The African Gourmet: African Cuisine, Folktales and Cultural Stories

Sierra Leone Country and Presidential Profile Sierra Leone is recovering gradually from civil war (1991-2002) and disease. Sierra Leone Country and Presidential Profile. Julius Maada Wonie Bio President of Sierra Leone elected in April 4, 2018 Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Wonie Bio is a Sierra Leonean born on May 12, 1964 in Tihun, a village in the Sogbini Chiefdom, Bonthe District, in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone, Maada is one of 35 children born to a Mende Paramount Chief, Charlie Bio II, of Sogbini Chiefdom. He was briefly the Head of State of Sierra Leone from January 16, 1996 to March 29, 1996. Bio is currently the President of Sierra Leone elected in April 4, 2018 winning just over 51% of votes. Since then his governmental offices launched a free education program and is retooling its governance and financial and health‑care institutions. On health care, President Bio called on international partners to help invest in critical institutional, technical a...

Make Fresh Tamarind Ginger Tea Tamarind trees are native to tropical Africa, trees grow wild throughout the Sudans, Madagascar and most of tropical Africa. How to use fresh tamarind Tamarind fruit is very popular in many regions of Africa and the Caribbean. The pulp is sour and is regularly used to create delicious tamarind tea.  Fresh Tamarind Ginger Tea Recipe Make Fresh Tamarind Ginger Tea  Ingredients 1 tablespoon tamarind paste ½ teaspoon ginger paste 3 cups hot water ½ cup granulated sugar (or to taste) Directions Place all ingredients into a pot and mix well. Serve hot or cold. Did you know? Tamarindus indica or tamarind tree is native to tropical Africa; the tree grows wild throughout the Sudans, Madagascar and most of tropical Africa. 

About the First African National Congress President The African National Congress (ANC) was founded as the South African Native National Congress (SANCC). The first ANC president was John Langalibalele Dube. First ANC President The first African National Congress president was John Langalibalele Dube born in now eastern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa in the Inanda district on February 22, 1871. Dube whose nickname was Mafukuzela was an educator, minister, politician, author, and activist. He was the son of the low ranking Zulu chief Reverend James Dube one of the first ordained pastors of the American Zulu Mission. At the age of 16, in 1887, Dube accompanied missionaries to the United States of America, where he studied at Oberlin College while working his way through school. However, despite his hard work due to the lack of money, he never received an official degree. Nevertheless, the talents that he nurtured during these Oberlin years laid the foundations for his future endea...

The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. White honey is a distinctive white colored honey produced by bees in Ethiopia’s Mountains of Tigray. White honey production from Ethiopia is declining because climate change affecting the Ethiopian honey bee production. Did you know? Color in liquid honey varies from clear and colorless to dark amber or black. Honey color varies with the botanical origin, age and storage conditions. Ethiopia is Africa’s largest producer of  honey  producing nearly 24 percent of Africa’s total honey production. Collecting and selling  honey  and other bee products produced in homes and home gardens is common throughout the country. Beekeeping is an ancient tradition in  Ethiopia , stretching back into the country’s early history between 3500 and 3000 B.C.   The color and the flavor of honey is different depending on the nectar source of bee honeybees. Generally, light-colored honey is milder in taste and  dark-colored hon...

Living on Jackass African Penguin Island African penguin facts about coastal penguin residents living on Namibia and South Africa shorelines. African Penguin Love African Penguins g row to be about 2 feet or .67 meters tall and weighing between 4 and 11 pounds or .28 to .78 stone living and breeding on the Southern coast of Africa. Surviving and breeding on African Jackass Penguin Island Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture African penguins breed from Hollams Bird Island Namibia to Bird Island Algoa Bay in South Africa. Gansbaai South Africa Dyer Island is a protected bird sanctuary home to large colonies of endangered African Penguins. African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa. Why are African Penguins called Jackass? The African penguin, or black-footed penguin, is also nicknamed the jackass penguin because it’s mating call sounds like a whinnying donkey. They spend their days at sea feeding an...

25 Essential Facts About the Kola Nut Kola nuts are culturally and economically important across West and Central Africa. They are caffeine-rich, slightly sweet, and deeply rooted in tradition. Here are 25 fascinating facts about this remarkable nut. Kola nuts — naturally sweet, packed with caffeine, and steeped in tradition Quick Facts Bitter kola is different from the larger, caffeine-rich kola nut. Chewing bitter kola seeds is rumored to have aphrodisiac effects. Deforestation and development have reduced wild kola tree populations. Nigeria has high demand for kola nuts, valued for their storability and versatility. Excess caffeine from kola nuts can cause headaches, anxiety, and irregular heartbeat. In 2014, fake reports claimed kola nut cured HIV/AIDS and Ebola. During the Ebola crisis in Nigeria, some believed salt water and bitter kola could cure the virus. Kola nut flavors foods and beverages and was once key in cola sodas. Geography ...

How to Cook With Banana Leaves Cook With Banana Leaves Cooking with real banana leaves is a foodie art since preparing banana leaves for cooking, wrapping, and serving of rice, fish meat recipes is easy. How to Cook With Banana Leaves Banana leaves impart an aroma to food that is cooked in or served on them; steaming with banana leaves imparts a subtly sweet flavor and aroma to the dish. The leaves are not themselves eaten and are discarded after the food is eaten. Besides adding flavor, banana leaves are perfect for cooking cook fish, vegetables, rice or just about anything. Banana leaves are used for baking wrapped food in the same way you would use tin foil or parchment paper. It is important to know banana leaf packets should be placed in a baking dish so the juices don't drip to the bottom of your oven. How to Cut Banana Leaves Use scissors to cut banana ...

Teach everything you know Togo President, History and Facts Presidents of Togo for years is the target of criticism over human rights. Togo is still known as a country where the same family has been in power for five decades. Togo is a narrow strip of land on Africa's west coast. French Togoland became Togo in 1960. President Faure Gnassingbé’s father took power in a 1967 military coup; father and then son have held the presidency since. Togo’s Gnassingbé Eyadema led the country from 1967 until his death in 2005. His son, Faure Gnassingbé, was promptly installed as president and has since been victorious in three deeply flawed elections. Togolese citizens have loudly demanded democratic reforms and insist on term limits ending the son Faure Gnassingbé s presidential term in 2020. Major opposition parties boycotted Togo’s first three legislative elections after the country adopted multiparty politics in 1992. They have been met with sometimes-violent repr...

American Colonization Society in 1817 founded Liberia and sent free and freed blacks back to Africa as an alternative to living free in the United States. Table of Emigrants Settled in Liberia Liberia began as a settlement of free blacks and freed slaves from the US established in 1822. Arkansas emigrated more free and freed blacks to Liberia , more than any other US state. During the term of the fifth president and founding father of the United States, James Monroe, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was formed.  ACS, in 1817 sent free and freed blacks back to Africa as an alternative to emancipation in the United States. In 1822, the society established on the west coast of Africa a colony that in 1847 became the independent nation of Liberia. Because the soil around Monrovia was poor and the coastal areas were covered in dense jungle, many early emigrants to Liberia moved up the nearby St. Paul's River, where the...

Whether you call them kabobs, kebabs, satays, brochettes, souvlakia, skewers, or kyinkyinga, meat on a stick made in Ghana is delicious on the grill. About Ghana Ghana is the current name for the Gold Coast and Togoland or British Togoland was carved out from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory.  In Africa, Ghana was the first to achieve independence in 1957. The new nation's most influential figure was its prime minister, later president, Kwame Nkrumah . Ghana's route to independence became the model for the rest of the continent. The Republic of Togo to the east, Burkina Faso to the north-west and north, and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the west borders the Republic of Ghana. The Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean lies south of the country, and it forms a 341miles or 550 km long coastline. Food of Ghana Make grilled goat meat kebabs are made of small, tender chunks of goat meat seasoned with ground pean...

Ghanaian Red Gourmet Vegan Recipe Vegan fine dining is a growing trend around the world and Ghanaian red gourmet vegan recipe is a new classic. Ghana red-red bean tomato stew is made with black-eyed peas, palm oil, and tomatoes. Red-red is a Ghanaian food dish that gets its name from the red color of the ingredients, red palm oil, tomatoes, and tomato paste used to make the stew. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook time: 25 minutes Ghana Red-Red Vegetarian Stew 270 calories 8 grams fat Ingredients 2 tablespoons palm oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 plantains, halved lengthwise and cut into chunks Directions Heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook about 10 minutes or until golden ...