For a long time, very little was said and written about African cuisine. It was believed that if the mainland cannot boast of rich flora and fauna, then it will not impress with its culinary delights. Those who had the opportunity to try original African sweets, unusual at first, but very satisfying main courses and soups, were convinced of the fallacy of this opinion.
Gradually, many recipes originally from Africa penetrated the cuisines of other countries, were adapted to local ingredients and became loved and popular far from their homeland. The combination of bananas and pork (meat under a banana coat) or powdered sugar and black pepper (Moroccan trout) in one recipe, unusual for a European, will not surprise an African.

Strictly speaking, African cuisine is difficult to generalize. Within the same continent, different climatic zones determine their type of nutrition. The seafood-rich coastal areas and the arid desert heartland do not share the same diets. Former European colonies like Algeria and Morocco adopted much from their conquerors, but Ethiopia's cooking is still very isolated and has retained most of the traditions of the aborigines.

Meat dishes in African cuisine

The basis of the cuisine of any African country is meat: lamb, beef, poultry, camel meat, and in the non-Muslim part of the continent - pork. Of the cooking methods, the most common are salting followed by drying, frying in animal fat, most often in lamb fat, or stewing. In Nigeria and Ethiopia, steaks made from raw ground beef with seasonings are popular - they are prepared from meat from freshly slaughtered animals. They eat snakes, but this is already exotic.

An abundance of spicy hot seasonings and marinades is the hallmark of African meat cuisine; they also serve as preservatives. Side dishes are prepared from rice and fried vegetables - chickpeas, green beans, corn with onions (Sudanese style).

In East Africa, it is customary to combine several types of fish and meat in one dish - as in Kenyan goulash. But in general, in this poorest region, dishes made from sorghum, bananas and milk are eaten more.

Seafood and fruits of the fields in African cuisine

In coastal countries, seafood is popular - shrimp, lobsters and fish. They cook fish soup; in Ghana they like the recipe with mackerel and tomato juice, and in Somalia - with red mullet and coconut milk. The fish is deep-fried and marinated, as in Nigeria, or dried.
In areas where the climate allows, Africans grow rice, corn and soybeans, and legumes. Potatoes, different varieties of wheat and sorghum are widespread.
A variety of porridges are popular; they are prepared with pieces of dried fish or salted meat, often with vegetables or fruits (bulgur porridge with bananas from Burundi).

Salads and vegetable appetizers are popular everywhere; recipes combine boiled or raw vegetables, fruits and ham (Angolan salad), seasoned with mayonnaise and fatty sauces based on vegetable oil. In non-arid coastal areas, the climate allows for the cultivation of a variety of vegetables - sweet potatoes, potatoes, beans, peas. Goulash and puree are prepared from them. Fruits are used in the same dishes as meat, bananas are fried and baked, and soups are cooked in coconut milk.

Sweet dishes in African cuisine

Flour products are common among desserts. Thin flatbreads are baked from wheat or rice dough or fried in a large amount of oil, then soaked in cane sugar syrups or filled with jams.

The cuisines of Morocco and Algeria have adopted many French desserts of eggs and whipped cream, jelly and soufflé.
The hot climate of the continent and the low standard of living of most of the population determined the peculiarities of national African cuisine. But there are many easy-to-prepare and satisfying dishes that are worth trying.

African cuisine combines the cuisines of many countries on the continent, and each country has its own culinary traditions. The cuisine of coastal countries is rich in fish and seafood dishes. Africa also has its own meat delicacies. They are considered camel and pigeon meat, and turtle meat. Much more common are dishes from veal and lamb. The African's daily menu includes a large amount bread, cereals and legumes, olives and nuts, as well as local fruits and vegetables.

Shakshuka- a dish of eggs fried in a sauce of tomatoes, hot peppers, onions and seasonings. It is believed that the birthplace of the dish is Tunisia

Kitchen North Africa(Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), or Maghreb cuisine, combines the ancient traditions of African tribes and settlers from the Middle East, has the characteristic features of Mediterranean cuisine, and also has significant Turkish and European influences. The variety is complemented by flavors spices and herbs. Fresh tropical fruits, especially bananas and coconut, are important ingredients in many dishes. Bananas, for example, are added to porridges and omelettes, tomato soups and salads. The same can be said about vegetables. They are used not only to make salads, but also fried, baked, stewed, stuffed, and less often boiled. The most famous dish of the Maghreb countries is considered couscous accompanied by vegetables, chickpeas, fish or meat. Couscous (couscous) is also a wheat cereal, which serves as the basis for the same name. Historically, couscous was made from millet. Nowadays, the most common couscous is made from semolina, obtained from durum wheat. Outwardly it resembles round rice, the diameter of the grains is 1-2 mm.

Couscous with vegetables and chickpeas

In countries west coast of Africa they serve soup fufu end(thick soup, from peanut with palm nuts to vegetable, with lamb, tomatoes, bean puree and eggplant, in some regions it also contains chopped okra and blanched large mealy bananas; to add a piquant taste, the soup is seasoned with chili pepper and white pepper ). Soup is also popular pepper(fish soup generously seasoned with chili pepper). Another dish that has received special attention from residents of the West Coast is country chop. It is prepared on the basis of rice, to which a generous portion of curry is added. There are variations of country chop made with shrimp, lamb or chicken, or you can try it with all these ingredients together. Pieces of pineapple, chopped bananas, boiled eggs, mangoes, peanuts, fried onions, canned vegetables that have a sweet and sour taste, raisins or sardines are served as a side dish for this dish. Among meat dishes, chicken in peanut sauce is also in demand. During meals, the local population usually drinks some kind of beer made from fermented millet or corn and fresh fruit juices.

Chicken in peanut sauce

East Africa is characterized by a limited range of products, the influence of the Indians (rice and tea consumption) and European colonialists (buffet with cold appetizers) can be traced. On the other hand, some local typical dishes, such as stuffed ham ham cariba, have taken their place in international cuisine. Very popular spice mixtures of Indian origin - masala, both dry and in the form of pastes. Finely chopped meat, fried in oil with onions, served with a thick spicy sauce. The most common side dish is rice with curry spices and millet porridge, tapioca, cassava or cassava. Cassava root, boiled with grated coconut and onion, is also offered as an independent dish. Porridges are also eaten with spinach, beets or other greens. The local population loves meat dishes, primarily beef and goat. The indigenous people know how to cook gazelles and other four-legged game. Fish stewed with coconut milk and lots of tarragon, seasoned with egg, is also popular on the coast. This dish is called girama, Europeans also like it. Nigeria and coastal parts of East Africa prefer chillies. Coastal recipes include fish marinated in ginger, tomatoes and cayenne peppers cooked in peanut oil. Senegalese cuisine is heavily influenced by France; Lime juice, finely chopped vegetables, onions, garlic and pickles are widely used there. Peanut, palm and coconut oils are popular. Okra is used in goulash and to thicken soups. Tropical fruits, especially bananas and coconut, are important ingredients.

Rice with curry spices and carrots

South African cooking is a mixture of African, Malaysian, Indian, British, French, Danish and Old Boer traditions. It is distinguished by a large number of spices and seasonings, spicy side dishes, dishes from marinated fish and seafood. Meat dishes are an integral part of Boer cuisine. In South African families, it is customary to serve guests meat grilled over coals - braiflace. Popular kebab and homemade sausages, chops and steaks and shish kebab, and Indian curry and masala. The national South African dish is jerky. biltong, mainly made from beef fillet. But biltong is also found from other types of meat: game, ostrich, antelope, buffalo, elephant and other animals. For cooking, lean cuts are usually used. It is marinated in vinegar and then in a mixture of salt, brown sugar, coriander, black pepper and other spices, after which it is dried in special rooms, cabinets, ovens or in the air. The process usually takes several days. Traditional South African side dish - corn flour porridge. Danish settlers brought with them their farming methods, and British traders introduced cold cuts that now included African game. The French cultivated vineyards that are today famous throughout the world. Malay workers introduced curry. Among the drinks, the tart South African wine, a variety of wine, deserves attention. Pinotage"Produced only in South Africa.

Homemade biltong is a South African type of dried meat, the national dish of the Afrikaners (Boers)

In general, alcoholic drinks are quite popular outside of Muslim Africa. South Africa is famous for its white and red wines, and also produces tangerine liqueur. Van Der Hum. One of the most famous Ethiopian drinks is honey wine. Tej, which has been prepared for centuries, since apiaries began to be established many centuries ago, at the same time they began to make wine based on honey, which tastes like the ancient drink honey or mead. Speaking of drinks, it must be said that Ethiopia claims to be the first to grow coffee. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony involves burning incense, passing the coffee beans around for guests to approve, and roasting them on the spot. From Ethiopia, coffee came to Yemen, and from there through Arab countries to Europe.

Coffee in Ethiopia is considered the country's main export crop, and the state itself is the largest producer of the invigorating drink

African cuisine African national cuisine is a more than relative concept. She combined dishes from countries with different cultures. Experts identify several large categories, including the cuisines of the vibrant, original countries of Northern, Eastern and Southern Africa, as well as original native dishes, which are exotic for modern Europeans. For example, in West African countries, bat meat is prepared. It is fried with curry or made into soup.

What makes African cuisine different?

Speaking about the exotic dishes of the black continent, it is worth highlighting some features of African cuisine. The use of certain products makes local dishes colorful and unique. An attractive fact is that today ingredients for African dishes can be bought in regular supermarkets.

Those who decide to cook unusual food should pay attention to a large number of herbs and spices that give the food an original taste. When it comes to desserts, porridges and soups, local fruits are used, which give the dishes a unique taste.

Another feature of African cuisine is a special passion for semolina. Even the famous couscous, which is common in North Africa, is often prepared not from millet, but from wheat or semolina. Semolina porridge can be used as a side dish for meat and vegetable dishes.

African cuisine of North Africa

North African countries - Libya, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt. African cuisine is considered by chefs to be very similar to Mediterranean cuisine. The basic set of products is in many ways similar to European Mediterranean cuisine. Meat, seafood, eggs, cereals, and a large selection of vegetables are widely used. There is a restriction on meat - pork is completely excluded, since the main religion of the countries in this region is Islam.

The menu of North African countries contains dishes with exotic names, but with a composition well known to us. For example, matbukha - a salad of tomatoes with sweet fried peppers, resembles lecho, and shakshuka - a dish of eggs fried in tomato sauce, similar to the familiar scrambled eggs with tomatoes. They are distinguished by the presence of hot pepper and African seasonings.

Many African dishes, especially desserts, show influence from the neighboring Arab region. For example, baklava is prepared in Turkey and the countries of the Arab East, but African baklava has its own unique taste. It is often prepared not with the usual nuts, but with pistachios.

East African dishes

The cuisine of East Africa is primarily the dishes of Ethiopia, one of the largest countries in this part of the continent. It is distinguished by its original way of serving meat and vegetable dishes common in this region. Instead of a plate, a special flatbread made from sour dough is used - injera. Pieces torn from it replace spoons and forks.

When preparing dishes, a wide selection of spices is used, including very hot ones: red pepper, ginger. For example, the traditional Ethiopian firfir is a mixture of butter and a selection of local spices, which are mixed to a mushy state, and served on a traditional flatbread.

The most unusual cuisine of South Africa

South African cuisine is an incredible mixture of different culinary cultures brought to the territory by numerous immigrants. Traditional European cuisine has superimposed on the local culinary culture. As a result, African cuisine recipes combined familiar foods (meat, seafood, vegetables) fried, stewed, baked using seasonings. They can be either local or imported from neighboring countries, for example, curry, which comes from Indian cuisine.

Are you interested in unusual African dishes that will help diversify your family menu or surprise guests with exotic dishes? Here you will find recipes from various regions of Africa, attractive with an interesting range of products and original cooking methods.

Of course, colonialists from European countries had a certain influence on national culinary traditions, but at the same time, African cuisine recipes did not lose their inherent flavor and incredible exoticism. It is impossible not to mention that many Africans are Muslims, which determines the observance of the traditions and foundations of classical Islam - the rejection of pork and alcohol.

Features of African cuisine recipes

Chicken, lamb and turtle meat are much more often consumed as meat here, while locals consider camel and pigeon meat to be a real delicacy. At the same time, it should be understood that due to poverty and the relatively underdevelopment of most African states, meat here is more of a festive food than an everyday food.

What African cuisine is truly rich in is vegetables and fruits, many of which are considered a real curiosity in our country - mave, fennel, sweet potato, etc. Vegetable and fruit salads, as well as fried and stewed vegetable ingredients are the basis of most African recipes. Fruit classics here include bananas, lemons, figs, dates, mangoes, grapes, and all parts of the coconut are often used.

Fruits are often a side dish or addition to a meat dish. Most often, barley and semolina are used as a side dish here. The latter, by the way, became the basis of the main national dish - couscous.

As for seafood, Africans make the most of their resources, eating almost the entire range of fish and seafood that is rich in the seas and oceans that wash the continent. However, such an abundance of natural gifts does not change the fact that the daily diet of an African is rather limited and monotonous.

The KitchenMag website offers its readers a full range of African cuisine recipes, many of which are adapted to domestic conditions and ingredients, and are also supplemented with photo and video materials that describe in detail the techniques and features of culinary techniques and traditional food combinations.

North African cuisine: Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria.

"Tunisia is a woman, Algeria is a warrior, Morocco is a lion!" - this is what they say in the Maghreb from time immemorial.

The Phoenicians and Hellenes introduced the North African peoples to wheat and showed methods of cultivating grapes, olives, and figs. The Romans diligently introduced agriculture and cattle breeding in northern Africa. Traditionally flavored with flower infusions and powders, North African dishes delighted and amazed the imagination of guests. As Herodotus writes, this cuisine “was so magnificent that anyone who tasted the local dishes was unable to voluntarily part with their hospitable hosts.” Islam made Moroccan cuisine refined and ceremonious, excluding pork from it and teaching to eat only fresh meat from animals killed in a special way with the obligatory mention of the name of Allah. Islam regulates the very course of the meal, turning it into a subtle pleasure (remember the feasts of the sultans!).

The ability to enjoy life at the table does not leave Moroccans even during the Muslim fast - Ramadan. From dawn to dusk during Ramadan you cannot drink, eat or smoke. All this time is devoted... to preparing the feast that will begin at sunset. Well, for example, gayin el ghalmi.

The shoulder or leg of lamb is cut into small pieces, as for goulash. Heat vegetable oil in a deep, heavy saucepan and fry the meat in it. Add crushed garlic, finely chopped onion, salt, ground black pepper, bay, cloves, parsley, saffron, ginger, finely chopped tomatoes or tomato paste and simmer for several minutes, stirring. Then pour in water, cover with a lid and simmer, stirring, for about an hour until the meat is soft. Fry the onion, cut into slices, in vegetable oil until golden brown; raisins are soaked for half an hour in warm water, almonds are fried in oil and all this is put together in a pan with meat. After stirring, place the pan in a hot oven for 15 minutes (the dish should become dry on top).

Serve in a saucepan, garnishing the dish with hard-boiled egg halves.

You can serve this with couscous - the hallmark of Moroccan cuisine. Without it, not a single meal is unthinkable. It would be hard to call this dish porridge, because couscous is a lush and aromatic cloud, after tasting which any person will be in seventh heaven. This is the dish the bride prepares for her engagement: if the future fathers-in-law don’t like the couscous, there won’t be a wedding.

Method for preparing couscous: 100 grams of semolina or fine corn grits are poured onto a large tray, sprinkled with half a glass of salted water and rubbed with an open palm in a circular motion until the grits form lumps. Lightly sprinkle the lumps with flour and continue to grind until they reach the size of a millet grain. Pour the cereal into a sieve, and the sieve is tightly inserted into a pan of boiling water of a suitable size. Cover the pan with a lid and cover with a towel or napkin. The main thing is that cold air does not penetrate into the sieve, and boiling water in no case touches the cereal balls. Steam the couscous for 1 hour. Before serving, carefully mix it with butter. Served hot with meat dishes.

In the coastal areas of Morocco, seafood is a must. Experts claim that winter oysters in Morocco are tastier than anywhere else. At the same time, the shell from the first oyster you ate will be wrapped in gold foil and given to you as a souvenir. The big cities of Morocco have their own “fast food” of incomparable taste: azet, that is, a stuffed bun. The chicken is cut into small pieces, fried in oil, mixed with almonds, parsley and spices. The dried loaf is cut horizontally and, after removing the pulp, mix it with meat, lemon juice, broth and sauce (Georgian tkemali is very suitable). Fill the bottom half of the loaf with minced meat, cover with the top half, pour over the broth and sauce and allow the liquid to be absorbed. What difference do expressionless hamburgers have to sophistication?

You can wash it all down with coffee. Moreover, unusual, thick and fragrant,

which cannot be taken orally except with cold water, otherwise the heart will not stand it. Under the huge stars on the terrace of a street cafe over a cup of coffee, you begin to believe that you have really moved to the fabulous Maghreb, and a genie is about to look out of a silver lamp. West African cuisine: Senegal.

Senegal is located at the westernmost tip of Africa. This is a former French colony. The main national symbol of Senegal is the baobab. Baobabs are protected by law, and cutting them down, as well as climbing them without special permission from the authorities, is prohibited. However, this law is not always observed. The local population everywhere uses baobab for economic purposes. Thus, hollowed out trunks are used for storage and housing. Medicines are obtained from the bark, fruits and leaves. Baobab bark is also used to make clothing, baskets, hats, mats, ropes, ropes and nets. Moreover, the plant is capable of restoring cut bark. The leaves are cooked and eaten green, and are also prepared and added to sauces as a thickener. The fruits, which resemble very large rose hips, are rich in vitamin C, calcium, and iron. They are called "pain de singe" ("healing burns") or "monkey bread". In Senegalese cuisine, the fruit is roasted, crushed and used as a coffee substitute, and also steeped in water to make a refreshing drink or added to ngala. The ruby-colored baobab juice is considered a delicacy among tourists.

Senegalese cuisine is served on special boards with hollows carved into them.

In Senegal you can try the famous maffe. Maffe is a traditional dish of the people of Senegal and Gambia. It comes in various varieties and is a type of African peanut soup or stew. Mutton, lamb meat, as well as fish (fresh or dried) can be used in the preparation of maffe; There is also a vegetarian muffe. Maffe according to the classic recipe is prepared with coconut milk sauce and baked in a special pit lined with

sago leaves.

African fish soup Caidou is cooked in a clay pot, sealed with a corn flour cake on top, it turns out spicy, hearty and very tasty. There is a legend that it was with this soup that French colonialists were treated for tropical fever in the last century.

Yassa is one of the most famous dishes of African cuisine, present on the menu of Senegalese restaurants around the world. Chicken yassa is common in the Casamance region of Senegal. To ensure that the poultry meat is tender, it is marinated overnight. The marinade must include vegetable oil (mainly peanut oil), lemon juice, onion and mustard. To prepare fish yass, they use the same marinade as for the previous dish, while in Africa the fish is “marinated” in such a way that you have to be an ichthyologist to determine its species. In fact, it is recommended to use any fish that does not spread apart when grilled, such as caliper or salmon.

The classic holiday dish - spicy rice with fish - comes in many variations. Prepared on major holidays for a large company. We can say that in Senegal a new recipe for cooking fish with rice is invented almost every day. The method of preparing this dish depends on culinary preferences and the range of products on the market. It is not at all necessary to strictly follow the layout - choose what you like for your dish. A prerequisite is the presence of rice, tomatoes, onions and other vegetables, as well as fish prepared in the specified way. For a big feast, different vegetables are chosen. In French, the word riz (rice) is pronounced "ree", which is similar to another French word for "key". This recipe can be used as a base recipe, where you can add or exclude anything from it, excluding rice and fish. The cooking process includes three stages:

Cooking stuffed fish and onions;

Preparing vegetables for frying fish;

Cooking rice with vegetable broth.

In Senegal, broken rice is usually used to prepare the dish. You can use short grain rice, which should be soaked in water, then dried, and then rubbed in your hands or using a bottle. To serve the dish, vegetables, rice are used, including the rice that stuck to the bottom of the pan, as well as the gravy obtained during the cooking process.

Another West African dish, ngalah is a porridge-type dessert dish (lah) popular in Senegal. It looks like a sweetened porridge, just like other African cereal staples like foo foo. Cereals are usually mixed with milk or water and then used to prepare porridges and alcoholic drinks. The main ingredient in Ngalaha is karaw or araw, a type of couscous. While Caakiri is made with yogurt or cream, ngalakh is seasoned with peanut butter and baobab fruit (bouye).

And of course, a few words about couscous in this part of Africa. In Senegal, couscous is prepared in a special couscoussir dish, where meat and vegetables are stewed in the lower part, and the couscous cereal is steamed in the upper part. The holes in the top of the couscousir should be fairly small. If the holes are too large, thin fabric is placed on the bottom of the dish.

South African cuisine: South Africa.

South African cooking is a priceless treasure trove. The country's diverse array of ethnic restaurants matches its cultural diversity. In many homes, braaivleis (traditional meat dishes) are a mixture of elements from traditional African, Malaysian, Indian and Old Boer cuisine. While you're looking forward to kebabs and homemade sausages, pap (thick cornmeal porridge) and shebu (vegetable liquid seasoning), binyani (marinated chicken with spices in a pot), you can indulge in biltong (dried meat) and chillibites (kebabs).