Amanda A-mangia: Starchy African staples to try
Whether it's pap or plantain, cassava or yam - here are a few African staples and ways to eat them.
Popular plantains
Plantains are part of the banana family and can be made into a flour that is widely used in African cuisine (see Fufu recipe below), but frying them is a delicious alternative. You can substitute bananas if you can’t find plantains.
Fabulous fufu
Fufu is a staple food in central and western Africa. Starchy vegetables such as yams, plantains or cassava are pounded down before being boiled and then pounded again until they form a doughy ball. It is then traditionally eaten with a soup or sauce, much like bread in other cultures.
Couscous is the new rice
Couscous is the staple ingredient in the North African diet. Consisting of many tiny granules made from steamed and dried durum wheat, couscous has become a popular alternative to rice and pasta. It has a light fluffy texture that soaks up the flavours of other ingredients.
Scrumptious couscous with roasted pumpkin and red onion
A-maize-ing pap
Maize meal is eaten in many forms across Africa and goes by many names. It is a staple food which can be made into a sweet, smooth and runny breakfast porridge or a stiff and crumbly pap eaten as a main meal or an accompaniment for lunch or supper. In Eastern Africa maize meal is called masa and pap is called ugali.
How to make the perfect krummelpap
Yummy yams
Yams are starchy tuberous roots similar to sweet potatoes. They are a staple food in many tropical areas.
Yams with honey and sesame seeds
Cassava is King
Cassava is a popular edible root-vegetable. It is a staple food in many parts of Africa, Asia and South America. Together with other starch rich foods like yam, plantains and potato it is an indispensable part of the carbohydrate diet of millions of people.
