Africa Factbook

African print fabrics represent African culture visually. People connect with heritage fabric as a representation of African identity, culture, and heritage by wearing African print head wraps and clothing. However, most African prints and designs have nothing to do with African heritage and almost no manufacturing economic benefit to Africa. Culture is about learning, not just what you wear, so wear your African print but also understand the history behind the fabric. African print fabric is a Vlisco print whose meaning is throwing stones in a water well. Vlisco is a 170 year old company in Helmond, the Netherlands who is one of the largest importers of African print fabrics in the world along with the Chinese company Hitarget located in Guangdong province in South Eastern China. According to Vlisco the fabric above first appeared on the market in early 1960 and goes by many names such as Plaque-Plaque, Target, and Nsu Bura in the Twi language of Ghana and means, water well. T

Fresh sugar pumpkins and pumpkin seeds are popular African recipe ingredients. Pumpkins are a gourd growing on vines popular in Uganda and South Africa. Pumpkins are one of the most popular fruits in Africa used in countless African food recipes. Pumpkins are a fruit botanically despite most people considering pumpkins a vegetable. They are eaten many different African food recipes used in stews, side dishes, and baking.  The taste is slightly sweet when ripe and bitter when green however all pumpkins are a good source of beta-carotene. The African pumpkin weighs between 5 and 50 pounds in many different oval shapes.  The rind varies in color from light to dark green when immature and light orange to beige when mature, and can be smooth or rough with the flesh orange in color when mature. Pumpkins are a popular African food recipe so let's make roasted fresh pumpkins and toasted pumpkin seeds. Roasted African Pumpkin Recipe Ingredients 2 pounds fresh sugar pumpkins cut into bi