Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

Classic African Vegetable Cowpeas Recipe

Classic African Cowpeas Recipe
Cowpea originated in Africa

The cowpea is used both as a vegetable and grain. Dried and fresh cowpeas are cooked together with other vegetables to make a thick soup, or ground into a meal or paste. Fresh leaves of the cowpea plant are often picked and eaten in the same way as spinach.

Cowpeas for sale in Ibadan Nigeria
Cowpeas for sale in Ibadan Nigeria

Classic African Vegetable Cowpeas Recipe

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

Cowpeas are grown throughout the tropics and subtropics and has become a part of the diet of about 110 million people. West and Central Africa is the leading cowpea producing region in the world; this region produces 64 percent of the estimated 3 million tons of cowpeas produced annually. Nigeria is the world’s leading cowpea producing country, followed by Brazil. Other cowpeas producing countries in Africa are South Africa, Senegal, Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso. Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon. Cowpea is a higher drought-tolerant crop than many other crops. Make this classic Cowpea recipe using ingredients found in your local supermarket. 


Easy Cowpeas Recipe


Ingredients
2 cups frozen cowpeas or crowder peas
2 large red tomatoes diced
1 large red onion finely chopped
2 red bell pepper finely chopped
1 tablespoon palm oil
1 hot pepper chopped
2 large very ripe plantain

Directions
In a large pot, stir-fry onions, plantains, tomatoes, and peppers in palm oil, on low heat. After about five minutes, pour the beans into stir-fried ingredients. Stir simmer for another 5 minutes, on low heat. Serve over rice.

Cowpeas for sale in South Africa
Cowpeas for sale in South Africa

More about Cowpea recipes

In West Africa where cowpea is very popular and a staple food, utilisation in family menus has advanced. For instance, in Ghana it is used to fortify cassava, plantain, cereal-based meals and yoghurt or shea butter paste. In Nigeria, cowpea paste can be boiled or fried to produce a popular meal known as moinmoin that is served with rice during ceremonies, and akara served for breakfast. It is envisaged that cowpea meals can be served with various popular maize meals, custard, bread, pap and rice in South Africa.

Did you know?
English - crowder pea, bachapin bean, black-eye bean or pea, cowgram, southern pea
Afrikaans - akkerboon, swartbekboon, boontjie, koertjie, dopboontjie
Setswana - dinawa, nawa-ea-setswana
isiZulu - imbumba, indumba, isihlumaya
Scientific name - Vigna unguiculata

Cowpea flower buds
Cowpea flower buds

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Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

Chic African Culture

Be better than average and support African history and culture. Since 2008 Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet highlight Africa through her food and culture. Contact us culture1africangourmet@gmail.com

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