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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

FOOD PROVERBS

Fresh Cinnamon Sweet Porridge Cereal

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Fresh Cinnamon Sweet Porridge Cereal Porridge is a dish of grains or vegetables cooked in milk or water such as oatmeal, rice or grits. Kids cinnamon apple sweet porridge cereal is an inexpensive and delicious African meal to make. In South Africa, porridge is known as Pap or Mielie, Ugali in Tanzania, Sadza in Zimbabwe, Nsima in Malawi the name changes with region and language but is usually translated as porridge. Make Kids cinnamon apple sweet porridge to the consistency desired using various types of grains, fruits or vegetables. Throughout Africa, the addition to most meals is stiff porridge made from ground cereals, yam or cassava root boiled with water or milk. Fresh Cinnamon Sweet Porridge Cereal Ingredients 1 cup apple sauce 1 cup cooked apples 1 cup maize meal 2 cups whole milk 1/4 cup sugar or honey or to taste Directions Add all ingredients into a large pot mix well and simmer 20 minutes. Top with apples and any other type of frui...

Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes African Proverb

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It is easy to talk the talk and give advice African Proverb African Proverb It's easy to talk the talk and give advice on love, careers or even recycling on how things should be done. But, the person giving the advice does not act in a way that agrees with the advice they are giving. The proverb implies that a person should back up their talking with action. It is easy to talk the talk and give advice Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture 1-30-2015 Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes is a proverb used to call out hypocrites; people who are single but give advice on how to have a happy marriage, a person who is overweight supplying dieting tips, environmentalists who do not recycle, people on social media who want to show you how to become rich when they are poor, and politicians who send their children to private school while making speeches on the virtues of public school. Hidden Agenda of Gift-Giving Def...

Classic Bondwe Wild Spinach Vegetable Stew

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Amaranth is native to Central America and Mexico however, cultivation has become popular in many areas of Africa, in particular Benin, Cรดte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Zambia due to the plant's drought resistance. Amaranth is an important plant to the nutrition of Southern Africa. Cooked Amaranth leaves are eaten as vegetables, soups, stews, beverages and relishes.  Leaves and young plant stems are cooked like spinach and have a mild flavor and the seeds of the Amaranth plant are ground into flour. Classic Bondwe wild spinach vegetable stew is a mixture of cornmeal, amaranth or spinach, cabbage and onions cooked in one pot . Classic Bondwe Wild Spinach Vegetable Stew Classic Bondwe Wild Spinach Vegetable Stew Ingredients 4 cups washed amaranth leaves (substitute spinach) 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 medium chopped onion 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon salt 4 cups vegetable broth ½ cup ...

Traffic is dangerous and ugly in Africa

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Traffic is dangerous and ugly in Africa Africa has the highest per capita rate of road deaths in the world. Africa has 2% of the world's vehicles but 16% of road fatalities. Traffic is dangerous and ugly in Africa It's Not Illness You Need To Worry About When In Africa, It's The Traffic; Nigeria and South Africa have the highest motor vehicle fatality rates in Africa. The estimated annual number of traffic-related deaths in Africa is around 200,000, a figure that represents 16% of the global traffic deaths. This increase will see road fatalities overtake the number of malaria-related deaths. Africa has 2% of the world's vehicles but 16% of road fatalities. Traffic Jam in Uganda With the highest per capita rate of road fatalities in the world, road deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are projected to more than double from some 243,000 deaths projected for 2015 to 514,000 by 2030.  Enforcement of road safety measures is in general weak across the African ...

Ethiopia: History and Cultural Marvels

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Ethiopia, located in the northeastern part of Africa, is a country known for its history, culture, and stunning landscapes.  Ethiopia is a country full of amazing landscapes and rich cultures, with a fascinating history just waiting to be discovered. From the powerful Aksumite Empire to the incredible rock churches in Lalibela, Ethiopia's ancient past reveals its strong traditions and the remarkable ways it has contributed to the world.  Get to Know Ethiopia Land, people, and brief ancient history of Ethiopia Ethiopia is technically landlocked because the entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on May 24, 1993. Ethiopia is, therefore, the most populous landlocked country in the world; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean.  Geologic...

Port of Djibouti 3,500 years trading by the sea

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Port of Djibouti links Europe, the Far East, and Africa. The Port of Djibouti is at the crossroads of three continents linking Europe, the Far East, and Africa. The African country Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry to create long-term growth and development. Djibouti's location is the main economic asset of a country that with very few natural resources, farmland, sparse rainfall and water supply. The Port of Djibouti much dependent on transit taxes and harbor fees earns the majority of earned capital for Djibouti. Port of Djibouti Port of Djibouti 3,500 years trading by the sea . The Port of Djibouti is a major port in Djibouti City, the capital of Djibouti and is located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. The Port of Djibouti is also at the crossroad of three continents linking Europe, the Far East, and Africa. This major deep-water port located on the Red Sea one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. General cargo, container and gate o...

Those who want rain must also accept the mud African Proverb

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Most people do not go through their lives expecting one disastrous event to occur after another, and then have it unfold according to a preset script. Life is about adaptability and preparation; Adaptability plays a crucial role in your everyday life. This skill can help shape the course of your future and opportunities. Teach everyday life African proverbs to inspire with ancient words of wisdom. Ghanaian African proverbs express the timeless wisdom of African people. Wise sayings in the language of proverbs have been passed down for generations in African culture. Proverbs are an important part of traditional and modern patrilineal African society. Preparation, being able to assess, to understand, to know, where you are at any given point is a very valuable tool.

Capoeira African-Brazilian Dancing Gymnastics Heritage

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Capoeira is an African Brazilian ritual dance displaying agility, power, strength and culture. Capoeira requires great physical strength and flexibility to dance and move on your hands and feet. Music is integral to capoeira.  Capoeira is a flow of communication between two capoeiristas or players through martial art dance and gymnastics performed to with musical instruments and singing. Capoeira requires superior hand–eye coordination, mental agility, and alertness, the word Capoeira maybe of Portuguese or Bantu origin.  The reason why the roots of Capoeira are unknown is due to Angolan slaves introducing the sport to Brazil during the slave trade. There was no written record of Capoeira in Angola, only in Brazil.  Capoeira requires great physical strength and flexibility to dance and move on your hands and feet. Capoeira is an African Brazilian ritual dance displaying agility, power, strength and culture.  Capoeira fighters in Africa have cultural herita...

Walmart is known as Massmart in Africa.

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Walmart is known as Massmart in Africa. Walmart is known as Massmart in Africa and Massmart operates more than 443 stores in it home office country of South Africa and in 13 other African countries with a BBBEE level 4 score. Shopping day at Walmart stores in Africa. Walmart staked its claim in the growing African business market in 2010 under the store names of Game, Cambridge, Game Foodco, Makro, Builders Warehouse, Builders Express, Builders Superstore, Builders Trade Depot, CBW, Rhino Cash and Carry and Jumbo Cash and Carry.  BBBEE stands for Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and is a means of equalizing the rights of black people who were formerly disadvantaged during apartheid, Massmart BBBEE is a level four 86.06 score out of 100. Massmart Walmart Store Names Total Retail Units Game Foodco 79 in South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria. CBW 43...

African Folklore Science: The Poison That Feeds — The Story of the Lab-Lab Bean

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African Folklore Science: The Poison That Feeds — The Story of the Lab-Lab Bean In African folklore, the lablab bean is a trickster plant — both healer and poisoner. It grows where others die, turning barren soil into life, yet its seeds can harm those who ignore ancestral wisdom. Across Africa’s drylands, the lablab bean ( Dolichos lablab ) is more than a crop; it is a parable of balance between danger and nourishment. Folklore says the Earth gave this plant two spirits — one bitter, one generous — to test humanity’s patience and knowledge. Only those who prepare it wisely can unlock its gift of sustenance. The Science Behind the Story The lablab bean thrives under harsh conditions , pulling nutrients from deep underground through deep roots. These roots harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria that enrich the soil, a biological partnership African farmers understood long before modern science. This symbiosis lets lablab survive droughts and restore fertility to tired land. But the...

Niger Is The Fourth Ranking Producer Of Uranium In The World

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Niger Uranium Mines Niger has two significant uranium mines providing nearly 8 percent of world mining production from Africa highest-grade uranium ores. Niger is the fourth-ranking producer of uranium in the world Niger is a landlocked nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. The discovery of the element is credited to the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in Berlin in 1789. Uranium is a chemical element with symbol U and atomic number 92. Uranium is regularly found in very small amounts in rocks, soil, water, plants, and animals and humans.  In nature, uranium is found as mostly as uranium-238 and uranium-235. Uranium metal is very dense and heavy therefore Uranium decays slowly with a half-life of about 4.47 billion years for uranium-238 and uranium-235 are 704 million years.  The main use of uranium in the private citizen sector is to fuel nuclear power plants. Uranium metal is very dense a...

Ireland, Nelson Mandela and Irish Anti-Apartheid: The tangled path history weaves

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The highest and most prestigious award the City of Dublin can bestow in 1988 was awarded to Nelson Mandela. Turning point in Irish perceptions of Apartheid South Africa was the Sharpeville massacre of 1960. Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture The Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement became, over the years, one of the most successful movement’s social movements against Apartheid. In 1948 when the South African National Party instated Apartheid, the South African population was now officially categorized as white, black and colored.  Racially mixed housing areas were declared illegal and black and colored populations were banished to live in black settlements and needed passes to travel into white-only areas. The Irish took up offers by the South African government for living in white settlements and by the 1960’s, roughly 60,000 Irish in South Africa.  Apartheid South Africa sign in English and Afrikaans  According to The Irish Story, “th...

Equatorial Guinea and Africa's oil corruption

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Kleptocracy is corruption that loots state resources for private benefit as in Equatorial Guinea Africa that is rich to 1% and poor to 99%. Kleptocracy is a form of political and government corruption. Equatorial Guinea is a small Spanish speaking in West Africa that despite the country's economic windfall the people are very poor. Equatorial Guinea and Africa's oil corruption Kleptocracy is a form of political and government corruption where the government exists to increase the personal wealth and political power of its officials and the ruling class at the expense of the wider population, often with pretense of honest service. The Capital Port of Malabo, Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea is a small Spanish speaking in West Africa that has recently struck oil. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Africa's third largest oil exporter below the S...

African Recipes Organized by Meal Time

African Drinks & Beverages

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About the Author

A Legacy Resource, Recognized Worldwide

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.

Trusted by: WikipediaEmory University African StudiesUniversity of KansasUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalMDPI Scholarly Journals.
Explore our archived collections → DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17329200

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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.

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.