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The African Gourmet

The African Gourmet: Explore African Culture & Recipes

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Kru San Pedro African Seafood Recipe at Home

Sautéed fish is a traditional fish recipe among the Kru San-Pédro communities on coastal Côte d’Ivoire and is the perfect new recipe to try with friends.

Kru people are an indigenous people of Africa. The Kru belong to small independent tribal communities in Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone whose occupations were predominantly experts in navigating and sailing the Atlantic Ocean.

Kru San-Pédro Sautéed Fish
Kru San-Pédro Sautéed Fish

Fishing is an important economic activity in Côte d'Ivoire, a West African country bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the south. 

The Côte d'Ivoire coastline stretches for over 500 kilometers and supports a variety of fish species, making it a prime location for commercial fishing. 

Côte d'Ivoire fishing industry is divided into two main sectors: industrial and artisanal fishing. Industrial fishing is dominated by large companies that use advanced technology and equipment to catch fish in large quantities. 

Artisanal fishing, on the other hand, is carried out by small-scale fishermen using traditional methods such as hand lines, traps, and nets. The most important fish species caught in Côte d'Ivoire include tuna, sardines, herring, and shrimp. 

The country also has a significant aquaculture sector, with tilapia and catfish being the most commonly farmed species. 

Despite the potential of the fishing industry in Côte d'Ivoire, it faces several challenges, including overfishing, illegal fishing, and inadequate infrastructure. 

In recent years, the Ivorian government has taken steps to address these issues, including implementing stricter regulations on fishing practices and investing in new infrastructure and technologies to support the industry.

Fishing in Côte d’Ivoire is big business; from trawling fishing grounds to family fisheries casting nets to lone fishermen using dugout canoes. Côte d’Ivoire is located in Western Africa bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, sharing it’s boarders with Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, and Mali. The small 515 kilometer or 320 mile Côte d’Ivoire coast line is the 23rd longest in Africa.

In this 28th largest African country lives the highest concentration of Ivoirian people who reside in and around the port town cities on the Atlantic coast. 

San-Pédro is a port town in southwestern Côte d'Ivoire and just as with most places in the world, what is on the menu depends on the cooks’ location. Coastal Côte d’Ivoire has one of the best fishing grounds in the world and fish recipes are abundant.

Seafood for sale in Côte d'Ivoire
Seafood for sale in Côte d'Ivoire


Kru San-Pédro sautéed fish with fresh garlic, onion, tomato and green pepper.

Sautéed Fish ingredients and directions

Ingredients

 2 medium sized fresh white fish fillets

 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 diced medium white onion

1 diced medium green pepper

2 diced medium red tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chopped dill

1 teaspoon zest of lemon

Juice of one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

Rinse the white fish fillets and in a shallow dish squeeze the lemon juice over the fish and season with spices. Heat olive oil in wide sauté pan over medium low heat, place the vegetables into the pan, and add garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add the white fish the saluted vegetable pan and cook covered 2 minutes. Uncover pan, flip the white fish carefully and cook on the other side until cooked through, another three minutes. Serve with rice and fresh bread.

 

Indigenous people of Africa.

Did you know?

Côte d’Ivoire name changed from Ivory Coast to Cote d'Ivoire in 1986; however, Côte d’Ivoire is French for Ivory Coast as French is the official language. Côte d'Ivoire became a French protectorate in 1883, a colony in 1889, and a territory of French West Africa in 1904. Côte d'Ivoire became an Overseas Territory of France on October 27, 1946.

France granted autonomy to the territory of the former Ivory Coast within the French community on December 4, 1958. The Republic of Ivory Coast formally achieved its independence from France on August 7, 1960.

Most places and food in Côte d'Ivoire still have a heavy French influence because the Côte d'Ivoire currency, West African CFA franc, is backed by the French treasury and there are nearly 700 French companies including some 200 subsidiaries making Côte d'Ivoire the country where France has the strongest presence.

Yamoussoukro is the official capital and the site of the world's largest Christian church: the basilica of Notre-Dame de la Paix created at a cost of $200 million US and dedicated by Pope John-Paul II in 1990.


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Recipes as Revolution

When food becomes protest and meals carry political meaning

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African woman farmer

She Feeds Africa

Before sunrise, after sunset, seven days a week — she grows the food that keeps the continent alive.

60–80 % of Africa’s calories come from her hands.
Yet the land, the credit, and the recognition still belong to someone else.

Read her story →

To every mother of millet and miracles —
thank you.

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African Gourmet FAQ

Archive Inquiries

Why "The African Gourmet" if you're an archive?

The name reflects our origin in 2006 as a culinary anthropology project. Over 18 years, we've evolved into a comprehensive digital archive preserving Africa's cultural narratives. "Gourmet" now signifies our curated approach to cultural preservation—each entry carefully selected and contextualized.

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We maintain 18 years of continuous cultural documentation—a living timeline of African expression. Unlike static repositories, our archive connects historical traditions with contemporary developments, showing cultural evolution in real time.

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The archive spans all 54 African nations, with particular attention to preserving underrepresented cultural narratives. Our mission is comprehensive cultural preservation across the entire continent.

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Through consistent documentation since 2006, we've created an irreplaceable cultural record. Each entry is contextualized within broader African cultural frameworks, preserving not just content but meaning.