African Food and Art

Thank you to our latest donor, Esther. Thank you, Esther. We were able to purchase a new cutting board.

Do not beat a drum with an axe

Ghanaian proverb do not beat a drum with an axe teaches us to understand our words and actions. Our words can make beautiful music in a person’s life or cause devastation and destruction. 

Words hurt, do not beat a drum with an axe

Watch what you say, you may not realize sharp, hurtful words create lasting damage while positive words inspire us to be hopeful and kind.

Do not beat a drum with an axe|Ghanaian Proverb

Words do hurt. Ridicule, distain, humiliation, taunting, all-cause injury, and when it is delivered in childhood from a child's peers, verbal abuse causes more than emotional trauma. It inflicts lasting physical effects on brain structure. 

When that environment is hostile or socially unhealthy, development of the brain is affected, and often it is impaired. The environment that children are raised in molds not only their mind but also their brain. 

This is something many long suspected, but now we have scientific instruments that show us how dramatically childhood experience alters the physical structure of the brain, and how sensitive we are as children to these environmental effects. Words, verbal harassment from peers and parents can cause far more than emotional harm.

Do not beat a drum with an axe|Ghanaian Proverb


More African Proverbs from the motherland.

  1. Your Attitude African Proverbs
  2. What is an African Proverb
  3. Do not invite evil to sit at your table then cry
  4. Mean Coworkers African Proverbs
  5. Having Faith African Proverbs

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa

Image
African Country by Size List. Africa Which are the top twenty largest, smallest, and territorial country in Africa by land area? 1. The continent of Africa is the world’s second largest based on land area and population just after Asia. 2. Top five largest countries of Africa are Algeria, Congo Democratic Republic of the, Sudan, Libya and Chad. 3. Top five smallest African countries and territories are Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, Seychelles, Saint Helena and Mayotte. African Country from largest to smallest Area sq mile Area sq km Algeria 919,595 2,381,740 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) 905,568 2,345,410 Sudan 718,723 1,861,484 Libya 679,362 1,759,540 Chad 495,755 1,284,000 Niger 489,191 1,267,000 Angola 481,354 1,246,700 Mali 478,767 1,240,000 South Africa 471,011 1,219,912 Ethiopia 435,186 1,127,127 Mauritania 397,95
Learn More About Africa

Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe

Image
Tanzanian curried coconut okra recipe is a simple African food recipe to make for a vegetarian weeknight dinner. Tanzanian curried coconut okra recipe is the favorite of Tanzania . Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe Ingredients 2 pounds fresh okra 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons good-quality curry powder 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 onion, chopped finely 2 tablespoons of butter 1/2 teaspoon paprika 2 cups of coconut milk Directions In a large saucepan brown over medium, heat the butter, curry, onions, garlic, and paprika. Cut the tips off the okra pods. Add okra and remaining ingredients to the saucepan cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes. Serve over white rice.  How to choose good okra. Hibiscus esculentus or okra is of African origin originating from Ethiopia. Okra grows wild along the White Nile and the upper Nile country as well as in Ethiopia . Begin with good-quality fresh okra suitable for canning. The way to choose good okra is by inspecting the ok
Learn More About Africa

Fried Fish Attiéké Poisson Grille

Image
Attiéké is a traditional Côte d'Ivoire African dish made from fermented ground cassava roots that Ivorians love to eat. The most popular recipe, attiéké poisson grille, fried fish prepared with sliced a tomato and onion salad is a Côte d'Ivoire national dish. Homemade attiéké looks like couscous and prepared correctly takes two days to make from scratch. Making it involves peeling and grating cassava to make a paste that is mixed with a small portion of already fermented paste. The mixture is left to sit for a day or two and ferment. The paste is then dried in the sun and steamed serving. Fried Fish Attiéké Poisson Grille Chic African Culture Côte d'Ivoire in Africa attiéké (pronounced atchekay) recipe has traveled far beyond the country’s borders to become a well-loved food in the African diaspora and beyond. Ingredients 1 large white fish  2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 medium onions, sliced thin Côte d'Ivoire African Fried Fis
Learn More About Africa

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali and
Learn More About Africa