This is alist of African cuisines. Acuisine is a characteristic style ofcooking practices and traditions,[1] often associated with a specificculture. The variouscuisines of Africa use a combination of locally availablefruits,cereal grains andvegetables, as well asmilk andmeat products. In some parts of the continent, the traditional diet features a preponderance of milk,curd andwhey products. The continent's diverse demographic makeup is reflected in the many different eating and drinking habits, dishes, and preparation techniques of its manifold populations.[2]
Central African cuisine has also been influenced by the Portuguese, by way of theKongo andNdongo Kingdoms. Salt fish was introduced following trade in the late 17th century, and the Kikongo term forsalt fish,makayabu, comes from the termbacalhau (ba-cal-ha-u).[4]
The Portuguese culinary influence is especially prominent in Angola, Sao Tomé and Equatorial Guinea. Central Africa has also been influenced by the cuisine of the regions East, West and Southern Africa because of their close proximity, e.g.babuté/bobotie is shared with the south,nyama choma with the east andgombos with West Africa.
The main ingredients areplantains,cassava, rice,kwanga (cassava dumpling) and yam.Fufu-like starchy foods are usually made from fermented cassava roots, but they can also be made with plantain, corn maize and yam. Fufu is served buffet style with grilled meat, fish, stews, greens andpiment. A variety of local ingredients are used while preparing other dishes likespinach stew cooked with tomato, peppers, chillis, onions, and peanut butter.[5] Eastern central Africa is also one of the few regions in Africa that uses potatoes as one of its main bases, since potatoes grow easily in the region.
Cassava plants are also consumed as cookedgreens. Groundnut (peanut) stew is also prepared, containingchicken,okra,ginger, and other spices. Beef and chicken are favorite meat dishes, butgame meat preparations containingcrocodile,elephant,antelope andwarthog are also served occasionally.[6][7][8][9][10] Another favorite isbambara, aporridge of rice, peanut butter and sugar.[11] Ajomba is the bundling of foods in fresh green plantain leaves and then cooking them over hot coals or fire.[12]
Cameroonian cuisine is one of the most varied in Africa due to its location on the crossroads between the north, west, and center of the continent; added to this is the profound influence of French food, a legacy of the colonial era.
Congolese cuisine (Democratic Republic of the Congo) is one of the most diverse cuisines of the continent since it sits between east and southern Africa and received culinary influence from the Portuguese and Middle Eastern and Indian influences via the Swahili.Moambé chicken is the national dish.
Burundian cuisine -Burundi is situated in Eastern Africa and has a territory full of mountains,savannas and agricultural fields, with forests in the surrounding of rivers and waters. Agriculture is spread on 80% of the country's surface and it especially includes coffee, tea,corn, beans andmanioc.
Eritrean cuisine is afusion ofEritrea's native culinary traditions, and the area's long history of trade and social interchanges with other regions and cultures.
Ethiopian cuisine and Eritrean cuisine characteristically consist of spicy vegetable and meat dishes, usually in the form ofwat (orwot), a thick stew, served atopinjera, a largesourdoughflatbread,[14] which is about 50 centimetres (20 inches) in diameter and made out of fermentedteff flour.[14]Ethiopians eat with their right hands, using pieces ofinjera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes.[14] Utensils are rarely used with this dish.
Kenyan cuisine - There is no singular dish that represents all of Kenya. Different communities have their own native foods. Staples are maize and other cereals depending on the region including millet and sorghum eaten with various meats and vegetables. The foods that are universally eaten in Kenya areugali,sukuma wiki, andnyama choma.
Tanzanian cuisine - Along the coastal regions (Dar es Salaam,Tanga,Bagamoyo,Zanzibar and Pemba), spicy foods are common, and there is also much use of coconut milk. Regions in Tanzania's mainland also have their own unique foods.
Ugandan cuisine consists of traditional and modern cooking styles, practices, foods and dishes inUganda, with English,Arab, Asian and especially Indian influences. Like the cuisines of most countries, it varies in complexity, from the most basic, astarchy filler with a sauce of beans or meat, to several-course meals served in upper-class homes and high-end restaurants.
Maasai cuisine - The staple diet of the Maasai consists of cow's milk and maize meal. The cuisine also consists of soups from plants and fruits. More recently, the Maasai have grown dependent on food produced in other areas such as maize meal, rice, potatoes, and cabbage (known to the Maasai as "goat leaves").
Nile perch are one of the world's largestfreshwater fish and a significant food source.[15] It reaches a maximum length of over six feet, weighing up to 440 lbs,[16] although many fish are caught before growing this large.[17] It is widespread throughout much of theAfrotropical realm.
North African orMaghrebi cuisine includes cuisines from regions along the Mediterranean Sea,[18] inland areas and includes several nations, includingSudan,Algeria,Egypt,Libya,Morocco, andTunisia. In North African cuisine, the most common staple foods are meat, seafood, goat,lamb, beef,dates,kebab,shawarma,falafel,almonds,olives, various vegetables and fruit. Because the region is predominantly Muslim,halal meats are usually eaten. The best-known North African/Berber dishes abroad are surelycouscous andtajine.[19]
Egyptian cuisine consists of the local culinary traditions ofEgypt. Egyptian cuisine makes heavy use oflegumes and vegetables, as Egypt's richNile Valley andDelta produce large quantities of high-quality crops.
Moroccan cuisine is extremely diverse, thanks toMorocco's interaction with other cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine has been subject toBerber,Moorish,Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern influences. The cooks in the royal kitchens ofFez,Meknes,Marrakesh,Rabat andTetouan refined it over the centuries and created the basis for what is known as Moroccan cuisine today.
Sudanese cuisine varies by region and has been influenced by the cross-cultural influences upon Sudan throughout history. In addition to the indigenous African peoples, the cuisine was influenced by Arab traders and settlers during theOttoman Empire, who introduced spices such asred pepper andgarlic.
Tunisian cuisine is the cuisine ofTunisia, a blend ofMediterranean and desert dwellers' culinary traditions. Its distinctive spicy fieriness comes from neighboring Mediterranean countries and the many civilizations which have ruled the land now known as Tunisia:Phoenicians,Romans,Arabs, Ottoman Empire, French, and the nativeBerber people.
South African cuisine is sometimes referred to as "rainbow cuisine"[20] because it is based on multicultural and various indigenous cuisines.Curried dishes are popular with lemon juice in South Africa among people of all ethnic origins; many dishes came to the country with the thousands ofIndian laborers brought to South Africa in the nineteenth century. South African cuisine can be defined as cookery practiced byindigenous people of South Africa such as theKhoisan andXhosa,Zulu- andSotho-speaking people, and settler cookery that emerged from several waves of immigration introduced during the colonial period by people of Indian andAfrikaner and British descent and their slaves and servants.
Malagasy cuisine is the cuisine of the island country ofMadagascar, located in the Indian Ocean off the south-eastern coast of Africa. Malagasy are mostly of Malayan Polynesian, along with African, Arab, Indian and European descent.[21] Rice is a common staple food, and fruits and vegetables are prominent in the cuisine.Pineapples,mangoes,peaches, grapes,avocados andlychee are grown on the island.[21] Meats include chicken, beef and fish, and curry dishes are common.[21] A common food islaoka, a mixture of cooked foods served with rice. Laoka are most often served in some kind of sauce: in the highlands, this sauce is generally tomato-based, while in coastal areas coconut milk is often added during cooking.[22]
Malagasy cuisine: Two commonMalagasylaokas: bambara groundnut and pork (left) and potato leaves with dried shrimp (center), usually served atop rice. On the right are bottles of lemon and mango sauces (achards), which are common in the northwestern coastal regions of Madagascar.[23]
Mauritian cuisine is the cuisine of the island country ofMauritius. It is mostly influenced by the diverse cuisines of migrants to Mauritius.
South African cuisine is sometimes called "rainbow cuisine", as it has had a variety of multicultural sources and stages. Influences include indigenous practices and settler cookery that immigrants practiced. Their staple food ispap this is made using cornmeal and boiled water, South Africans also enjoy this dish served withbraai meat. This is usually served at social gatherings.
Zimbabwean cuisine - Like in many African countries, the majority of Zimbabweans depend on a few staple foods. "mealie meal", also known ascornmeal, is used to preparesadza orisitshwala andporridge known asbota orilambazi. Zimbabwean cuisine also includes fruits and vegetables such as imbhida also known as African kale. Corn is also used to make dishes such asumxhanxa, which is made using boiled pumpkin and corn.
Yassa is a popular dish throughout West Africa prepared with chicken orfish. Chickenyassa is pictured.
West African cuisine refers to many distinct regional and ethnic cuisines in West African nations, a large geographic area with climates ranging from desert to tropical.[24] Some of the region's indigenous plants, such asHausa groundnuts,pigeon peas andcowpeas, provide dietary protein for both people and livestock.[25] Many significant spices, stimulants and medicinal herbs originated in the evergreen and deciduous forests of Western Africa.[25] Ancient Africans domesticated thekola nut and coffee, now used globally in beverages.[25]
Ghanaian cuisine is the cuisine ofGhana. There are diverse traditional dishes. Foods also vary according to the season, time of the day and occasion.
Ivorian cuisine is the traditional cuisine ofCôte d'Ivoire, or the Ivory Coast, and is based ontubers,grains, chicken, seafood, fish, fresh fruits, vegetables and spices and is very similar to that of neighboring countries in west Africa. Common staple foods include grains and tubers. Côte d'Ivoire is one of the largestcocoa producers in the world, and also producespalm oil andcoffee.
Nigerian cuisine, like otherWest African cuisines, usesspices andherbs in conjunction withpalm oil orgroundnut oil to create deeply flavored sauces and soups often made very hot withchili peppers. Nigerian feasts are colorful and lavish, while aromatic market and roadside snacks cooked on barbecues or fried in oil are plentiful and varied.[28]
Senegalese cuisine has been influenced by nations like France, Portugal, and those of North Africa, and also by many ethnic groups, the largest being theWolof; Islam, which first penetrated the region in the 11th century; and various European cultures, especially the French, who held the country as a colony until 1960.
Angolan cuisine is the cuisine ofAngola, a country in south-central Africa. Because Angola was aPortuguese colony for centuries,Portuguese cuisine has significantly influenced Angolan cuisine, with many foods imported into Angola by the Portuguese.[30]
Chadian cuisine is the cooking traditions, practices, foods and dishes associated with theRepublic of Chad. Chadians utilize a variety of grains, vegetables, fruits and meats. Commonly consumed grains include millet, sorghum and rice as staple foods.
Gabonese cuisine is the cooking traditions, practices, foods and dishes associated with the sovereign state ofGabon. French cuisine is prevalent as a notable influence, and in larger cities various French specialties are available.[32] In rural areas, food staples such as cassava, rice and yams are commonly used.[31][33]
Eswatini cuisine is largely determined by theseasons and thegeographical region. Staple foods in Eswatini include sorghum and maize,[34] often served with goat meat, a very popular livestock there.[35]
Mozambican cuisine - Present for nearly 500 years, the Portuguese greatly impacted the cuisine of Mozambique. Crops such as cassava (a starchy root) and cashew nuts (Mozambique was once the largest producer of these nuts), and pãozinho (pronounced pow-zing-yo; Portuguese-style bread rolls) were brought in by the Portuguese.
Zambian cuisine - The Zambian staple diet is based on maize. It is normally eaten as a thick porridge, callednshima (Nyanja word), prepared from maize flour commonly known asmealie meal. This may be eaten with a variety of vegetables, beans, meat, fish or sour milk depending on geographical location/origin.
Benin cuisine is known in Africa for its and exotic ingredients and flavorful dishes. Beninese cuisine involves many fresh meals served with a variety of sauces. Meat is usually quite expensive, and meals are generally light on meat and generous onvegetable fat.
Cape Verdean cuisine - The Cape Verde diet is mostly based on fish and staple foods like corn and rice. Vegetables available during most of the year are potatoes,onions,tomatoes,manioc,cabbage,kale, and dried beans. Fruits such asbanana andpapayas are available year-round, while others likemangos andavocados are seasonal.
TheNigerien cuisine reflects many traditional African cuisines, and a significant amount ofspices are used in dishes. Grilled meats, seasonal vegetables, salads and various sauces are some of the foods consumed.
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