer or teapot. Cover with hot water a let steep for 5 minutes or until you have created your perfect cup of tea based on your preference.

Did you know?
Tourism is number one in the Kenyan economy however, about 75 percent of Kenya’s population works at least part-time in agriculture activities. Tea, coffee, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, fish, pork, poultry, and eggs are the leading agriculture products in Kenya.


More drink recipes to whip up today.

  1. Legal Drinking Age in Africa
  2. Ibwatu African Energy Drink
  3. Tzaneen Pawpaw Coconut Chiller
  4. Dried Hibiscus Flowers Red Party Punch
  5. Viagra Green Fig Tea
  6. Sugar Cane Drink
  7. South African Amarula Brown Elephant Recipe


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For 19 years, The African Gourmet has preserved Africa's stories is currently selected for expert consideration by the Library of Congress Web Archives, the world's premier guardian of cultural heritage.

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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.

Working Hands of Africa

The labor and love that feeds a continent

Hands holding African fruit

African Culture & Traditions

Harvest & Heritage
Hands preparing fufu

How Fufu Explains Politics

Food & Power
Farming hands in Africa

Slow Food Disappearance

Farming & Tradition
Hands with plantains

The Universal Plantain

Cooking & Community

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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.

Can researchers access the full archive?

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.

How does this archive ensure cultural preservation?

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.