Posts

Showing posts from November, 2021
🌿 Share this page

One bowl of fufu can explain a war. One proverb can outsmart a drought.

Welcome to the real Africa— told through food, memory, and truth.

Start Exploring Here

🔵 African Recipes & Cuisine

Dive into flavors from Jollof to fufu—recipes, science, and stories that feed body and soul.

Explore Recipes →

🔵 African Proverbs & Wisdom

Timeless sayings on love, resilience, and leadership—ancient guides for modern life.

Discover Wisdom →

🔵 African Folktales & Storytelling

Oral legends and tales that whisper ancestral secrets and spark imagination.

Read Stories →

🔵African Plants & Healing

From baobab to kola nuts—sacred flora for medicine, memory, and sustenance.

Discover Plants →

🔵 African Animals in Culture

Big Five to folklore beasts—wildlife as symbols, food, and spiritual kin.

Meet Wildlife →

🔵 African History & Heritage

Journey through Africa's rich historical tapestry, from ancient civilizations to modern nations.

Explore History →
Photo of Ivy, author of The African Gourmet

About the Author

A Legacy Resource, Recognized Worldwide

For 19 years, The African Gourmet has preserved Africa's stories is currently selected for expert consideration by the Library of Congress Web Archives, the world's premier guardian of cultural heritage.

Trusted by: WikipediaEmory University African StudiesUniversity of KansasUniversity of KwaZulu-NatalMDPI Scholarly Journals.
Explore our archived collections → DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17329200

View citations →

South African Flying Dutchman Legend

Image
The Flying Dutchman legend was born in South Africa.  Fear of Dutch sea captains, Cape of Good Hope deadly currents and weather,  seamen superstitions help to spread the fear of the flying Dutchman. Before Spongebob Squarepants met the Flying Dutchman, in South Africa in 1689 on the Cape of Good Hope the legend of the Flying Dutchman began.  The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ghost ship that is said to be cursed to sail the seas forever without ever being able to make port.   The sea is its own kingdom full of supernatural beings, The Flying Dutchman legend was told and retold in South Africa and supernatural appearances are never explained away. The Flying Dutchman In Dutch, a West Germanic language, Der Fliegende Hollander translates to The Flying Dutchman. In the 1600’s, the Netherlands, England, Portugal, and Spain were four colonial superpowers vying for the riches of African trade routes, spices, slaves, gold and minerals. The Dutch from the Netherlands were e...

Legacy of Education and Social Change

Image
Lovedale Missionary School Legacy of Education and Social Change. African journalism heavyweight Dr. Walter Rubusana was a Lovedale Missionary School superstar who paved the way for Nelson Mandela's political career.  Steven Biko, one of South Africa's most significant political activists was a student at the Lovedale Missionary School along with Nelson Mandela.  Tiyo Soga was South Africa’s first indigenous Black African to be ordained and work for the Presbyterian Church in 1857, he also attended Lovedale Missionary School. In 1824 Scottish Presbyterian missionaries John Bennie and John Ross of the Glasgow Missionary Society founded the city of Lovedale South Africa and later in 1841 the Lovedale Missionary School.  Lovedale Missionary School later changed names to Lovedale College, then Lovedale Public FET College in 2002.  In 1835 British Kaffraria governed by Lieutenant General Sir Benjamin D'Urban restricted the Xhosa tribe to specifically designated areas...

French and English Africa's Official Languages

Image
The Lingua franca and official language of an African country does not reflect the language used by a people. Often most people in Africa do not read, write, speak, or have fluent listening comprehension skills in the Lingua franca or official language of a country. Vendor selling Hershey's ViVi peanut snack in Ghana.  Africa is made up of 54 multilingual countries but the Lingua Franca language of business, trade and education in Africa’s ten largest countries are French and English, not native African languages. In every African country many people are multilingual, fluent in a native language and dialect spoken at home and used in local trade at markets or small local businesses. Many people can understand a language but not speak it. More often than not the official language of an African country does not refer to the language used by a people. For example, French is the official language in Senegal but the majority of the population speaks the African languages of Wolof, Pular...

West African Calf Head Stew | The African Gourmet

Image
West African Calf Head Stew | The African Gourmet West African Calf Head Stew Calf head meat is tender when slow cooked. Calf head meat is tender and delicious in a rich homemade beef broth simmered with Egusi seeds, fresh herbs, spices, and root vegetables. Why Cooking the Whole Animal Matters For many people, the idea of cooking with a calf’s head can seem unusual. In modern supermarkets, most meats are cut, cleaned, and neatly wrapped long before reaching the kitchen. Eyes, bones, and skin are rarely seen — and so we forget how much of the animal once went into a single meal. Across much of Africa and the world, however, cooking with the whole animal is a tradition of respect and resourcefulness. Nothing is wasted. Every part — from head to tail — is used to create rich broths, tender stews, and nourishing dishes that honor the life taken to provide food. This recipe is a reflection of that wisdom. Preparing calf head meat slowl...

Continental Shelves of Africa

Image
A continental shelf of a coastal State includes the seabed and subsoil of the land underlying the seawaters surrounding the coast to a drop-off point called the shelf break. From the break, the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope that descends to the abyssal plain. The comparatively easy to get to continental shelf is the most used and best understood part of the ocean floor. Continental shelves are an oasis in the ocean for plants and animals due to the abundance of sunlight, shallow waters, and nutrient packed soil deposits from rivers and lakes. The continental shelf extends beyond a States territorial sea, 12 nautical miles, throughout the continuity of the landmass to the outer edge of the continental margin. If the continental margin is very long, coastal countries can claim only 200 nautical miles from the territorial sea. Africa has 36 recognized coastal countries. A coastal State has sovereign rights and exclusive jurisdiction...

Man Eating Lions Stalked Human Prey for Nine Months

Image
List of Known Victims Killed by the Insatiable African Tsavo Man-Eating Lions and How They Died.  Tent Lieutenant Ungan Singh was clasped by the throat and dragged off to be eaten by the lion. Intelligent African man-eating lions stopped at nothing and stalked human prey with the precision of a military operation. Tsavo devil lions killed and ate upwards of 135 railroad workers from March - December, 1898. These clever African man-eating lions stalked, terrorized and killed Indian and African railroad workers for nine months in British East Africa.  From March - December 1898, in an eight mile radius, the lions stopped at nothing and in fact stalked human prey with the precision of a military operation. The railway workers believed the lions were not animals, but devils in lions' shape and lived a charmed life. The first written account of African man-eating lions was written in The Field newspaper in the year 1899 written by Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson, an engin...
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.

Africa Worldwide: Top Reads

Read More

African Ancestors and Atlantic Hurricanes: Myth Meets Meteorology

Survival of the Fattest, obese Europeans starving Africa

Top 20 Largest Countries in Africa by Land Area (2025 Update)

African Proverbs for Men About the Wrong Woman in Their Life

Charging Cell Phones in Rural Africa

Beware of the naked man who offers you clothes African Proverb

African Olympic Power: Top 10 Countries with the Most Gold Medals | The African Gourmet

Ugali vs Fufu — What’s the Difference Between Africa’s Beloved Staples?

Perfect South African Apricot Beef Curry Recipe

Usage of Amen and Ashe or Ase and Meaning

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.

What distinguishes this archive from other cultural resources?

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.

How is content selected for the archive?

Our curation follows archival principles: significance, context, and enduring value. We preserve both foundational cultural elements and timely analyses, ensuring future generations understand Africa's complex cultural landscape.

What geographic scope does the archive cover?

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.

Can researchers access the full archive?

Yes. As a digital archive, we're committed to accessibility. Our 18-year collection is fully searchable and organized for both public education and academic research.

How does this archive ensure cultural preservation?

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.