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TASTE AFRICA

Africa is the second largest landmass on earth. The culture and cuisine in many of this

continents countries are as diverse as the geographical regions in the U.S. From a culinaryperspective, this large continent can be divided into three regions--Northern, Central and

Southern.

Central Africa stretches from theTibesti Mountainsin the north to vastrainforestbasin of

theCongo River, and has remained largely free of culinary influences of the outside world, until

the late 19th century, with the exception of the widespread adaptation of cassava, peanut, and

Chile pepper plants which arrived along with the slave trade during the early 16th century.

Fufu-like starchy foods are served with grilled meat and sauces. A variety of local ingredients are

used while preparing other dishes likespinachstew, cooked with tomato, peppers, chillis, onions,

and peanut butter.

North Africa lies along theMediterranean Seaand encompasses within its fold several nations,

includingMorocco,Algeria,Libya,Tunisia,Mauritania, andEgypt. This is a region marked bygeographic, political, social, economic and cultural diversity, and the cuisine and the culinarystyle and art of North Africa are also as diverse as the land, its people and its history. T

Over several centuries traders, travelers, invaders, migrants and immigrants all have influenced

the cuisine of North Africa. ThePhoeniciansof the 1st century broughtsausages,

theCarthaginiansintroducedwheatand its by-product,semolina. TheBerbers, adapted this

intocouscous, one of the mainstaple diet.Olivesandolive oilswere introduced before the arrivalof the Romans. From the 7th century onwards, theArabsintroduced a variety ofspices,

likesaffron,nutmeg,cinnamon,gingerandcloves, which contributed and influenced the culinary

culture of North Africa. TheOttoman Turksbrought sweetpastriesand otherbakeryproducts,

and from theNew World, North Africa gotpotatoes,tomatoes,zucchiniand chilies.

The cooking of Southern Africa is sometimes called 'rainbow cuisine', as the food in this regionis a blend of many culturesthe indigenous African tribal societies,EuropeanandAsian. To

understand indigenous cuisine, it is important first to digress to understand the various native

peoples of southern Africa. The indigenous people of Southern Africa were roughly divided intotwo groups and several sub groups. The largest group consisted of the Bantu-speakers, whose

descendants today may identify themselves by various sub-group names such as Zulu, Xhosa,

Swazi, Sotho, Tswana, Pedi, Shangaan and Tsonga.

A smaller group were the primeval residents of the region, the Khoisan, who some archaeologists

believe, had lived in the region for at least ten thousand years. Many descendants of the Khoisan

people have now been incorporated into the Coloured population of South Africa. The Khoisanoriginally were hunter gathers. After the arrival of the Bantu-speakers, however, some Khoisan

adopted the Bantu-speakers' cattle raising, but did not grow crops.

Potjiekosis a traditionalAfrikanerstew made with meat and vegetables and cooked over coals

incast-ironpots.People were, in other words, defined to some extent by the kinds of food they

ate. The Bantu speakers ate dishes of grain, meat, milk and vegetables, as well as fermented

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.org/wiki/Nutmeghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffronhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spicehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staple_diethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couscoushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berber_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthaginianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sausagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoeniciahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algeriahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moroccohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_Seahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinachhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fufuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congo_Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainforesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibesti_Mountains

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grain and fermented milk products, while the Khoi-Khoi ate meat and milk, and the San hunted

wild animals and gathered wild tubers and vegetables.

Barbecued meat and maize porridge is a combination dearly beloved across many cultures in

Southern Africa, and particularly in South Africa, where the braaivleis is a treasured institution

and practically a national sport.

"Pap en vleis" (literally, "maize porridge and meat") is a colorful umbrella of a term that

encompasses virtually any combination of starch and braaied or stewed meat, with an obligatoryside-serving of spicy gravy, relish or chakalaka.

Shisa nyama, meaning "burn the meat" in Zulu, has come to refer to a festive "bring-and-braai"

gathering.

Mozambiques cuisine is a heady blend of African, Portuguese, oriental and Arab flavors -- think

fragrant spices, hotpiri piriand creamy coconut sauces, with hints of cashews and peanuts.

Makes those Pret A Manger sarnies look somewhat inadequate, doesn't it? No ones quite sure

howbunny chowcame to be named, but what is certain is that this hollowed-out half- or quarter-

loaf of white bread filled with a blistering-hot curry is one of South Africas most treasured streetfoods.

The meat and vegetable curries that fill bunny chows were bought to South Africa by Indianindentured laborers who came to South Africa in the 19th century to work on the sugar-cane

fields.

A heap of crisp-fried kapenta is the culinary highlight for many visitors to Zimbabwe.Kapenta,

comprising two species of small freshwater fish native to Lake Tanganyika, were introduced to

Lake Kariba and now are a much-loved source of protein for lakeside populations of Zambia and

Zimbabwe.The eyes of Malawians away from home may well fill with tears when you say the word"chambo" to them -- it's the most popular and best-known fish found in Lake Malawi, and a great

national favorite.

Its served grilled along the lake shore, usually with nsima or with chips.

A plate of chambo is not complete without ndiwo, a delicious relish made of pumpkin or cassavaleaves, tomatoes and groundnut powder. Both nsima and ndiwo are revered staple foods in

neighboring Zambia, along with Ifisashi, a dish of greens in a peanut sauce.

Goodvenisoncan be sampled all over Southern Africa, but Namibians will insist that the verybest gemsbok, kudu, zebra, warthog, ostrich and springbok is to be found at restaurants and game

lodges across their country.

Namibian cuisine shows strong German and South African influences, with traditional German

delicacies such as sausages, cured meats, sauerkraut and Eisbein rubbing shoulders with South-

African style potjiekos, biltong and braaivleis.

A treasured classic of Cape Malay cuisine, breyani is a fragrant dish comprising layers of

marinated meat, rice, lentils and spices topped with crisp-fried onions and hard-boiled eggs.

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This one-pot, slow-cooked dish, a favorite for feeding large crowds at special occasions andcelebrations, was bought to the Cape from the East during the earliest days of theslave trade,

along with other "Malay" dishes such as bredies, pickled fish, denningvleis and bobotie.

You can practically feel the warm breath of the trade winds in your face as you taste these greatcelebration dishes, both based on rice and the exotic array of spices synonymous with Zanzibar.

There are all sorts of variations onbiryani, ranging from humble vegetable assemblages to morecomplex ones incorporating meat and seafood; pilau tends to be a one-pot dish generously spiced

with cardamom, cumin and pepper.

If you want a taste of what ordinary Egyptian families eat at home, you cant go wrong with

koshari , a nourishing vegetarian dish of rice, lentils, macaroni, garlic and chickpeas, bought

together by a spicy tomato sauce and topped off with fried onion.A good koshari can send anEgyptian into raptures, and its also hugely popular as a rib-sticking street food and take-away.

Moroccan tagines and couscous dishes have earned their glory on the worlds culinary stage inrecent decades, but this is one dish youll not find in an average cookbook.

A complex and many-faceted feast dish, pastilla au pigeou is sweet and savory; substantial and

delicate.

It's a pie comprising shredded cooked squab thickened with egg sauce and interspersed with

paper-thin pastry and layers of nutty, spicy filling.

No grand celebration in Morocco would be considered complete without bstilla, and it is usually

reserved for feasts because its so labor intensive to make.

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