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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.

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FOOD PROVERBS

How to eat Plantain Fufu

How to eat Plantain Fufu

Plantain fufu is a staple food typical in many countries in Africa. How do you eat Fufu? Simply tear off a small piece of foufou and hold it with your fingers making a slight indentation to scoop up a small portion of food.


Pounding fufu in Ghana.
Plantain Fufu Recipe

Easy Plantain Fufu Recipe

How to make African food, plantains are used for cooking at any stage of ripeness; green, partially yellow ripe, yellow ripe and brown yellow overripe.
Easy Plantain Fufu Recipe

Ingredients
3 peeled and boiled Plantains
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Water for boiling

Directions
In a large pot place the peeled and evenly cut plantains and cover with water. Boil until soft about 20 minutes. Place the salt, flour, and plantains in a mixer and knead until the consistency of soft dough is achieved. Fufu should be much stiffer than mashed potatoes in texture. 
 
Did you know?
Foufou goes by many names, Fufu, Foofoo, and Fufuo; whatever the name foufou is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling and pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava.

Plantain Fufu Recipe.
Plantain Fufu Recipe

Fufu is primarily consumed in West and Central African countries, where it holds great cultural significance and is a staple food. Apart from Ghana, Nigeria, and the Republic of Cรดte d'Ivoire, fufu is also eaten in several other countries in the region, such as Cameroon, Togo, Benin, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Depending on the country, fufu is also known as foutou, foofoo, and foufou. The ingredients used to make fufu vary from pounded cassava, yam, plantains, maize flour, or a combination.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.