An ancient 'superfood' sent from heaven
Spanning approximately 11.7 million square miles (30.3 million square kilometers) across 54 countries and home to roughly 1.5 billion people, Africa is a rich tapestry of history, culture, and ethnicities. For its part, African cuisine is very diverse, with flavors and ingredients varying depending on the region. In West African cooking, you're likely to find lots of spices like ginger, garlic, and chili pepper, whereas East African recipes tend to use ingredients like coconut milk, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Interest piqued? If you're looking for dinner inspiration or are keen to expand your palate, check out this gallery of African foods you must try. Simply click on!
A tagine is a stew named after the clay pot in which it's prepared. The stew typically features meat, vegetables, and sweet and spicy flavors.
Mealie pap is prepared by boiling milled white maize in water or milk. It can be served soft and sweetened for breakfast, or made firmer to accompany savory dishes.
Bazin is an unleavened bread made from barley flour, water, and salt. It's typically served with meat and vegetable stews.
Zigni is a stew made from meat, tomatoes, red onions, and berbere spices. It's usually placed on a plate of injera bread and eaten for lunch or dinner.
Banku is a Ghanaian dish of fermented corn and cassava dough, formed into a paste and cooked by steaming. It's typically served alongside okoro stew or soups.
Chakalaka is a South African vegetable relish made with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and beans. It's usually served with grilled meats or pap.
Akara is a popular street food made from a seasoned batter of blended black-eyed peas, which is then deep-fried in dendê. For Nigerians, akara is part of Saturday morning breakfast.
Nyama Choma is grilled goat meat, which is considered a national delicacy in Kenya. For authentic Nyama Choma, the meat is seasoned and sometimes marinated first in a mixture of onions, garlic, and ground ginger, with some hot pepper and lemon juice.
Haraimi is a Libyan stew consisting of fish steaks in a rich, spicy tomato sauce. Some recipes add potatoes, though this is optional. Serve with a side of bread.
Matoke, or matooke, is cooked and mashed green bananas or plantains. It is often served with meat or vegetable dishes.
An Indian-inspired dish from Durban, Bunny Chow consists of hollowed-out bread filled with curry, typically lamb or chicken.
Ugali is a staple food made from maize or corn flour, cooked in boiling water or milk until it reaches a dough-like consistency. Serve with meat or vegetable stews.
Zanzibar pizzas are not pizzas as you know them. Instead, they resemble stuffed pancakes, filled with meat, vegetables, or even chocolate and banana if you'd prefer something sweet.
Believed to have originated in Tunisia, shakshuka is a one-pan meal featuring poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce, served with toasted pita bread. It's commonly eaten for breakfast.
A braai is typical South African barbecue that features a variety of grilled meats, often cooked over charcoal or aromatic wood.
Piri piri sauce combines African bird's eye chili, paprika, onion, garlic, oil, and vinegar (or lemon juice.) The sauce is perfect as a marinade for grilled chicken or prawns.
A traditional Nigerian street food, Suya is grilled skewered beef, ram, or chicken marinated in a spicy peanut sauce.
Biltong is dried, cured meat that originated in Southern African countries. Various types of meat are used, from beef to game meats like ostrich.
Injera is a large, spongy flatbread made with a fermented batter of teff flour, water, and yeast. Stews are placed on top of the bread, and the meal is eaten by scooping up the stews with pieces of injera.
Ndole is a Cameroonian stew made with ndoleh (bitter leaves indigenous to West and Central Africa), stewed nuts, and fish or beef. Serve with plantains or miondo.
A hearty and flavorful meal, mafe is a popular West African stew made with a spicy, creamy peanut and tomato sauce. Beef and lamb are commonly used, but chicken and fish are featured in some recipes.
Couscous is a staple dish in North African countries. It's made by steaming granules of semolina until light and fluffy. It's typically served alongside a stew.
Pastilla, or bastilla, is a savory pie made with warqa dough, similar to filo pastry. The pie is filled with a sweet and savory mixture of pigeon or chicken, almonds, and spices.
Bobotie is a South African dish made from spiced minced meat, topped with a creamy egg-based layer, and often served with rice or chutney.
A chicken and egg slow-cooked stew from Ethiopia with a fragrant base of berbere, serve Dora Wat with injera for a hearty dinner.
Egusi soup is a one-pot soup that combines blended melon seed, pepper, leafy vegetables, and meat, creating a nutty, spicy, and tasty dish. The most popular way to serve the soup is to pair it with pounded yam.
Fufu is a side dish made from boiled and pounded yam, cassava, or plantain, often paired with soups and stews.
Jollof rice is a West African staple of rice, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and spices. Recipes may vary though, depending on the country.
A soft, doughy flatbread generally made with wheat flour, Gorraasa is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tear it into pieces, and use it to scoop up stews.
Koshari is a simple yet hearty street food dish made with layers of rice, lentils, pasta, spicy tomato sauce, and chickpeas. Top with fried onions and garlic.
Sources: (CNN) (African Bites) (Good Food) (Lonely Planet)
See also: Must-try street food for travelers
Mouthwatering African dishes you must try
Dishes from the African continent you won't be able to resist!
FOOD World cuisine
Spanning approximately 11.7 million square miles (30.3 million square kilometers) across 54 countries and home to roughly 1.5 billion people, Africa is a rich tapestry of history, culture, and ethnicities. For its part, African cuisine is very diverse, with flavors and ingredients varying depending on the region. In West African cooking, you're likely to find lots of spices like ginger, garlic, and chili pepper, whereas East African recipes tend to use ingredients like coconut milk, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Interest piqued? If you're looking for dinner inspiration or are keen to expand your palate, check out this gallery of African foods you must try. Simply click on!