The African Gourmet: African Cuisine, Folktales and Cultural Stories

Easy Food Recipe South Africa Mealie Potjiekos Stew Easy Food Recipe South Africa Mealie Potjiekos Stew This hearty traditional South African stew is an easy to make vegetable corn stew, just add chicken to Mealie Potjiekos for a variation on this traditional South African stew. Mealie Potjiekos Stew Recipe Ingredients and Directions. Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Mealie Potjiekos is a delicious vegetable corn stew. Ingredients 3 cups vegetable stock One 15 ounce can whole kernel corn One 15 ounce can cream corn 1 can evaporated milk One 14 ounce can tomatoes 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) 1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional) Directions In a large pot on medium heat, add oil then sauté onions one minute. Drain the can of whole kernel corn then add all ingredients into a large saucepan.  Simmer on low uncovered for 30 minutes. Serve warm. Did you know? Maize (corn) is the most important g...

Roasted Vegetable Salad Salata Meshwiya also known as Roasted Vegetable Salad is a hors d'oeuvre recipe served largely in the African country of Tunisia. Eggplant and Tomato Tunisian Roasted Vegetable Salad Recipe Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture How to choose eggplants - Look for firm eggplants that feel heavy for their size and have smooth, shiny skins and bright green stems. Salata Meshwiya Recipe Ingredients   3 large ripe tomatoes, diced   ½ eggplant thinly sliced   ½ teaspoon salt   1 teaspoon cumin   2 teaspoons garlic, crushed   2 tablespoons olive oil   Directions   In a large saucepan over medium heat add oil, heat then add eggplant and spices cook until eggplant is soft. Add tomatoes, garlic mix well serve warm with traditional Tunisian bread, tabouna bread. Did you know? Tunisia is home of the ancient city of Carthage. Hannibal of Carthage war elephants were depicted in the movie 300. More econom...

The Last Colonies — Africa’s Independence That Came Late When people talk about African independence, they often picture the sweeping wave of decolonization in the 1960s — Ghana in 1957, Nigeria in 1960, Kenya in 1963. But not every African nation broke free then. Some had to wait decades longer, struggling against foreign control, Cold War politics, and internal wars before finally raising their own flag. These are the last African colonies — nations whose independence came late, long after the first wave of liberation. Their stories reveal why freedom is rarely won in one dramatic moment and how global politics, resources, and geography delayed self-rule. Djibouti — France’s Last Footprint in the Horn of Africa (1977) Once known as French Somaliland, Djibouti remained under French control long after its neighbors gained independence. Its strategic location at the mouth of the Red Sea made it too valuable to let go. Only in 1977, after years of protests and an ...

African Voodoo Zombies and the Walking Dead Better known as Vodun, Voodoo probably is not what you think it is since African Voodoo is not accurately portrayed in movies, on TV or in books with the walking dead or zombies raining down destruction. African Voodoo is a nature based community centered religion. Zombies do not have to be dead.  Benin is the center of voodoo worship in West Africa. The walking dead? Zombies?  Animal sacrifice? What do you really know about Voodoo?  What are Voodoo Zombies or the Walking Dead? Zombies do not have to be dead. In African and Caribbean Voodoo cultures, zombies are more mindless servants than the walking dead. Zombies are people who do the mindless bidding of a person and are seemingly possessed by them. Zombies represent a slave to master relationship. However, the concept of the undead zombie has existed through time and across cultures, they reveal who fundamenta...

Warning: Our Spicy Baked Chickpeas Recipe is Addictive Baharat spicy baked chickpea Recipe from Ethiopia is delicious, high fiber, crispy, crunchy addictive snack food. Spicy Baked Chickpeas Recipe is an Addictive Snack Food Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture 10-21-2017 How To Make Crispy Baked Chickpeas in the Oven. By Chic African Culture African food recipe A well-known part of the Ethiopian diet is chickpeas also known as garbanzo beans. Our Spicy Baked Chickpeas Recipe is seasoned with 9 spices and perfectly baked every time. Addictive Baharat Spicy Baked Chickpeas Recipe Snack Food Serves 4 Addictive African snack food Total time from start to finish 1 hour 15 minutes Ingredients 2 cans chickpeas, drained 1 tablespoon dried mint 2 dried hot red chilies 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1 tablespoon dried coriander ¼ cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg ...

Cumin Spice, Cumin Indigenous Medicine Cumin is an ancient spice grown in Egypt and used since antiquity in traditional healing systems. Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Spice Cumin Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Cumin seeds are sometimes used whole, but more commonly they are ground into powder. What does cumin taste like?  Cumin has an unmistakable flavor, when a dish is flavored with cumin; it has a nutty peppery slightly smoky flavor. Where does cumin come from? Cumin is one of the earliest cultivated herbs in Africa. Cumin is a low-growing annual herb of the Nile valley, but cultivated in the Mediterranean region, Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, India, China, and Palestine from very early times and is a strong tasting herb. How does cumin grow? Cumin can grow outdoors, in containers, and hydroponics. Cumin plants are known to attract beneficial insects. The plants mature in about 2 - 3 months, when the stem...

Mercury Environment Poisoning. Exposure to mercury even in small amounts may cause serious health problems as in the case of Minamata disease. Mercury Poisoning Happens Every Day In Africa Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Mercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. Mercury is one of the top ten chemicals of major public health concern. What is the Minamata Convention on Mercury? Minamata disease is a debilitating neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. The serious health and environmental effects resulting from the mercury pollution, and the need to ensure proper management of mercury gave birth to the Minamata Convention on Mercury.  The objective of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to protect the human health and the environment and releases of mercury and mercury compounds into the ground, air and water environment. Minamata Convention on Mercury addresses the health concerns, especially in developin...

The Maghreb region Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia share the Atlas Mountain range which extends more than 1,200 miles or 2,000 kilometers, from the Moroccan port of Agadir in the southwest, through Algeria to the Tunisian capital of Tunis in the northeast. Learn All About The Northern-Most Region of the African Continent And The Atlas Mountains The highest point of the Atlas Mountain is Jbel Toubkal south of Marrakech, Morocco reaching 13,665 feet or 4,165 meters and is the highest peak in the High Atlas as well as in North Africa. The Atlas ranges dominate the landscapes of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, differentiating them from the other North African countries, where desert geography dominates the Northern African landscapes. Learn About The Maghreb region Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Morocco The English name Morocco derives from the Spanish and Portuguese names Marruecos and Marrocos, which stem from Marrakesh the Latin name for the former capital of ancient Mo...

In Africa a strawberry lake flows. There is a natural lake the color of strawberries, Lake Retba or Le Lac Rose lies in Senegal Africa just one hour from its capital city Dakar. Believe Your Eyes, Le Lac Rose Natural Strawberry Lake of Africa Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Le Lac Rose is sprinkled with salt miners, using their hands and baskets to collect salt. To protect their skin from Senegal Le Lac Rose salty water, miners rub their skin with a very thick lotion, Shea butter. Lake Retba is named for its pink waters caused by an edible, salt-loving micro-algae dunaliella salina. Dunaliella salina is a microalgae occurring naturally in a number of locations worldwide. Dunaliella salina is an ideal organism to study the effects of saline adaptation in algae. Le Lac Rose is a natural curiosity thanks to the exceptional color of its waters that daily turn from colors from African violet to ruby red. Covering an area of approxi...

Goat meat stew when cooked slow and low is a low-fat hearty recipe with potatoes, egusi seeds, tomatoes, herbs, and spices is the best goat stew recipe ever. Say Yes To The Best Goat Meat Stew Recipe Goat Meat Stew Recipe Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 2 hours Calories 244 calories per serving Fat Content 2 grams fat Recipe Yield 6 servings Best Goat Meat Stew Recipe Ingredients 1 pound cubed goat meat 2 large pieces any smoked fish 2 large handfuls sorrel leaves or spinach ½ cup ground egusi seeds 2 medium chopped tomatoes 2 medium white potatoes, diced 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 tablespoons palm oil or butter 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 hot pepper, chopped 5 cups vegetable stock Directions Heat palm oil over medium heat in a large pot, add onions and garlic. Add remaining ingredients except for egusi, fish and sorrel or spinach. Cover and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally until the goat is tender. Add egu...

There is an urgent need to ensure the availability of safe, effective and affordable antivenoms, particularly in Africa tropical regions. Dangerous venomous snakebites are common in Africa life-saving treatment is not. A single vial of snakebite antivenom can cost thousands of dollars. Snakebite Deaths In Africa Africa has an abundance of dangerous venomous snakes and snakes could be anywhere, which means they are everywhere. Despite the high rates of death and disability from snakebites in Africa, it remains a significant burden to Africa’s poor women and children, agricultural workers, hunters, and farmers. Though the exact number of snakebites is unknown, in Africa, there are well over a half a million snakebites yearly that need treatment. Up to 140,000 people die each year because of snakebites, and around 400,000 amputations and other permanent disabilities are caused by snakebites each year. Bites by venomous snakes can cause paralysis that may prevent breathing, bleeding...

Kenya Violence Violence has tarnished elections in Kenya with 2007 Post-Election Violence being the bloodiest on record to date. Kenya's presidential elections have been marked with some type of violence and protests, and the 2007 vote was best known for murder and mayhem along ethnic lines. Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Violence has tarnished elections in Kenya with 2007 Post-Election Violence being the bloodiest on record. The Issue Kenya’s President Daniel Toroitich arap Moi stepped down in December 2002 after serving 24 years from 1978-2002 following fair and peaceful elections. Mwai Kibaki, running as the candidate of the multiethnic, united opposition group, the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), defeated Kenya African National Union (KANU) candidate Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of founding president Jomo Kenyatta, and assumed the presidency. However, Kibaki's reelection in December 2007 brought charges of voter fraud from Orange Democratic ...

Dark Continent has two meanings Dark Continent or the Dark Continent? The first, that it was a dark continent that non-indigenous Africans knew nothing of and second meaning, refers to the skin color of dark skin African indigenous peoples. Africa is the oldest inhabited continent with more unknown history than known. The Truth About Bringing Africa to the Light The Dark Continent Geography The colonization of Africa imposed boundaries without regard to culture or heritage of native Africans. When maps were drawn of Africa, there were huge chunks of land known as Terra Incognita, regions that have not been mapped or documented by non-indigenous Africans. As a result, as Chancellor Williams explains in his book “The Destruction of Black Civilization” “The general condition of vast stretches of uninhabited and uninhabitable land over the continent seemed to support the Western thesis that Africans never developed any worthwhile civilization with a notable his...

African food Indian style basmati rice. Our African food basmati Indian style spiced rice recipe is essential to eat with any and every homemade South African Indian curry. White basmati rice is steamed with yellow onions, seasoned with ghee, whole cloves, ground cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, whole mustard seeds, ground chili and dried turmeric. The Best South African Yellow Rice  Chic African Culture Serves 4 African food Nutrition facts: 340 calories, 3 grams fat Ingredients  1/4 cup ghee  1 yellow onion chopped  1 cup uncooked basmati white rice  1/2 cup shredded carrots 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom  1/4 teaspoon whole mustard seeds  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin  3 whole cloves  1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric  1 teaspoon ground chili pepper  1 whole dried hot pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt  1/4 teaspoon black salt  1 1/4 cup warm water  Directions  Rinse the basmati rice then drain. I...

10 Favorite African Proverbs That I Always Keep With Me Wherever I Go I know my ancestors are with me, wherever I decide to stay, drink, eat and explore; these 10 favorite African Proverbs I always keep with me wherever I go. A journeys discovery can be bittersweet but you can emerge stronger from the experience. Chic African Culture I take with me everywhere I go 10 favorite African Proverbs When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. It is not always the one who speaks the loudest who wins the dispute. The disobedient fowl obeys in a pot of soup. The river may be wide, but it can be crossed. An axe does not cut down a tree by itself. Strategy is better than strength. Two men in a burning house must not stop to argue. Do not let what you cannot do turn your head away from what you can do. If we stand tall, it is because we stand on the backs of those who came before us. If a donkey kicks you and you kick back, you are both asse...

Ghana Entertainment Funerals In Ghana, the most significant cost you are going to incur in your life is not going to be your wedding, it is going to be your funeral. Ghana Elaborate Funerals And Decorative Funeral Coffins Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture 10-9-2017 Ghana, Africa where funerals are world-renowned for their size and extravagance. Ghana Funeral Ghana population is comprised of 71 percent Christian, funerals usually begin with religious blessings, rituals, ceremonies, and words of remembrance, but that is just the beginning.  Funerals in Ghana are very much a social event attended by a large number of mourners, which could reach hundreds. When death comes, it concerns everybody in the Ghanaian community and a well-attended funeral carries great social prestige and the bigger the party, the better.    Funeral Money for Ghanaians Ghanaians may spend as much money on funerals as on weddings, sometimes even more. It is believed ...