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The African Gourmet: Folktales, Cuisine & Cultural History

Explore Africa’s Heritage

Explore tales that carry Africa’s wisdom, courage, and humor. From river spirits to trickster animals, every story holds a lesson.

From hearty stews to fragrant grains, experience traditional African recipes and the history behind every dish.

Ancient African proverbs and modern interpretations — explore the wisdom passed down through generations.

Dive into Africa’s kingdoms, independence stories, and modern milestones that shape the continent today.

One Tribe Crossing the Gate of Grief Populated the World

Homo sapiens left their African homeland to colonize the world. One African tribe crossing the Gate of Grief populated the entire world outside of Africa.

View from Mount Entoto. Entoto Mountain is the highest peak overlooking the city of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, and has views of the city.

The entire human race outside Africa owes its existence to the survival of a single tribe of people who crossed the Gate of Grief around 90,000 years ago.

Humans were able to take advantage of falling sea levels due to climate change to cross into Arabia at the mouth of the Red Sea known as the Gate of Grief.

One African Tribe Crossing the Gate of Grief Populated the Entire World outside of Africa.

One African Tribe Crossing the Gate of Grief Populated the Entire World outside of Africa.

Today there is 18 miles between the coasts of Djibouti and Yemen across Bab-el-Mandeb also known as the Gate of Grief in Arabic. The Gate of Grief is between the Red Sea, one of the most saline bodies of water in the world and the Gulf of Aden an essential shipping waterway in the world economy.

The ancestral origin of humans was possibly located in southern Africa, near the South Africa-Namibia border. By using modern DNA Geneticists, we trace the origins of Homo sapiens outside of Africa to a single tribe.

These ancestors managed to cross from the Horn of Africa and into Arabia through the Gate of Grief. There are 14 ancestral populations in Africa that are linked by ethnicity and shared cultural and language properties. One survived outside of the African continent and from there, just one tribe went on to inhabit the entire world.

There is more genetic diversity in Africa than anywhere else on earth. Dr. Stephen Oppenheimer, a geneticist at the school of anthropology at Oxford University said, "What you can see from the DNA of all non-Africans is that they all belong to one tiny African branch that came across the Red Sea. If it was easy to get out of Africa, we would have seen multiple African lineages in the DNA of non-Africans but that there was only one successful exit suggests it must have been very tough to get out." 
Did you know?
The Gate of Grief is also known as the Gate of Tears or Bab-El-Mandeb in Arabic.

African elder from the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
One African Tribe Crossing the Gate of Grief Populated the Entire World outside of Africa.
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African Gourmet FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The African Gourmet blog about?

The African Gourmet explores African food, history, and culture through recipes, folktales, and proverbs written for curious readers worldwide.

Who writes The African Gourmet?

The blog is written and curated by Ivy, a lifelong historian and storyteller who highlights Africa’s culinary and cultural richness.

How can I find African recipes on this site?

Use the “African Recipes” category or explore posts like African Recipes for regional dishes and ingredients.

Can I share or reprint your articles?

You may share articles with attribution and a link back to The African Gourmet. Reprinting in print or commercial use requires permission.

Where can I learn more about African proverbs and folklore?

Explore our African Proverbs and African Folktales sections for timeless wisdom and stories.

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