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About the Author

Ivy is the researcher and writer behind The African Gourmet, blending African food, history, and cultural storytelling. Her work is cited by universities, Wikipedia, major news outlets, and global food writers.

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Start Here: Explore Africa’s Living Knowledge

Learn Africa through science, stories, recipes, proverbs, history, and geography — interconnected, just as life is.

Love Yourself and Your Gravity Defying Hair

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📁 Natural Remedies

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For centuries, African hair is treated as an artist’s canvas. Unique African hairstyles were a fashion and status statement for women and men. Taking care of black hair is an iconic tradition from Africa to America. Take care of black coils and curls with conditioned scalp and drinking water.


Black hair care in Hamar, Ethiopia
Black hair care in Hamar, Ethiopia

Love Yourself and Your Gravity Defying Hair.

Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with images of beautiful women with long straight hair, selling us just about everything from makeup, cars, jewelry, music, movies and more.

Magazines and television sell us the latest fashion trends with beautifully constructed images in Adobe Photoshop, leaving little trace of the women whose photo is actually being taken.

What can you do to fall in love with your natural hair? It is important to understand that the images of women portrayed in the media do not correspond to reality.

This can help you accept yourself as you are and feel better about your own hair. Identify the social messages that wrongly associate physical appearance with health, happiness and success, and the strategies used by the media to communicate these messages.


The best Black African hairstyles that turns heads because life is too short to have boring hair.

Take Care of Black Hair with a Conditioned Scalp and Drinking Water

Two issues impeding the growth of natural black hair is taking care of the scalp and drinking plenty of water. Many black hair naturals ask questions on how to grow hair very long and quickly; well the normal rate of growth is actually 1/2 inch per month on average. Black hair tends to break more easily hence, the myth black hair does not grow.

Just know your hair scalp is the foundation of hair growth. The first step is to clarify your hair and condition your scalp, here why it is important. Your scalp is where your hair is growing out of so you want to make sure that you are giving the hair that is coming out of your scalp the best chance that it has to grow.

Collecting dirt, product build-up especially if you like to use hair butter like shea, otjize paste and oils are not only the clogging the pores on your scalp but also making it difficult for your follicles to come out healthy.

It also can become an irritant to your scalp and if your hair follicles or roots become irritated or the skin on your scalp becomes irritated you are susceptible to issues such as alopecia or dandruff from blocking sebum on your scalp.

So many things can happen when you do not wash your hair more than once a month. You have to clarify your scalp every week or two weeks. Natural hair it tends to be drier due to all those curls and coils make it hard for the sebum from your scalp to travel all the way down the hair because it has all these loops to go down.

You really have to make sure that you moisturize your hair inside and out so internally make sure you are drinking enough water. If you do not have enough water in your body you are really you are really messing your natural hair care routine up, your hair going to get dry brittle.

African Himba covers their skin and hair with a creamy mixture of fat and red clay
Himba Otjize Skin and Scalp Protectant

Himba Otjize Skin, Scalp and Hair Protectant

Hair in Africa is an iconic statement treated like an artist’s canvas. Himba women spend hours creating the iconic hairstyles. Himba women, as well as Himba men, are famous for covering themselves with otjize paste, a cream mixture of fat and ochre pigment clay.

Otjize is a paste of fat and red ochre sometimes mixed with scented oils. Himba women apply otjize each morning and afternoon to their skin and hair, giving them a distinctive red hue.

Otjize is used as a scalp and skin protectant to protect from sunburn; it forms a protective barrier to prevent irritation from the harsh sun and wind.

Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

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Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=
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.

Understanding Africa through the stories our food tells • Since 2006

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African Gourmet FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Why "The African Gourmet" if you cover more than just food?

Great question! While many associate "gourmet" exclusively with cuisine, its true meaning is "a connoisseur" – someone with refined taste and deep expertise. For over 18 years, I've served as a gourmet of African culture at large, savoring and presenting the continent's rich history, vibrant traditions, timeless wisdom, and contemporary stories with the same discerning palate one would apply to fine food. The name reflects my commitment to curating Africa's cultural wealth with authority and passion.

What makes The African Gourmet different from other culture sites?

With 18 years of consistent publishing, I offer depth and continuity that's rare online. I don't just report on African culture – I contextualize it, connecting traditional wisdom with modern realities, and food with folklore, politics, and daily life. It's a holistic view of Africa's past, present, and future, all through the lens of a seasoned cultural storyteller.

How do you choose what to write about?

My content selection is driven by a desire to showcase Africa's incredible diversity and challenge stereotypes. I balance covering foundational cultural elements (like proverbs and recipes) with timely analysis of current events (like the AGOA trade agreement). The goal is always to educate and illuminate the complex, dynamic realities of the African continent.

Do you focus on specific regions of Africa?

My coverage spans the entire continent – from North to South, East to West. While certain stories may focus on specific countries or regions, my mission is to represent the breathtaking diversity of 54 countries and thousands of cultures. I make a conscious effort to include both well-known and underrepresented cultures in my work.

Can I request a topic or contribute to the site?

I welcome thoughtful topic suggestions from engaged readers! While I maintain editorial control to ensure quality and consistency, I'm always interested in hearing what aspects of African culture you're curious about. Feel free to reach out through my contact page with your ideas.

How can I support The African Gourmet's work?

The greatest support is engaged readership – sharing articles you find valuable, participating in discussions, and helping spread cultural understanding. Following the blog and sharing it with others who would appreciate this unique perspective on Africa helps this 18-year labor of love continue to grow and reach new audiences.