Fresh Sugar Pumpkins and Pumpkin Seeds — Beloved African Ingredients for Cooking and Snacking

Pumpkins are one of the most popular African food ingredients. Though most people think of pumpkins as vegetables, they are botanically a fruit. Across Africa they appear in stews, baked dishes, and festive side recipes.

Ripe pumpkins are slightly sweet, while green pumpkins taste mildly bitter. They are a rich source of beta-carotene and other antioxidants. African pumpkins can weigh from 5 to 50 pounds and grow in many oval shapes. Their rinds range from light to dark green when immature and from pale orange to beige when mature. The flesh turns deep orange when fully ripe.

Roasted African Pumpkin Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh sugar pumpkin, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°F. Peel, seed, and cut pumpkin into 3-inch pieces. Toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast, turning halfway, until tender and caramelized — about 35–45 minutes.

About Pumpkins in Africa

Pumpkins grow naturally in rich African soil and thrive in Uganda and South Africa. South Africa produces pumpkins on a large scale in the Mpumalanga Highveld and Lowveld, Vryburg in North West, Western Cape, and Vereeniging in Gauteng.

Fresh pumpkin leaves are cooked like spinach in many African dishes. Pumpkins can be stored for 1–3 months. Their seeds are a popular roasted snack — here’s a simple recipe.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (African Street Food Snack)

Ingredients

• 1 cup unshelled pumpkin seeds
• 1 tablespoon palm oil or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Boil pumpkin seeds in salted water for 8–10 minutes. Drain. Heat oil in a skillet and toast seeds until lightly golden. Serve as a warm snack.

Cooking with the Whole Pumpkin

African cooking makes use of the entire pumpkin plant — from tender leaves to hearty flesh and crunchy seeds. Pumpkin-based dishes pair beautifully with other African staples such as rice, leafy greens, and grilled meats.

Together we build awareness that boosts harmony, education, and success. Explore more African recipes:

• Kenyan Kachumbari Fresh Vegetable Salad
• Buttermilk Fried Yams
• Yoruba Asun Spicy Goat Stir Fry
• San Pedro African Seafood Recipe
• Nigerian Breakfast: Fried Akara and Ogi

African proverbs reaffirming we are all miracles of this universe on the wings of love and every moment of our life is precious.

25 African proverbs to affirm that all human life is precious and is to be valued and protected on the wings of love.

---

Though many African common sayings and proverbs seem simple to the common person and even coarse to the wisest and noblest of educators, there is complexity in simplicity.

The basket that was used to carry a precious gift to a neighbor will bring back another gift.

Whoever counts the mistakes of a friend will never love.

If you are filled with pride then you will have no room for wisdom.

If you close your eyes to facts, you will learn through accidents.

In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges, and the foolish build dams.

Knowledge without wisdom is like water in the sand.

The fool speaks, the wise man listens.

Wealth, if you use it, ends; learning, if you use it, increases.

One fly does not provide for another.

Communication does not work when two people speak at the same time.

Words are responsible for cutting down a big tree; the ax is only an instrument.

Postpone today's anger until tomorrow.

Curse has no cure.

The mouth is responsible for discord among people.

Who dies inside has lost.

A person’s values are not nullified by passing storms.

Fear and shame are father and son.

A fine cage will not feed the bird.

One falsehood spoils a thousand truths.

There is no medicine to cure hatred.

War is fear cloaked in courage.

The wise chief does not eat from two sides.

The good-looking fruit could be rotten inside.

One should either become a pillar or lean against one.

People’s ideas helped to locate the snake. .

One cannot both feast and become rich.

African proverbs are important because they teach life lessons in short simple sayings. African proverb wisdom is not the wisdom of the schools but of the village, the farm, and the elder. African proverbs do not have meaning for people who understand learning is not based on someone’s race or class.

African proverbs are wisdom of the heart and head.

Essential lessons learned from African proverbs carry heavy weight in world culture. African proverbs are common African sayings used by honored ancestry. The influence of African proverbs over the hearts and lives of people was second only to the words from Spirits.

African Proverbs help people to cope with life and death matters by adding traditional common sense to a complex situation. Few people dare to question the African proverb truthfulness and authority. African proverbs enable people not only to win their independence but also to overcome the many trials and disappointments of life.

Through African proverbs as through African folklore, songs, traditions, rhymes, superstitions, and customs, we trace the moral and ethical development of African wisdom and learn the workings of the mind. 

African Proverbs are used to strengthen social and moral statements in debates, lectures and writings. The widespread wisdom of African proverbs has brought important social and moral messages to the people who struggle in life.

African proverbs are important in African and World culture because African proverbs are to speech what salt is to food, irreplaceable.

Proverbs from Africa contain the essence of moral truth and practical lesson drawn from real life, and the fruit of philosophy grafted on the stem of experience. Below feature sixteen African Proverbs people love and to learn from right now.

Like the tusk and teeth of an elephant, one set for show and another for use.

The gossip causes the downfall of a kingdom.

However strong the grain, it cannot break the cooking pot.

Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.

If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom.

He does a good day’s work who rids himself of a fool.

To wash a donkeys tail is loss of time and soap.

He who loves you loves you with your dirt.

Unstringing the bow does not cure the wound.

The greedy advised to eat with eyes closed before children.

A snake is never grateful.

Born but yesterday and today a giant.

The goat has paid with its life, yet its meat is not tasty.

A dog is brave at his own door.

Beloved at home, cheap at the market.

He who has suffered can sympathize with those in pain.

Read short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends from the motherland.

1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
5. Mighty Little Hedgehog
6. Blackman and White Snake Folklore Story

Egyptian Lentils and Bulgur Wheat along with fresh made Eesh Baladi Egyptian bread is the perfect classic combo recipe.

Street food in Egypt

First the stew.

Egyptian lentil and bulgur wheat recipe is the perfect vegan and a traditional delicious vegetarian Northern African food dish made with lentils and bulgur wheat. Bulgur can be used in recipes calling for rice, and a plus is bulgur wheat has been found to be more nutritious than brown rice.

Egyptian Lentils and Bulgur Wheat Recipe Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients

2 cups quick-cooking bulgur wheat

1 cup yellow lentils

1 cup dried chopped dates

2 medium white chopped onions

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cups vegetable stock

Directions

In a large pot over high heat, add oil, spices and brown onions until slightly soft. In the same large pot add lentils and stock, bring to a boil. Simmer on Medium heat until lentils are slightly hard. Add bulgur wheat and dates to the pot and stir on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls with Egyptian Eesh Baladi bread.

Next the bread.

Delicious everyday Eesh Baladi Egyptian Bread will look like pita bread when done. Eesh Baladi is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner with most Egyptian African food meals.

Egyptian Eesh Baladi Bread Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Stir warm water, honey, and yeast in a large bowl let stand about 5 minutes. Add flour and salt dough sound is slightly sticky when you are done mixing. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead by hand. You can also use a mixer with a hook attachment. Roll dough into small balls then flatten. Cover with a cloth let rise in a warm place about 2 hours. Place dough on a light colored lightly greased baking pan and bake until golden about 20 minutes. 

More economical easy lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
2. Yedoro Stir Fried Ethiopian Chicken Dinner
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Caldo Verde Portuguese Kale Soup
5. Air Fryer Black Eyed Pea Dumpling Stew

Discover the meaning of the African war symbol.

Akoben the war horn. 

 Akofena sword of war.

 Sepow the executioner knife.

African war symbols of old are widely used today as designs but the true meaning of African war symbols is no laughing matter.

War African Symbols and Meanings List

Horn used as a battle cry.

Many horns have been used as sounding cries by ancient societies. The blowing horn or winding horn is a sound device that is usually made of or shaped like an animal horn, arranged to blow from a hole in the pointed end of it. Akoben the war horn symbol of vigilance and wariness. Akoben is a horn used to sound a battle cry in battle to give the West African warrior courage and to frighten the enemy.

Sword of war and death.

Some West African populations are world renowned for constructing swords. Iron smelting and forging technologies may have existed in West Africa hundreds of years BCE. Metalsmithing including the production of iron tools and weapons helped to advance West African Kingdoms, and of course successful warfare and community protection. Akofena crossed swords of war; this fierce West African symbol depicts courage and bravery.

Absolute silence forevermore.

Curses are a powerful cultural belief. Casting a curse on those present at the execution of an enemy of state is believed to cause harm, illness and even death. One way to solve this problem is by thrusting the Sepow into the condemned person’s mouth before execution so they are unable to speak. The Sepow symbol represents an executioner knife representing final authority and justice.

Everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, age or education, knows African folklore stories. Reading African folktales will help families make connections to their cultural heritage better than a genetic DNA test. Read the African folklore stories Why Frogs Croak and Beauty Does Not Pay The Bills.

Reading African Folktales Help Families Connect To Their Cultural Heritage.

African folklore is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Most often African folklore stories have a moral underlined at the end of the story and are of diverse origins. Anthropology is the study of humans and human behavior and scholars from many nations have devoted and are devoting their lives to the study of folklore.

The African folklore originally belonged to the oral tradition and was not collected in writing until missionaries began recording their missions to Africa. Many African folklore stories use as ethical guides as a theme, are proverbial in context, and have different details and alternative versions depending on the African country of origin. 

Here is a popular African Folklore story from Ghana; it is a common belief male frogs croaks are love serenades meant to attract a wife. However, the true reason frogs croak is explained in the ancient African Folklore Why Frogs Croak. 

Why Frogs Croak Ghana African Folklore Story

The animals arrange a wrestling match between frog and elephant.

It is agreed that at the beginning of the match, at the signal each contestant will rush forward into the wrestling match and begin the contest.

However, the elephant comes so fast, that he stumbles and falls over on his back, frog jumps through elephant's legs, pins him and wins the match.

All Frog's relatives began to croak, and to this day, they crock to each other celebrating the victory over the elephant.

More info about African folklore plus another popular folklore story.

African folklore stories, in the beginning, were communicated face-to-face for entertainment purposes, enforcing tradition and teaching a life lesson. African folklore stories are perfect for the boys and girls who like to listen to stories as well as to read them, and for the mothers and teachers who are looking for unique story lessons.

The main characters in many African folklore stories are animals reflecting the morals, superstitions, and customs of the African people. African Folklore allowed the people of Africa to give meaning to the unknown phenomena in their lives and their surroundings. 

People of the world are inquisitive about ancient works of literature if that literature can be shown to relate somehow to their present. This is why African folklore is still very popular today as in this popular story from Nigeria Beauty Does Not Pay the Bills.

 

Beauty Does Not Pay Bills Nigerian African Folklore Story

A young woman was well known and prized throughout the land for her unique beauty.

One day, she thought to herself since I am so beautiful I would only have to show up at the local market, and the people would bring her all I need to survive.

Therefore, when she saw the women go to market, carrying loads of yams, eggs, vegetables, spices, and cocoyam, she put on her prettiest clothes adorned herself with costly beads and bracelets and followed the women to market.

When she arrived at the market, people were busy bartering their yams for dried fish, salt, pottery, and other supplies.

The beautiful woman stood there in the busy market empty-handed, and had nothing to barter; neither did anyone pay any attention to her. She stood and waited for a long time, but not even the tiniest little fish was offered to her.

Empty handed and proud the beautiful woman had come, and empty-handed and shamed she went home. She learned that no one could live on beauty alone.

More short folklore stories from Africa to make you fall in love with myths and legends again from the motherland.

1. Why the bunny rabbit has wiggly slits for a nose
2. Love Takes No Less Than Everything Marriage Folklore
3. Hunters Attack Cowards Tell the Story
4. One Do Wrong All Get Punished
5. Mighty Little Hedgehog

The African natural environment integrates all living things in the natural world. 

Earth or Cob houses are not new, in fact old methods of building clay and mud homes in Africa are now popular in cities since the demand is high. The inspiration for natural housing materials such as sand, straw and clay from the natural world in both rural and urban African communities has not changed in thousands of years.

African Cob House 

African people have always maintained a connection with the natural world.

The use of natural elements and materials in all aspects of traditional African life is a testimony to the profound way that nature shapes the existence of African people. Natural elements such as stone, wood, animal hides and feathers, mud, clay, shells, flowers, grasses, trees, leaves, branches, chalk and other natural elements have been shaped into shelters, household goods, medicine, clothing and jewelry for thousands of years.

African Earth houses construction is as strong as concrete and lasts for a thousand years, in fact parts of the Great Wall of China were built with rammed earth and it's still standing today. In America earth houses are known as Cob homes. Cob refers to the building material, which is a mix of clay, sand, and straw with lime sometimes mixed in.

Earth or Cob houses are not new, in fact old methods of building clay and mud homes in Africa are now popular in cities since the demand for houses is high and construction cost in 30% less than conventional building techniques and creating a host of new jobs.

African Earth houses are both affordable and Eco-friendly

African Earth houses are both affordable and Eco-friendly on a continent where most things are very sustainable and renewable natural resources are plentiful. Most houses are made with a mixture of sand gravel and nontraditional with just a little bit of cement added. After making the mix, mud is put into blocks and sun-dried to form bricks. These mud bricks are then used to make walls, and are plastered with the same mud mix.

Compared to conventional buildings made of concrete, earth homes have good indoor air quality. Earth houses are naturally insulated, so they will be cool in summers and warm in winters helping to save electricity. 

African Cob Earth Houses that have been around for many decades or even centuries.

African Cob Earth Houses that have been around for many decades or even centuries. One such example is the village of Tiébélé in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Tiébélé is home to a community of around 1,500 people who live in traditional African Cob Earth Houses that have been decorated with intricate and colorful designs. The village is believed to have been founded in the 15th century and some of the homes have been passed down through generations of families. 

Another example is the Great Mosque of Djenné in Mali, which is the largest mud-brick building in the world. The mosque was first constructed in the 13th century and has been rebuilt and renovated several times over the centuries. The mosque is made from sun-dried mud bricks and has a distinctive design that incorporates wooden beams and palm fronds.

Cob building is a traditional and eco-friendly building technique

Cob building is a traditional and eco-friendly building technique that has been used in Africa for centuries. It involves creating walls from a mixture of clay, sand, and straw, which is then compacted and shaped into solid blocks or applied as a plaster over a frame made of wood, bamboo, or other locally sourced materials. Cob building is known for its durability, energy efficiency, and low environmental impact. 

The thick walls provide natural insulation, keeping homes cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. Cob buildings are also resistant to pests, fire, and weather damage. Because the materials used in cob building are readily available and require little processing, this building technique is often more affordable than other forms of construction. Cob building has been used for a variety of structures in Africa, from homes and schools to community buildings and even palaces. 

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in cob building in Africa and around the world, as people seek out sustainable and environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional building methods. Cob building workshops and training programs have been established in many African countries to promote this technique and empower communities to build their own homes and structures using locally sourced materials.

More links to articles you will find thought provoking.

1. That African Fabric You're Wearing Isn’t African
2. About neck elongation rings
3. Lighthouses of Egypt and Morocco
4. Mental Illness in Africa Taboos
5. Kente cloth inspired by a spiders web

Africans of America, the entire African Diaspora and the history of the struggle for Africa's rights are irrevocably linked. Below are three African proverbs about growth, struggle and inheritance. 

To the lovers of freedom for Africa and those who identify with her sufferings and resent the wrongs done to her, there can be few things more interesting than the history of the struggles that are hallowed by the blood of her people.

Three African proverbs about growth, struggle and inheritance of Africans and the African Diaspora.

African Proverb

The efforts of the African race to break the handcuffs that foreign governments imposes on them, and elevate a continent from bondage and degradation to a place among free nations, fill a page in the world's history which no devotee of freedom can read without visceral emotion.

Who cannot identify with a cause ennobled by loyalty and sacrifice, sanctified by the blood and tears of a nation as they look on the spectacle of Africa in her decay and rebirth?

How deeply rooted is the love of true independence is in the hearts of the African people which has been clung to and survived through centuries of persecution, colonialism and warfare for which generations have arisen, and fought, and bled, and shattered themselves against the power of the oppressor.

African Proverb

The prolonged frustration of a people's is on oral and written record given to humanity the understanding Africans possess of the strength of the principles of freedom, and the indestructibility of coast-to-coast kinship with the African Diaspora.

Africans of America, the history of the struggle for Africa's rights is irrevocably linked. We live amidst the scenes where battles against the color black with strangers and enemies were fought. The bones of the citizens who labored for and loved Africa, and of those who died for her, rest in unmarked graves around us; and we have still among us the inheritors of their blood, their name, and their spirit. 

Their blood was shed to make us free in the hearts, minds, spirit and body of African people. The history of Africa is innovation; prized with brimful of lessons of pride and genius.

African Proverb

Definition of the African Diaspora.

In the early part of April 2005, the African Union Commission held a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to create a definition of the African Diaspora. The consensus of the meeting defined the African Diaspora as - Peoples of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.

The African Union Commission also felt the definition of the African Diaspora should not be limited by time or history. Globally, Africans in the diaspora are spread out across the continents. In North America, there are 39 million from the African Diaspora; 113 million in Latin America; 13.6 million in the Caribbean; and 3.5 million in Europe.

The three D’s about Africa, death, despair and disease still prevail in the minds of many people in the world, the definition of African Diaspora, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of Africa.

What is Negritude.

Negritude is a consciousness of and pride in the cultural and physical aspects of the African heritage. Negritude is the state or condition of being black. Negritude is a term used to describe that which is unique about the African culture as found on the continent of Africa and in the African diaspora. Senghor's Anthology “De la nouvelle poésie nègre et malgache de langue française” written in 1948 is a collection of stories reflecting negritude, and is noted as a milestone in African literature.

Learn how to cook buttermilk fried yams for the best fried Hausa yam recipe ever. Yams fried in egg batter and buttermilk with simple spices tastes incredibly good so make and share this fried Hausa yam recipe.

Buttermilk Fried Yams

The Yam Belt, also known as the Yam Zone, is an area in West Africa where yams are a major staple crop. The Yam Belt spans across several countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Cote d'Ivoire. Yams are tuberous vegetables that are an important source of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and essential minerals in the African diet. In the Yam Belt, yams are grown for both domestic consumption and export, and they play a crucial role in the economic and cultural life of the region. The Yam Belt is characterized by a humid tropical climate, with rainfall ranging from 1,000mm to 2,000mm per year. The soil in the region is typically well-drained, fertile, and rich in organic matter. Yams are usually grown as a rain-fed crop, although irrigation is sometimes used in areas with less reliable rainfall. In the Yam Belt, yams are typically grown using traditional farming techniques, such as slash-and-burn agriculture and intercropping. Yams are planted at the beginning of the rainy season and harvested about nine months later. Yams can be stored for several months after harvest, which makes them an ideal crop for subsistence farmers who need to feed their families throughout the year.

When you fry yams it helps to coat it in buttermilk egg batter because it helps to retain some of the yams moisture while forming a crispy and golden brown shell.

Buttermilk Fried Yams

Ingredients

3 medium sized yam
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Directions

In a large pot boil yam, it is easier to peal yams after boiling, and then slice into French fry sized pieces.

In a large frying pan heat oil. Whisk the eggs and milk in a large bowl. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, and spices. Add the flour to the milk mixture and mix until flour is incorporated. 

Place small amount of yams at a time into the egg flour mixture and add to your hot oil.

Fry until brown each side. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil and serve just as you would French fries or onion rings.

Did you know

What you call a yam is most likely a sweet potato. Yams and sweet potatoes are both flowering plants however, that is their only relation. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier. Uganda leads the way in the production of sweet potatoes representing half the African supply followed by Nigeria and Tanzania. The yam belt of West Africa includes Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Central Africa, Cameroon and Togo, Nigeria alone produces 71 percent of the yams.