Africa Factbook

Nothing but sadness for Basi who unfortunately puts his trust and good reputation on the line for a shady friend. Putting yourself on the line African Folklore teaches us not to put our good reputation on the line for a shady friend. Golden blanket Aza the Shady Friend African Folklore Aza received a prestigious invitation, to visit his old friend chief Basi in a faraway village to celebrate the birth of his first child. Aza is well treated because he is a friend of the chief, and he is given one of the best rooms in the chief’s home to rest after his long journey.  In his room, a hand woven golden blanket was stored. The blanket was to be presented to the chief during the feast at tomorrow’s festival celebrating the chiefs’ first-born son. Aza discovers the blanket and decides such a fine blanket should belong to his son.  He takes the golden blanket, stuffs it in his travel bag and leaves the village, telling the people that urgent business requires him

Options are endless when it comes to vetkoek recipes. Vetkoek has been a staple on the South African kitchen table longer than anyone can remember. Vetkoek South African Fat Cake Recipe Culture and food of Africa would not be complete without including the South African food recipe Vetkoek South African Fat Cake. South African Vetkoek is deep fried dough eaten as a sandwich with sausages, made into desserts and handheld snacks stuffed with meat, relish and cheese. Vetkoek South African Fat Cake serves 10, Total time from start to finish 30 minutes. Vetkoek South African Fat Cake Ingredients Sweet Fat Cakes  2 cups self-rising flour 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup whole milk 2 large eggs Oil for deep-frying Directions In a large pot heat oil. In a large bowl mix flour and salt together by hand or with a fork. In another bowl whisk egg, milk and sugar.  Make a well in the dry ingredients then add the wet, mix to un

Many African spices and spice blends will taste fuller and more complex if they are bloomed, or briefly cooked in oil. Blooming spices does not have to be complicated, it is as simple as heating the spices in oil a few seconds ahead of the other ingredients in your dish. Blooming spices is the secret to making African food recipes pop. If you're not taking this crucial step by blooming your spices, you are missing a mass amount of flavor. Selling vegetables for stew in Uganda How to Unlock the Flavor of Herbs and Spices in Chicken Groundnut Stew Ingredients 2 large chicken breasts, chopped 1 medium sliced onion 1 medium chopped green pepper 1 cup smooth peanut butter 3 cups chicken broth 2 cups baby carrots 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon red pepper flake 2 tablespoons curry powder 1 tablespoon tomato paste Salt to taste Directions Boil chopped chicken in 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth in a large pot for 10 minutes. Heat oil over medium heat; add curry powder and bloom (fry) f

What to Make with Cassava Flour and Curry Paste Recipe You will find a variety of countries represented in the international aisle of your supermarket, for example, those bags of ground cassava flour and curry paste are international recipe powerhouses perfect for making Gari. Just a cup of cassava flour and a tablespoon of curry paste, staples in the international aisle of any a supermarket can add a potent, exotic flavor to many dishes. Gari is a roasted grain of the cassava tuber and is a major product in rural and urban areas of Africa. Gari fritters made with cassava flour and curry  Cassava belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, which is known for plants with milky sap and includes plants like poinsettias and cotton. Many species contain milky latex, and some are useful as a source of oil or wax. Cassava is mostly grown on three continents extensively, Africa below the Sahara desert, tropical South America and Southeast Asia. About half of the world productio

Isonka samanzi is Xhosa for bread in water or steamed bread.  Braai Isonka Samanzi Braai Isonka samanzi or grilled bread is made by steaming dough in a cast iron pot on top of braai or BBQ coals until the bread is soft on the inside and brown on the outside.  Isonka samanzi is Xhosa for bread in water or steamed bread. The uniqueness of this recipe is not the ingredients but the way the bread is baked in a cast iron pot.  This local Southern African delicacy of homemade baked bread will leave you wanting more. Braai Isonka Samanzi Grilled Bread Ingredients 3 ¼ cups bread flour 1 package active dry yeast (.25 ounce) 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 ¼ cups warm water 2 tablespoons soft butter 1 teaspoon salt Directions In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. In a separate bowl, add butter and salt mix well. Lightly alternate stirring in flour and water.   When the dough slightly sticky to the touch, turn i

African Folklore of a Weasel and his Wife explains why weasels have a bad reputation to this very day. The wife of a weasel gave birth to a baby, and then called her husband and said, "Go out and find some clothes I would like for the baby and bring them to me." The husband listened to his wife's word, and said to her, "What kind of clothes do you like?" The wife replied to her husband, "I like the hide of an elephant." The husband attended to his wife's wish, arose, and went to a fowl, saying, "Sister fowl, listen, and I will tell you something which my wife told me." The fowl replied to the weasel, "Tell me what you have to say!" The weasel said to the fowl, "Sister fowl, yesterday, when my wife gave birth to our first child, she said to me that she does not like any kind of clothes, except an elephant's hide: now what shall I do to obtain an elephant's hide?" The fowl said to the weasel

How the Intelligent Ants Saved the Partridge's Eggs African Folklore As the elders say, there once lived a Partridge having laid her eggs was driven from them by a Python , who took possession of them by coiling herself round and round the eggs. The Partridge, seeing she had been deprived of her eggs, began to call for help. A Buffalo, hearing her, came and asked what the matter was. The Partridge said, "The Python has rolled herself round my eggs, and I want a wise body to save them for me." "Don't worry," said the Buffalo , "I will go and stamp on her." "Not you," cried the Partridge; "while you are stamping on her you will smash my eggs. I am looking for a wise body to help me." The Partridge continued to call, and the Elephant came asking what the matter was. "Oh!" sobbed the Partridge, "the Python has curled round my eggs, and I want a wise body to save them." "Never mind,"

Fighting for Love. Would you rather have super physical strength or super intelligence? The African folklore story of Tortoise and Leopard examines the true meaning of strength. Tortoise and Leopard Fighting for Love African Folklore Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Tortoise and Leopard Fighting for Love As the elders say, in the time when Mankind and all other Animals lived together, to all the Beasts the news came that there was a Merchant in a far country, who had a daughter, for whom he was seeking a marriage. And he had said, "I do not want money to be the dowry that shall be paid by a suitor  for my daughter. But, whosoever shall do some difficult works, which I shall assign him, to him I will give her." All the Beasts were competing for the prize. First, Elephant went on that errand. The merchant said to him, "Do five impossible tasks and you shall marry my daughter. More than that, I will give you wealth also.&quo

Artisanal and Small-scale mining (ASM) refers to unlawful mining in Africa and other countries by miners using low technology or minimal mining machinery usually under dangerous conditions. Workers in artisanal and small-scale mine. Workers in artisanal and small-scale mines dig, crush, grind and wash gems, gold , silver, copper, and mine coal and uranium.  In Africa, Artisanal and Small-scale mining or ASM’s has been linked to a decline of agriculture, conflicts and civil war , natural disasters, and economic crisis.  Individuals rarely carry out artisanal mining; it is often a family activity where children of all ages engage in various types of mining activities where their parents work. Poverty is the most important reason for the age of 15-24 population to quit school and go to work. Children may enter mining work for lack of alternative options such as school or other employment opportunities.   Youth une

Goat cheese can easily be made at home.   Goat cheese is easier to digest than cow's milk making it a good choice for people who are lactose intolerant. Goat cheese can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 week. How to Make Fresh Goat Cheese the Easy Way at Home Ingredients 8 cups pasteurized goat’s milk 1/8 teaspoon direct-set mesophilic starter culture 1/8 teaspoon liquid animal rennet 1 tablespoon cold water 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt Directions Slowly heat goat milk in large saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until the temperature is 90 degrees, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle culture over surface of milk and gently stir until combined. Dilute rennet in water, then stir into goat milk until well combined. Cover and let sit, undisturbed, at room temperature until mixture fully separates into solid curds and translucent whey, 12- 24 hours. Line a colander with cheesecloth and ladle curds into prepared colan

Climbing a Rope to Heaven Short African Folklore Story Climbing a Rope to Heaven is a classic African folklore story from Mozambique in which a long braid rope connects heaven and earth to give riches to the good and misery to the evil. Climbing a Rope to Heaven Short African Folklore Story Climbing a Rope to Heaven There was once a girl who was sent by her mother to fetch water from the river. On the way, talking and hiding from her little brother, she lost him and could not find him anywhere. "Oh, what shall I do now?" she cried, in great distress, as little babies are not so easily replaced, and she knew there would be trouble awaiting her on her return. She screamed, "Bukali bwa ngoti! Oh, that I had a rope!" and looking up, sure enough she saw a rope uncoiling itself from a cloud. She seized it and climbed, and soon found herself in the country above the sky, which appeared to be not unlike the one she had left. There was what looked