African Food and Art

This blog explores the wisdom of African proverbs, the depth of folklore, the beauty of art, the stories of history, and the flavors of timeless African food recipes.

Living on Jackass African Penguin Island

Living on Jackass African Penguin Island

African penguin facts about coastal penguin residents living on Namibia and South Africa shorelines.



African Penguin Love

 African Penguins grow to be about 2 feet or .67 meters tall and weighing between 4 and 11 pounds or .28 to .78 stone living and breeding on the Southern coast of Africa.


Kissing penguins

Surviving and breeding on African Jackass Penguin Island


Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

African penguins breed from Hollams Bird Island Namibia to Bird Island Algoa Bay in South Africa. Gansbaai South Africa Dyer Island is a protected bird sanctuary home to large colonies of endangered African Penguins. African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa.



Why are African Penguins called Jackass?

The African penguin, or black-footed penguin, is also nicknamed the jackass penguin because it’s mating call sounds like a whinnying donkey. They spend their days at sea feeding and their nights gathered together on the shore. Like all penguins, African penguins are much more agile in water than on land swimming up to 12 miles per hour. Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day feeding on small fish such as sardines and anchovies, crustaceans and squid. Each penguin eats about one pound of fish per day.


African Penguins are faithful to their mate

African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa and it is found nowhere else in the world. African Penguins are monogamous and the same pair will normally return to the same colony and often the same nest site each year on Dyer Island to be together.


Endangered Status of African Penguin

African penguins are currently classified as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN red data list criteria. Unfortunately, the African Penguin is now endangered and on its way the extinction because of pollution, climate change and overfishing on African shores. The African penguin population has declined by 90 percent since the turn of the 20th century.

African penguin population has declined by 90 percent since the turn of the 20th century.


Did you know?
African Penguin population was estimated at 179,000 in 1998 and is still declining despite conservation efforts. African Penguins are the only penguin species that breed in Africa.

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

African Men Shaped Canada’s History

Image
Mathieu Da Costa: Canada’s First Recorded Black Person Mathieu Da Costa holds a unique place in Canadian history as the first recorded Black person to set foot in what is now Canada. Mathieu Da Costa's linguistic abilities mediated fur trade prices and trading routes between Europeans and Africans using intellect, tact and cunning. A Linguistic Bridge Across Cultures Da Costa’s carefully honed multilingual skills included European languages such as French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Indigenous languages. These abilities made him an invaluable asset to explorers and merchants conducting trade and diplomacy across continents.  His fluency allowed him to have the freedom to travel, forge relationships and communicate effectively across cultural divides, ensuring the success of expeditions led by figures like Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons. Mathieu Da Costa worked with prominent figures of early Canadian exploration, including Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Dugua, Sieu...
Read the full post here

Greek Obsession with Ethiopia

Image
Ethiopia: How Ancient Greece Imagined a Distant Land. The ancient Greeks were fascinated by Ethiopia , placing it at the edge of the known world. Drawn by dreams of wealth and the pursuit of mathematical knowledge and scientific marvels, the Greeks also sought riches such as gold, ivory, ebony, and exotic animals. These goods were highly prized in the Greek world , promising great wealth and peril to those who dared to venture to this distant land. Distance and Travel to Ethiopia. Sea travel was the primary means of long-distance travel for the ancient Greeks . A sea voyage along the African coast to the regions they considered Ethiopia would have taken several weeks to a few months. Sea voyages were fraught with dangers. Ships were vulnerable to storms, which could capsize or drive them off course.  Pirates posed a constant threat, targeting both seafaring vessels and coastal settlements. Navigation was challenging, relying on knowledge of stars, coastlines, and rudimentary instru...
Read the full post here

Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition

Image
Dream-nightmare story from the Kru people of Liberia: the newly chosen Fine Boy is temporarily celebrated with fanfare and pleasure. Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition Fascinating stories emerged during the Pepper Coast's glory days. Beginning in the 15th century, European traders established outposts along the Liberian coastline, drawn by its wealth of humans, spices, and other commodities.  Centuries later, in the 19th century, the American Colonization Society (ACS) founded settlements in Liberia and began journalling native stories.  Among these tales is a dream-nightmare story from the Kru people of Liberia, a story so intriguing it almost seems too good to be true because, in some ways, it is.   The Kru women periodically held elections to select a young, handsome man as their “Fine Boy.” The announcement of his selection was celebrated with a vibrant procession featuring music, singing, and dancing.  The newly chosen Fine Boy was placed at the front of the para...
Read the full post here

What is the difference between ugali and fufu

Image
How to make the popular African recipes Ugali and Fufu and what is the difference.  Ugali is a starch dish in Kenya and Tanzania made of fine cornmeal cooked in boiling water into a soft dough. Fufu is a thick, dough-like West African food made by boiling then pounding a starchy vegetable such as yam, plantain, or cassava or a mixture of starchy vegetables. The main difference between fufu and ugali is fufu is boiled first then pounded while ugali is simply boiled. Ugali recipe. Easy Ugali Recipe Prep time 5 minutes Cook time 30 minutes Total time 30 minutes Ingredients 4 cups finely ground cornmeal 8 cups water Directions Heat water to boiling in a saucepan. Slowly pour cornmeal into boiling water stirring continuously. Add more cornmeal if necessary until it is thick as soft bread dough. Serve immediately with vegetables, stew, or any dish you would use a spoon with to soak up the sauce, ugali is purposely bland tasting on its own. What is the difference between ugali ...
Read the full post here