Fresh Mango Leaf Tea Made with Young Green Mango Leaves
Across Africa, people have brewed tea from the land — from mango and papaya leaves to mint and lemongrass. This mango leaf tea, made with tender green mango leaves, connects wellness and tradition in one calming cup.
Mango leaf tea — a natural African infusion made with fresh, young leaves.
Wash and tear the mango leaves into medium pieces.
Add leaves to the boiling water and steep for 15 minutes.
Strain the tea, serve warm, and sweeten if desired.
Mango leaf tea has a mild, refreshing taste and has been enjoyed across Africa for generations.
The African mango — fruit, leaves, and tradition intertwined.
Beyond the Cup: African Tea Culture
Tea made from mango leaves has been brewed throughout Africa for thousands of years. Fresh natural teas are part of everyday wellness, not limited to packaged tea bags. Papaya, lemon, mint, avocado, and mango leaves are all part of Africa’s herbal tea heritage.
The young mango leaf, shiny and green, is edible and rich in plant compounds. In addition to tea, it’s sometimes cooked or added to healing blends that honor Africa’s connection to nature’s medicine.
Mango tree leaves — young, green, and full of natural vitality.
Do Mangoes Grow in Africa?
If you don’t have a mango tree in your yard, mango leaves can be found at specialty grocers or online. Africa grows many mango varieties — from the African mango to Tommy Atkins, Kent, and Honey mango. The fruit thrives across tropical climates, from Nigeria and Egypt to Uganda and Kenya.
Enjoy Tea with African Desserts
Pair your mango leaf tea with these sweet African treats:
Did you know? “Mango” is singular and “mangoes” plural — and both are delicious in every African kitchen.
Africa now accounts for most of the world’s rich and poor.
Three in ten Africans in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe are not considered poor. In eighteen African countries 50% of residents live on more than $1.90 per day.
When it comes to measuring monetary poverty, the $1.90 benchmark is used to assess how well people are doing relative to the basic needs. Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and hosts Africa's richest and poorest populations.
Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote is an industrialist currently worth 12 billion US dollars. He founded the Dangote Group which controls much of Nigeria’s commodities trade.
This business tycoon and philanthropist is referred to as the golden child of Nigerian business circle. He once drove a taxi cab on the streets of London to fund his education.
Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of Dangote Group, a multinational conglomerate with interests in commodities trading, cement manufacturing, sugar refining, salt processing, and more.
Dangote was born on April 10, 1957, in Kano, Nigeria. He studied business at Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, before starting his business career in 1977 by trading in commodities such as sugar and rice.
Over the years, Dangote has built his business empire into one of the largest in Africa, with operations in several countries. He is widely regarded as one of the richest people in Africa and the world, with a net worth of around $9.5 billion as of 2021, according to Forbes.
Apart from his business ventures, Dangote is also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly in the areas of education and healthcare. He has donated millions of dollars to various causes, including the fight against HIV/AIDS, and has also established a foundation to help alleviate poverty in Nigeria.
Africa now accounts for most of the world’s rich and poor, and unlike most of the rest of the world, the total number of rich and poor is increasing due to success in the tech market, oil and mineral growth.
Most of Angola's capital city population lives in poverty on the outskirts of the city but in the center, Angola's capital city Luanda is the priciest city to live in the whole of Africa.
In Luanda, you must have very deep pockets for housing, transport, clothes, food and entertainment and everything else in-between. Luanda was judged the costliest city due to the expense of goods and security.
When it comes to measuring monetary poverty, the $1.90 benchmark is used to assess how well people are doing relative to the basic needs. Almost half the world lives on less than US$5.50 per day with around 25% of this number living on less than US$3.20 per day.
But the population of Africa is young, very young in fact. The median age in Africa is 21 years old. Niger average age is 14.8, the youngest African country and the youngest country in the world. The African islands of Seychelles is the oldest African country with an average age of 36.8. Most young people are go-getter city dwellers not setting for living on $1.90 per day.
According to the most recent estimates, in 2015, the poorest African citizens disproportionately live in rural areas and the more well-to-do live in expensive cities, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco are Africa's five richest countries with the best economies. Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and hosts Africa's richest and poorest populations.
African populace who are not considered poor.
African Country
Percent living above $1.90 per day
Mauritius
92
Morocco
85
Tunisia
84.5
South Africa
83.4
Botswana
80.7
Uganda
78.5
Tanzania
77.2
Algeria
77
Djibouti
77
Ghana
75.8
Egypt
72.2
Namibia
71.3
Ethiopia
70.4
Cabo Verde
70
Cameroon
70
Mauritania
69
Libya
67
Gabon
65.7
Kenya
63.9
Mali
63.9
Benin
63.8
Angola
63.4
Rwanda
60.9
Seychelles
60.7
Burkina Faso
59.9
Equatorial Guinea
56
Niger
54.6
Mozambique
53.9
Cote d'Ivoire
53.7
Republic of the Congo
53.5
Sudan
53.5
Chad
53.3
Senegal
53.3
Guinea
53
The Gambia
51.6
Eritrea
50
Malawi
49.3
Liberia
45.9
Zambia
45.6
Togo
44.9
Lesotho
43
Central African Republic
38
Democratic Republic of the Congo
37
Eswatini
37
Burundi
35.4
South Sudan
34
Sao Tome and Principe
33.7
Guinea-Bissau
33
Nigeria
30
Sierra Leone
29.8
Madagascar
29.3
Zimbabwe
27.7
Somalia
no data
While three in ten Africans in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe are not considered officially poor, poverty is on the rise in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in fragile and conflict-affected states.
Poverty encompasses a shortfall in income and consumption, but also low educational achievement, poor health and nutritional outcomes, lack of access to basic services, and a hazardous living environment.
Did you know?
In October 2015, approximately 10% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty, the lowest poverty rate in recorded history and a $1.90 at 2011 international prices became the new international poverty line (IPL).
Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.
Egyptian red onion potato salad, Egypt walking onions and hieroglyphics recipe and facts.
Egyptian walking onions were used as hieroglyphics
Egyptians love growing, eating and revering onions; walking onions were used as hieroglyphics and the rings inside round onions were thought of as a cosmic symbol of the universe. The Onion, if suspended in a room, possesses the magical powers of attracting and absorbing sicknesses, they were used during burials of Pharaohs.
What are Hieroglyphics? Egyptian Hieroglyphics are characters in which symbols represent objects and ideas read from left to right. Hieroglyphics can be pictures of living creatures such as an owl, objects used in daily life such as a basket or symbols such as lasso.
Most of the pictures stand for the object they represent, but usually, they stand for sounds. Egyptian Hieroglyphics are characters which symbols represent ideas. Hieroglyphics are pics of living things and objects used in daily life.
The Onion was also formerly held in the highest esteem as a religious symbol in the divinations of the Egyptians. To dream of Onions is considered of evil augury, portending sickness and misfortune.
Egypt Onion Production
Onions are one of Egypt’s most important export crops after oranges and potatoes. Egypt is the world’s third highest onion producing country and Africa’s top onion producing country. Egyptians are credited as being one of the first groups of people to practice agriculture on a large scale with agriculture almost entirely dependent on irrigation from the Nile River.
Egypt, Sudan and Algeria are the three leading onion producing African countries in the world.
Top 10 Onion Producing African Countries
Egypt
Sudan
Algeria
Niger
Nigeria
Morocco
South Africa
Senegal
Uganda
Ethiopia
Onion bulbs are boiled, fried, fresh, dried, frozen, canned, pickled, and used in salads and soup. Certain varieties of onions are preferred for certain dishes. Yellow onions have a strong flavor and are very sharp-tasting while white onions have mid-tone flavors and red onions have a mild taste usually used raw in salads and sandwiches or picked. Green onions also have a mild taste and can be eaten raw or cooked.
Whole uncut raw onion bulbs can be stored for without deteriorating in a cool, dry, dark place for around 2-3 months. In many Egyptian onion-growing regions, it is a major source of income for rural families who sell their produce in local, regional and international markets.
Recipe. Egyptians love growing, eating and revering onions. Make red onion potato salad just like a home chef from Egypt.
Egyptian Onion Potato Salad
Ingredients
5 large medium-starch potatoes
2 medium red onions, chopped
2 hardboiled eggs
¼ cup finely chopped green onions
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup lemon juice
To taste salt and pepper
Directions
Cook, peel and dice the potatoes. Peel and chop the eggs. Place the potatoes, eggs, white onions and green onions, parsley, and oil in a large salad bowl. In a separate bowl, crush the garlic with the salt, add lemon juice and stir. Add the dressing to the other ingredients and toss. Serve chilled.
Did you know? Egypt walking onions are also known as tree onions can withstand below zero temperatures. Many tree onions are very strong flavored, although some plant varieties are mild and sweet.
Egyptian hieroglyphics plants flowers seeds
What do the hieroglyphics symbols mean?
A an Egyptian vulture B a foot C a basket with handle D a hand E a reed F a horned viper, an Egyptian snake G a jar-stand H a reed shelter I a reed J a cobra K the basket with the handle L a lion M an owl N a zigzag symbol for water O a lasso P a square stool Q a symbol for the slope of a hill R a mouth S a piece of linen folded over T a bun U a quail chick V a horned viper W a quail chick X a basket and folded linen Y two reeds Z a door bolt CH a hobble KH a ball of string SH the rectangle which is the symbol for land
Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.
Removal of black South Africans to homelands is similar in horrific scope to the North American Trail of Tears due to greed for Indigenous people’s land.
Sun City, located in the Soho Hotel and Casino, is one of the most popular resorts in South Africa. It became famous because of a 1985 protest song; it was located within the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana, one of ten homelands created by the South African government that forcibly relocated its black population as part of the apartheid policy of separate development.
As part of apartheid, black South Africans were not allowed to live in white-designated areas. The apartheid-era government dictated that ten fragmented homelands be spread across South Africa and Namibia, each assigned to different ethnic groups to justify racial segregation.
Sun City was a 1985 protest album and song recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to oppose South Africa’s apartheid policy. The title song declared that participating artists would refuse to perform at the Sun City resort complex for whites, located in the black homeland of Bophuthatswana.
The Sun City album musically challenged the Bantu Authority Act of 1951, which established black homelands and regional authorities. Fifty-four artists — including Run DMC, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Pat Benatar, Hall and Oates, Santana, Afrika Bambaataa, and Bonnie Raitt — took part in this global protest effort.
The homelands system began in the mid-20th century and ended in the 1990s. Ten were created: Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Venda, Gazankulu, KaNgwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, and QwaQwa.
The removal of black Africans to homelands mirrors the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples in the United States known as the Trail of Tears.
Orphan Child is a protest song from the Five Nations heritage, especially Choctaw and Cherokee traditions, reflecting this shared legacy of removal and survival.
Between 1831 and 1848, thousands of Indigenous people — including the Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole — were forcibly relocated from their southeastern homelands to what is now Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears spanned over 5,000 miles through nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
White settlers sought Indigenous lands to grow cotton, prompting federal policies of forced removal. Many died from exposure, hunger, and disease along the route. Indian reservations remain today as a legacy of those removals.
Did you know? The Sun City record featured a remarkable lineup of artists, including Bob Dylan, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, Miles Davis, and South African performer Sonny Okosuns, among many others.
Today, Sun City is known for hosting the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the Miss South Africa pageant.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sun City and the Homelands
What was Sun City during apartheid?
Sun City was a luxury resort built for whites in the black homeland of Bophuthatswana. Its location symbolized apartheid’s racial divisions, as black South Africans were excluded from such spaces.
Why was the song “Sun City” important?
The protest song united global musicians against apartheid. Its message — refusing to perform at Sun City — helped raise awareness of South Africa’s racial policies worldwide.
How were black South Africans relocated to homelands?
Under the Bantu Authority Act and Group Areas Act, millions were forcibly moved from cities and farms to ethnically assigned homelands. These areas were often poor and lacked infrastructure.
How is the Trail of Tears similar to South Africa’s homeland removals?
Both involved forced displacement driven by land greed and racial hierarchy. Indigenous communities in North America and black South Africans suffered dispossession and cultural loss.
What are the long-term effects of these forced removals?
Generations continue to face poverty, land inequality, and historical trauma. Both cases highlight the enduring impact of land-based injustice on identity and opportunity.
Together we build awareness that boosts harmony, education, and success. Below are more thought-provoking articles:
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17329200
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About the Author
Ivy is the founder and lead writer of The African Gourmet. For over 19 years, she has been dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing the rich culinary heritage and food stories from across the African continent.
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