Africa’s 10 most popular foods
Southern Africa has the most varied cuisines of any region on the continent.
AFRICAN cuisine is as diverse as the hundreds of different cultures and groups that inhabit the continent. This diversity is reflected in the many local culinary traditions in terms of choice of ingredients, style of preparation and cooking techniques.
1. Biltong: Cured meat exported all over Africa, originally from South Africa.
2. Fufu: Very popular in West Africa, it is made by boiling starchy food crops like cassava, yams or cooking plantains and then pounding them into a dough-like consistency.
3. Sadza/Nsima/Ugali: Cooked with water to a porridge or dough-like consistency, this is the most common staple starch in East Africa, the Great Lakes region and southern Africa.
4. Jollof rice: The most popular rice dish in West Africa, the most common basic ingredients are rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, salt and red pepper.
5. Chermoula: A mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt very popular in North Africa.
6. Nyama Choma/ Braaivleis /Mechoui: Many different names and cooking techniques, but meat roast over charcoal is popular all over the continent.
7. Couscous: Made from steamed and dried durum wheat, couscous has become a popular alternative to rice and pasta in North Africa.
8. Garri: A popular West African starchy carbohydrate made from pounded and fermented cassava tubers.
9. Fried Plantain or Dodo: Found anywhere that plantains grow, this is a staple on the continent and served with meats dishes.
10. Piri Piri Sauce: A hot and fragrant sauce originally from Portugal but widely adopted in southern African cooking.
*Source Mail & Guardian Africa
