The African Gourmet: African Cuisine, Folktales and Cultural Stories

African Wisdom on Death: From Ancient Proverbs to Modern Realities African Wisdom on Death From Ancient Proverbs to Modern Realities - Understanding Life's Greatest Transition Did You Know? Across Africa, death is rarely seen as an end, but rather as a transition to the ancestral world. This perspective shapes everything from burial rituals to inheritance systems, creating unique cultural approaches to life's final journey. The Wisdom of Igbo Proverbs Igbo philosophy offers profound insights into death through simple yet powerful proverbs. These sayings have guided generations in understanding mortality, grief, and the continuity of life. ...

Adinkra symbols Kintinkantan meaning arrogance, FoFoo meaning jealousy and Tamfo Bebre meaning envy are three West African symbols to avoid using. Three West African Symbols to Avoid Tamfo Bebre pronounced Tah-M-Foh Beh-Breh  Secret meaning is envy or the enemy shall suffer.  Envy is deeply rooted in human behavior as well as one of the seven original deadly sins.  Envy leads to feeling resentful of people who have what you want. If you do not confront and sort through the true reason for your envy, you cannot focus on your blessings. You will continue to hate someone for his or her good fortune. If you are not careful, the enemy suffering could be you. Fofoo pronunced Foh-Fuh  Secret meaning is jealousy. Mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear is defined as jealousy. Longing to have what someone else has with misplaced hatred only leads to a life of self-inflicted suffering. Kintinkantan pronounced Ken-tin-ka-tan  Secret meaning is arrogance. The wicke...

Savor Nigerian toasted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy, nutritious snack. Indulge in the delight of Mkpuru Ugu, Nigerian toasted pumpkin seeds, as a convenient grab-and-go snack, or sprinkle them over salads and soups for that perfect crunch. These delectable toasted pumpkin seeds will satisfy your cravings and offer a nutritious boost to your day. In Nigerian cuisine, pumpkin seeds are often used as a key ingredient in preparing Egusi soup, a traditional and beloved dish. The seeds are ground into a powder and combined with other ingredients such as vegetables, meats, and spices to create a rich and flavorful soup that is enjoyed across the country.  Apart from being used in soups, pumpkin seeds are also roasted and enjoyed as a standalone snack in Nigeria. They are commonly seasoned with spices like salt, pepper, or other local seasonings to enhance their flavor.  Roasted pumpkin seeds are a popular street food snack. They are often sold in markets or by vendors in small package...

Cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables in South Africa grown mostly in KwaZulu-Natal inland regions. The capital of KwaZulu-Natal is Pietermaritzburg and is known as the garden providence. The cabbage plant grown throughout the world was thought of as a gift from God. Healthy kabichi cabbage salad recipe is super easy to make using only three ingredients. Healthy Kabichi Cabbage Salad Recipe Healthy African Kabichi Cabbage Salad Recipe Ingredients 1 cup shredded cabbage 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 medium tomato diced Salt and pepper to taste Directions Add all ingredients into a large bowl, mix well refrigerate 2 hours and serve as a side dish for grilled meats or a healthy salad for lunch or dinner. Cabbage was used for therapeutic purposes to treat arthritis, stomach problems, ear nose and throat issues, and headaches. More economical easy lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again. ...

African proverbs on being wise, humble and sensible African proverbs on being wise, humble and sensible. African Proverbs are one of the oldest wise sayings revered the world round. Proverbs teach us to worry less and love more, listen to good advice and take responsibility for our actions. African proverbs show us how to accept change and understand ourselves. You become wise when you begin to run out of money ~ Ghanaian Proverb African proverbs on being wise, humble and sensible Leading a race does not mean that you will win it. ~ Bemba Proverb Optimism leads to riches and pessimism leads to poverty. ~ Kenyan Proverb It is survival, not bravery that makes a man climb a thorny tree. ~ Ugandan Proverb   One cannot see oneself, a stone cannot push itself. ~ Boran Proverb If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom ~ Nigerian Proverb A climbing plant with tendrils cannot grow on its own without the support o...

3,500 Years of Tradition: Grain Processing by Hand in Africa Pounding grain remains a communal rhythm of daily life in many African villages. Across Africa, the basic act of turning harvested grain into food has stayed remarkably constant for millennia. Long before tractors, threshers, or electric mills, farmers used simple hand tools—and in many rural communities, they still do today. Mortars and pestles echo through villages as grain is prepared for cooking, linking modern households to techniques more than 3,500 years old. What Are Threshing, Winnowing, and Milling? Threshing. Beating the stalks and husks of cereal crops to loosen the edible seeds from the straw. Winnowing. Tossing the grain into the air or using a breeze to let lighter chaff blow away, leaving clean grain behind. Pounding or Milling. Crushing or grinding grain to break it into usable pieces or flour. The goal is usually coarse meal, not the ultra-fine flour common in industrial milli...

African ancestors have a wealth of proverbs on the bolstering overconfident fool. In the world today, there is no shortage of confident people who believe in faking their way to success. Most people would rather swallow a self-confidence pill to increase their knowledge and ingenuity since embracing inner insecurities and self-doubts is seen as a sign of weakness. African proverbs on the confident fool People have more confidence than they need but are not as great as they think. Many see confidence as the key component of success and think that increasing confidence is the only solution to relationship and career problems.  Fake it till you make it, life is all about perception acting as if but, if people never allow themselves to feel vulnerable and insecure it becomes impossible to build self-confidence.  What remains in the world are people playacting at life instead of actuality living life. African proverbs on the confident fool Fools a...

Discover a new twist on ordinary peanut stew, add goat !  Make and share this easy one pot West African goat peanut butter stew recipe with family and friends tonight. West African Goat Peanut Stew Recipe     West African Goat Peanut Stew Recipe Ingredients 1 pound goat meat cut into small cubes 2 medium yellow sliced onion 2 medium chopped green pepper 2 large potatoes diced 2 medium carrots diced 1 cup smooth peanut butter 5 cups vegetable broth One big pinch of salt or to taste 2 whole cloves 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon allspice 2 hot peppers sliced 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vinegar Directions Sauté goat and olive oil until goat is browned, add onions and green peppers and heat for 3 minutes. Add broth to peanut butter in a separate cup and stir well. Add all ingredients to goat mixture cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Serve over rice. Did you know? Goats are very competitive with each other hav...

Nigerian Igbo proverb, when husband and wife are in harmony, one piece of yam is enough for their food, teaches us that by watering the seeds of kindness and cooperation, you can plant togetherness which will bring peace to your heart and home.  I wish you everlasting peace, love, and harmony in your marriage. When husband and wife are in harmony, one piece of yam is enough for their food. - Nigerian Igbo proverb. The proverb serves as a reminder to prioritize harmony and unity in our partnerships and to appreciate the power of working together towards common goals. It encourages us to build strong, supportive relationships that can withstand challenges and nourish us emotionally and practically, allowing us to find contentment and fulfillment in even the simplest aspects of life.  The essence of the proverb lies in the idea that when a husband and wife work together harmoniously, their combined efforts and mutual support create a sense of abundance and contentment, even with ...

The question of when life begins seems to be a basic answer but, it is one of the most interesting and meaningful questions we can possibly ask. The African folklore story of crocodiles fortune and when does life begins is still debated by beasts and birds to this day. When Does Life begin African Folklore Questions about the very beginnings of life African Folklore story Crocodile was very old. Finally he died. News of his death spread among the Beasts; and his relatives and friends came to mourn. After a proper number of days had passed, the matter of the division of the property was mentioned. At once a quarrel developed, on the question as to who were his nearest relatives. The tribe of Birds said, "He is ours and we will be the ones to divide the property." Their claim was disputed, others asking, "On what ground do you claim relationship? You wear feathers; you do not wear plates of armor as he. "The Birds replied, "True, he did not wear our...

Ashanti proverbs express the timeless wisdom of the Ashanti people. Wise sayings in the speech of proverbs have been passed down for generations in Ashanti culture. There is no medicine to cure hatred is the Chic African Culture's favorite proverb. Anger leads to hate which leads to misery, which leads to hate which leads to anger; it is a never-ending cycle of negativity. Only when you insert love into the cycle it will become clear that love is stronger than hate. Hate destroys but love builds. More African proverb quotes and wise sayings about hate   Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. - Martin Luther King Jr.   I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. - James Baldwin   I do not have time to hate people who hate me because I am too busy loving people who love me. - Unknown ...

Be a happy fat wife in Mauritania, Africa, where fat women are preferred. Fat wives with stretch marks, rolls of fat and broad backsides are considered extremely beautiful in areas of Africa’s desert country of Mauritania. In Mauritania, a fat wife makes for a happy life. Fat Wife Makes A Happy Marriage Life in the African Desert Country of Mauritania In Mauritania, overeating is not a sign of addiction but rather a tradition. Beauty, as always, is in the eye of the beholder. Overweight and Happily Married In Mauritania, the eleventh-largest country in Africa, a unique view on body image shapes how people think about beauty and desirability.  The majority of the population is made up of white Moor Arabs, and in this culture, fuller-figured women are celebrated. They are often seen as symbols of wealth and prestige. Many believe that a woman's size is linked to her husband's happiness, suggesting that a larger woman brings more joy to her marriage. As a result, being thi...

Africa's Hidden Hand: How Coffee, Cocoa, and Cotton Power the Global Markets From African farms to global financial markets: The journey of a soft commodity. When you think of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), you might picture skyscrapers and tech stocks. But the pulse of global trade is also measured in the coffee, cocoa, and cotton grown on African soil. These essential "soft commodities" are a vital, though often unseen, force within the world's largest financial marketplace. The NYSE's African Connection: Soft Commodities The link is the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the NYSE. Through its ICE Futures U.S. exchange, it is the global center for trading soft commodity futures. What are Soft Commodities? They are agricultural products that are grown, not mined—like coffee, cocoa, cotton, and sugar. What are Futures? These are contracts that allow buyers and sellers to lock in a price for a crop today for d...

African farmers and climate is very important to Sierra Leone for farming and weather impact because subsistence agriculture is the dominant sector in the Sierra Leone economy. With a population of nearly 6.5 million people the weather of Sierra Leone from December to February is dry but rainfall along the coast is around 200 inches a year, making it one of the wettest places in Africa. Traditional shifting cultivation is by far the predominant system of farming in the African country of Sierra Leone. Most farmers produce a wide range of crops under rainfed conditions including rice, the main crop, cassava, sweet potato, maize, sorghum, yams, groundnut, benniseed (sesame) millet, okra, garden eggs (small eggplants), pepper and a multitude of leafy vegetables. The sesame plant prefers humid areas, so it is mostly grown in the wetter northern provinces, intercropped with rice. The small white seeds, the only edible part of the plant, are traditionally prepared in two ways: toasted...