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A Legacy Resource, Recognized Worldwide

For 19 years, The African Gourmet has preserved Africa's stories through food, history, and folklore. Selected for expert consideration by the Library of Congress Web Archives, the world's premier guardian of cultural heritage, ensuring our digital timeline endures for generations.

Trusted by: Wikipedia • Emory University African Studies • University of Kansas • University of KwaZulu-Natal • MDPI Scholarly Journals.
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Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone

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📁 African proverbs

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Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone

Africa Youth
Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone African proverb teaches love, security and recognition should be at the heart of family life.
Kids smiling in Senegal

Teaching Lesson African Proverb


Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture




Children need leading in the right direction. When one hits you with a stone, you do not hit others with a piece of cotton.



It is easy to recognize when a child needs food when they are hungry and warm clothes when they are cold. Yet, a child’s mental and emotional needs may not be as obvious. Children need leading in the right direction. When children grow up without love they look for love and acceptance wherever they can find it because they never experienced love in a healthy way. Abuse can disrupt a child's emotional development.
Instruction in youth is like engraving in stone African proverb teaches love, security and recognition should be at the heart of family life.
Abuse can derail a child's emotional development 



More teaching lesson African sayings, quotes and proverbs


If better were within, better would come out.

When one hits you with a stone, you do not hit others with a piece of cotton.

In time, a mouse will gnaw through a cable.

More than one war has been kindled by a single word.

Falsehood is the devil's daughter and speaks her father's tongue.

Do not depend on people who make great pretensions and boast of their power and influence, for they will fail you in time of need.

Sometimes you sow red beans and white beans grow.

As we are inwardly, so shall we appear outwardly.

The learned have eyes; the ignorant have merely two spots on the face.

To a cussed vessel, every wind is opposing.

As a man's heart is so does he speak.

 A little stone may upset a large cart.

As is the king, so will the virtue be.


Did you know?
The beauty of AfricaBy 2050 Africa will house half of the world's population.
The African Gourmet explores how African food, history, and science intertwine. Here, a plant is a healer, a story is a map, and the kitchen is a laboratory. I’m Ivy — a writer raised by historians, now sharing Africa’s wisdom from the U.S. through cookbooks, cultural research, and storytelling. If you’re curious about where flavor meets memory, you belong here.

Recipes Explain Politics

When Rice Recipes Become Revolution

What if your grandmother's rice recipe could explain the Liberian Rice Riots of 1979?

"In Liberia, rice isn't just food—it's life, identity, and sovereignty. When the government proposed raising rice prices in 1979, they weren't just adjusting economics; they were threatening every grandmother's ability to feed her family according to traditions passed down for generations."

The riot that followed wasn't about politics—it was about the sacred right to cook your family's rice recipe.

The Deeper Recipe

  • Ingredients: Colonial trade patterns + Urbanization + Economic inequality
  • Preparation: Political disconnect from daily survival needs
  • Serving: 40+ deaths, regime destabilization, and a warning about ignoring cultural fundamentals

This is African Gourmet analysis: understanding how the food in grandmother's pot connects to the protests in the streets. The recipes we inherit carry not just flavor, but the entire history of our political and economic struggles.

Read the Rice Riots Analysis → Try Liberian Rice Bread Recipe
Understanding Africa through the stories our food tells • Since 2006

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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.