When you speak of African food, you are talking of deliciously different foods from a vast continent, an undulating landscape with varying geographies, cultures, and languages. From regions like Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya in the east, to countries like Nigeria and Mali in the west, from Algeria, Libya, and Morocco in the north to Angola, Mozambique, and South Africa in the south there is such a rich assortment of diverse flavours that it can get quite overwhelming to the amateur palate!
A RICH AMALGAM OF INTENSE FLAVOURS!
For all its similarities, African food can vary vastly, from region to region. Let us take you on a short tour of different foods from the land, broken down into 5 distinct locales for easier understanding.
NORTH AFRICAN CUISINE: REGIONS: EGYPT, MOROCCO, LIBYA, SUDAN, TUNISIA & ALGERIA
The dishes here are heightened by the warmth of typical spices like nutmeg, saffron, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. The most common staple grain here is wheat, which is used to make khobz bread and couscous, both very popular accompaniments to dishes. For starters you can try out the B’stilla, a Moroccon dish, a slow-cooked stew called Tajne, served with spices and couscous, or the widely popular Shakshouka. For dessert, finish up with a M’hanncha, a sweet whirl of filo pastry!
SOUTH AFRICAN CUISINE: REGIONS: SOUTH AFRICA, ANGOLA, MOZAMBIQUE, BOTSWANA
Representing a true blend of cultures, the colourful dishes in this region with flavourful nuances make up what is fondly called “rainbow cuisine”. Different recipes with barbecued meat are a traditional favourite here. Topical favourites like Bunny Chow, Chakalaka, and pap are unmissable. For dessert, try the Malva pudding.
CENTRAL AFRICA: REGIONS: CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Local ingredients, apart from cassava, peanuts, and chile peppers are majorly used in this region. Yams, plantains, okra are used in plenty; grains like millet and sorghum form the staple meal. Stews of different kinds using both meats and vegetables are frequently cooked. Try the African Vegetable stew or the Sorghum breakfast bowl for an interesting meal.
EAST AFRICA: REGIONS: KENYA, SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA, UGANDA
This region is a melting pot of many cuisines, with meat and plantains that are served with the Indian chapati, to Somalian halal meats, where rice is flavoured with cardamom, cloves, sage, and ginger. Stews here are spiced with Berbere and eaten with a fermented flatbread called Injera.
WEST AFRICA: REGIONS: NIGERIA, GHANA, CAMEROON, SENEGAL
African food resonates with starch-based dishes; Western Africa makes ample use of it in Fufu flour, a combination of cassava and green plantain flour that is mixed into a sticky dough using water. Jollof is another favourite here, a one-pot meal, cooked with spices like ginger, cumin, and chilies, adorned with lots of tomatoes.
DO YOU WISH TO TRY OUT AFRICAN RECIPES? SURYA FOODS IS HERE TO HELP!
Whether you are a beginner, enthusiast, restaurateur, or professional, if you are looking to create dishes from the “African Cookbook”, look no further. For all your cooking requirements related to African cuisine, Surya Foods is a great resource. From flours like Fufu flour to ground Egusi, from spices like Okazi leaves to hot pepper, from oils like Palm oil and butter-like authentic African peanut butter, the Surya Foods Wholesale website stocks it all, with top quality products and ease of delivery.
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