African Food and Art: Sharing History and Heritage

Schadenfreude, why are some people happy when someone’s life is going downhill? The African proverb Do not laugh at a person’s problems because tomorrow it may be you teaches but for the grace of God goes I also known as schadenfreude. “Do not laugh at a person’s problems because tomorrow it may be you” ~ African Proverb Schadenfreude is a complex emotion, where rather than feeling sympathy towards someone's misfortune, schadenfreude evokes joyful feelings that take pleasure from watching someone fail. The happiness of most people is not ruined by great catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly destructive little things. ~Ernest Dimnet When we consider pleasure-in-others'-misfortune as pertaining to minor misfortunes and involving our belief that justice has been done and that we are not responsible for eliciting the misfortune, then this emotion is not so reprehensible from a moral point of view. Beyond that basic human social-comparison instinct, cer

Fermented bread is a staple food made throughout Sudan, South Sudan and Northern Africa. Slow fermented bread has more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals than regular bread because of the process of fermentation process easier to digest. Easy fermented bread recipe and directions Ingredients 1 cup wheat flour 2-3 cups water 1/4 cup plain yogurt Sesame oil for greasing the crepe pan Directions Mix flour with 2-3 cups water into a thin consistency, similar to pancake mixture but slightly thinner. Add yogurt and mix well. Leave covered for 3 days to ferment in the fridge. Heat the pan and grease lightly with oil. Pour ¼ cup of the dough mixture onto the crepe pan and spread evenly using a crepe maker utensil into a thin sheet. Allow 1-2mins to cook one side then flip and cook another 1 minute. Eat with your favorite soups and stews; make into a decadent dessert or as a wrap for your lunch sandwich. More economical easy breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so

Sour Fish Soup African Food Recipe A roadside market in Sierra Leone Sierra Leone is a small coastal African country where fishing is a way of life and Sour Fish Soup African Food Recipe is one of Africa's favorite recipes. African Fish Soup Recipe As such fish is an important representing almost 70 percent of the animal protein consumed in Sierra Leone. The herb sorrel or sour grows wild in Sierra Leone. The leaves of the sorrel plant are the part used in recipes throughout Sierra Leone.  Because of its pungent flavor, sorrel is often combined with fish; blanch the sorrel leaves before cooking if they taste too sharp.  Sierra Leone Fish Sour Soup is an easy one-pot recipe to make ahead or on a weeknight.  Sierra Leone Fish Sour Soup Sierra Leone  Fish Sour Soup African Food Recipe Ingredients: 1 handful fresh sorrel leaves, chopped 4 ounces any smoked fish Peppers to taste 2 cups water Directions: In a large pot with water boil the sorre

Learn to make aseeda (asida) simple honey dessert recipe In Southern South Sudan, Aseeda is a giant doughy dumpling dish made with three simple ingredients; flour, water, and salt topped with melted butter and honey. Sudanese Aseeda Honey Dessert Recipe Sudanese Aseeda Honey Dessert Recipe Ingredients 3 cups whole-wheat flour 2-3 cups cold water 1 teaspoon sea salt Aseeda Topping ½ cup melted butter ½ cup honey Directions In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt and cold water mixing well with a bread hook attachment. You can also mix by hand. Mix until flour and water and fully incorporated. In a large pot over medium heat, add dough and an additional 1 cup of water and stir well until dough is warm, smooth and firm to the touch 10-15 minutes. There should be no lumps since you used cold water and not hot at the start of the recipe. Slightly grease a serving plate and place the dough in the middle of the plate formin

Marriage Story. How the Mouse Won His Wife African Folktale tells the story of how Mr. Mouse won Mrs. Mouse hand in marriage with courage, intelligence, and persistence. How the Mouse Won His Wife African Folktale Love, so many people use your name in vein but not Mr. Mouse in this beautiful African folktale. How the Mouse Won His Wife African Folktale Years passed, and when the father was dying, he told his wife that only he who felled the mahogany tree could marry his daughter. By and by, an Elephant arrived, and, sitting down in the town, asked the girl for a drink of water. She poured him some water and gave it to him, and he then asked her, "Are you married?" and she replied, "No, I am not yet married." The Elephant said, "I will marry you ." Whereupon the mother called out, "You can marry her; but you must first cut down the mahogany tree." The Elephant took an axe and cut, cut, cut until he was tired, and then went and rest

Ji Fried Sweet Yam Fritters Recipe African Yam Recipe The white yam originated in West Africa and accounts for 90 percent of world production of yams. The yam belt of West Africa includes Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Bénin and Togo along their forest and savanna areas. Nigeria yields 70 percent of the world's yams. Ji means yam in the West African Igbo language. Yams are a favorite food of West Africa's yam belt; especially fried yams. Ji Fried Sweet Yam Fritters Recipe Africa Yam recipe makes delicious African Food Ji Fried Sweet Yam Fritters Ingredients 1 cup cooked yams (not sweet potatoes) 1 cup rice flour or all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white sugar Oil for frying Directions In a large bowl mash yams into a thick paste adding a small amount of water if needed. Add flour and sugar mixing well. In large frying pan heat 2 cups of oil, drop by tablespoon the mixture into the hot oil until golden brow

King Eagles promise is easily broken African Folklore teaches us to think before making a promise to someone, especially to the Sparrow bird. Sparrow hides all his relatives in the bush at the river. King Eagles Promise is Easily Broken African Folklore The animals choose the powerful Eagle as their King and throw him a great feast.  Sparrow wishes to present a gift to Eagle but, Eagle will pay him no attention unless he first drinks a huge pot of wine. If Sparrow succeeds in this, Eagle agrees to share with him his kingdom.  Sparrow asks King Eagle that after each drink of wine he be allowed to fly to the river for a drink of water.  Overconfident Eagle unwisely agrees to Sparrow's request. Sparrow hides all his relatives in the bush at the river. After the first drink of wine, he flies to the river, and a relative takes his place for the second drink; another relative goes for the third drink and so on until the pot is emptied. King Eagle is amaze

Nearly 5,000 years before Christ was born, Proto-writing was well-established form of written expression in  North  and West Africa.   The dominance of European languages through colonialism has led to the mistaken belief that the written languages in Africa did not exist before the arrival of Europeans. However, Africa has the world’s oldest and largest collection of ancient Symbolic and Writing Systems.   Here are five African symbolic and writing systems you should know about to dispel the myth that Africans were illiterate people before European colonialism. 5 Ancient African Symbolic and Writing Systems Proto-writing is symbolic communication  Proto-Saharan Dated 5000BC - 3000 BC Before the Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations, there were inscriptions labeled proto-Saharan.  Nearly 5,000 years before Christ was born, Proto-writing was well-established form of written expression near the near the Kharga Oasis in the  Libyan Desert of Africa . Proto-writing is

Forced slavery is the tie that binds. The legacy of slavery binds but also keeps Africans and African-Americans apart. Many African-American black people boast the closest they have ever come and will come to Africa is Busch Gardens and Disneyland. Shared Skin Color Does Not Guarantee Racial Unity Africans vs. African-Americans "Just because African-Americans wear kente cloth does not mean they embrace everything that is African," says business owner Eromosele Oigbokie. Africans and black Americans often fail to forge relationships blaming nationality, ethnicity, culture, economics and education. "A shared complexion does not equal a shared culture, nor does it automatically lead to friendships," says Kofi Glover, a native of Ghana and a political science professor at the University of South Florida. "Whether we like it or not, Africans and African-Americans have two different and very distinct cultures." Glover agrees that while some Africans su

Smoked Fish With Peanut Sauce Food of Africa. When it comes to African food and cooking with peanut butter, easy unique recipes are just the beginning of your African food recipe journey. Smoked Fish With Peanut Sauce West Africa Recipe Smoked Fish with Honey Peanut Sauce is a sweet and savory peanut butter recipe. If you are a fan of African peanut stew you will fall in love with the flavor of honey, smoked fish and peanuts. Ingredients 8 ounces any smoked fish 1 onion, chopped finely 1 teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 tablespoons honey 1/2 cup warm whole milk 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil Directions Over medium heat in a large frying pan sauté onions with oil then add seasonings, fish, and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. In a large mixing bowl add honey and peanut butter to warm milk and stir well. Add mixture to fish and simmer until thick, 5-6- minutes. Serve over rice. Smoked Fish with Honey Peanut Sauce

Whoever Cares To Learn Will Always Find A Teacher African proverbs Rid yourself of assumptions and convictions so that you can be open and receptive to new lifelong learning African proverbs. The world is at your fingertips. Many people wonder what they can do to become well rounded and successful. An often overlooked yet simple way to learn is to surround you with people from all lifestyles and be open to learning. First, you must be willing to expand your mind.   Whoever Cares To Learn Will Always Find A Teacher - Lifelong learning African Proverb This at times may even contradict what you have always believed to be true. You will eventually come across information that challenges your worldview . Rather than remaining static in your comfort zone, use this time to stop, reflect and shed light on these ideas in a way that can develop and expand your vision. Traditional, structured education is very important, yet most people learn meaningful life lessons from unexpecte

Groundnuts and Peanuts Are Not the Same Groundnuts and peanuts are used interchangeably but are not the same. The groundnut taste like chickpeas with a very mild flavor. Arachis hypogaea is the scientific name for groundnuts and peanuts are legume crops grown mainly for its edible seeds. Selling groundnuts in Burkina Faso The Bambara Groundnut originated in present-day West Africa. According to the national peanut board, the peanut plant probably originated in Peru or Brazil in South America. The name groundnut generally refers to the peanut even though the Bambara variety was cultivated in West Africa hundreds of years before the introduction of the peanut. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, women in gardens and on small family farms mainly grow Bambara groundnuts. Bambara groundnuts are known by different names such as Jugo beans in South Africa, Ntoyo cibemba in Zambia Kwaruru, Epa and Okpa in Nigeria and Nyimo beans in Zimbabwe. As a legume, groundnuts, and peanuts belong to