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.

Popular African Spices

Popular African Food Spices List of popular African cooking spices you need to know​. 

Africans have developed a distinctive food pallet using a myriad of popular African spices in stews and soups, chutneys, fruits and vegetables and so much more.

Popular African Food Spices and Recipes

There are more exciting spices than salt and pepper. African food and culture explain a small sampling of common herbs and spices used in African cooking. Maggi cubes are used in almost every African recipe.

Popular African Food Spices and Recipes

African Bird Pepper
African Bird Pepper comes in a scorching 70,000 -150,000 Scoville Heat Units. African bird pepper, commonly referred to also as piri piri (pepper-pepper)

Cardamom
Cardamom has a gingery pine flavor and if using whole seeds crack before using.

Cinnamon
Cinnamon is made of ground dried tree bark, sometimes left whole. Most of the cinnamon comes from trees of the cinnamon cassia family.

Coriander
Coriander is the seed of the cilantro plant, the taste is citrus sweet flavor. The African countries of Morocco and Egypt produce a lot amount of the world’s coriander.

Cumin
Cumin is a member of the parsley family and has a strong earthy flavor. During the middle ages, people believed that a joyful life would come to the bride and groom who carried Cumin seeds during the entire wedding ceremony.

Fenugreek
Fenugreek is extremely fragrant and the taste is robust, sweet, and a bit bitter. In cooking, there is not really a substitute for this unique spice. 

Garlic
Garlic related to the lily family, grows in heads or clumps of cloves, and garlic is a relative of the onion. Cooks use garlic fresh and dried in recipes, garlic and has a strong flavor and concentrated aroma.Garlic related to the lily family, grows in heads or clumps of cloves, and garlic is a relative of the onion. Cooks use garlic fresh and dried in recipes, garlic and has a strong flavor and concentrated aroma.Garlic related to the lily family, grows in heads or clumps of cloves, and garlic is a relative of the onion. Cooks use garlic fresh and dried in recipes, garlic and has a strong flavor and concentrated aroma.

Ginger
Ginger is a clean, citrus warm intense taste too much ginger translates to hot and spicy on the tongue. Ginger is one of the most popular spices in Africa.

Lemon Grass
Lemon Grass has a strong citrus flavor, substitute for lemon zest in a recipe.

Maggi Cubes
Maggi seasoning cubes are used in almost every African recipe. Some ingredients in Maggi Cubes are palm oil, Wheat Flour, Sugar, Onions, Turmeric, White Pepper, Coriander, and Parsley.  

Nutmeg
Nutmeg is a sweet, nutty, heady fragrance and tastes warm and a bit sweet.

Saffron
Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice, Saffron threads are the stigma of the purple crocus and it takes 175,000-225,000 manually selected flowers to make a pound of saffron. Saffron has a strong aroma and a pungent, sweet taste and gives foods a brilliant yellow color.

Tamarind
Tamarind is native to the tropics of Africa tamarind is a brownish slightly sour tasting pod popular in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Turmeric
Turmeric is a sharp, peppery, slightly musty, earthy aroma with an astringent flavor. Turmeric also adds vivid yellow color to foods. 

Culture and Food of Africa would not be complete without including the African food spice recipe Garam Masala. This easy spice recipe is an easy recipe for vegetables, poultry, soups and stews.   

Popular African Food Spice Recipe Homemade Garam Masala

Serves 30

Total time from start to finish 10 minutes

Traditionally, South African Indian recipes call for garam masala, a blend of seven spices, cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Spices give South African Indian cuisine its unique flavor and character. Most South African Indian recipes call for many different types of spices, many you may never have used. Do not assume that these Indian spices are hard to find, most are to be found in your local supermarkets, and if you cannot find them there, visit the local Indian grocery store. Garam masala is a strong spice mixture and is the heart of most Indian dishes.

Homemade Garam Masala Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
Mix all spices in a bowl, place mix in an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 months. Ground spices lose their favors faster than whole spices; the best way to use homemade garam masala is in small batches.

Popular African Food Spice Recipe Homemade Garam Masala
Add caption

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

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

Why Study the Kingdom of Kongo When It Failed

Image
A Kingdom Torn Apart: The Forces Behind Kongo’s Collapse. Why study and honor defunct ancient African kingdoms? These kingdoms no longer exist, they were failures; hpwever, they were once thriving societies with remarkable achievements. Before the arrival of Portuguese explorers, the Kingdom of Kongo flourished as a prosperous and powerful African state.  It boasted a sophisticated social structure, strong economic systems, and rich spiritual traditions. The King of Kongo was regarded as a sacred intermediary between the gods and his people, embodying the kingdom's deep reverence for spirituality and governance.  This existence, however, became a battleground as the Portuguese wielded their “divide and conquer” strategy with precision, exploiting internal rivalries and introducing advanced weaponry that disrupted the balance of power, deposing the king. Economic pressures intensified as the Portuguese fueled the transatlantic slave trade, transforming allies into rivals and co...
Read the full post here

Keto Moroccan Dinner Cooked Slowly

Image
Slow Cooked Moroccan Kefta Lamb Meatballs   Keto Tagine Morocco is at the geographic and cultural crossroads between Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.   In Morocco, the term tagine refers to a slow cooked stew as well as the pot the stew is made in. Kefta Tagine Kefta Tagine is a keto-friendly Moroccan lamb meatball food dish fitted for your low-carb lifestyle. The slow cooking of the meatballs allows the flavors to meld beautifully, creating a fragrant, hearty keto meal. The star of the Kefta Tagine dish is lamb, symbolizing the richness of Moroccan hospitality. Lamb meat has been a staple in North African cuisine for centuries, with lamb being central to celebrations and religious festivals.  Ground lamb meat is spiced and shaped into small balls, known as kefta, a preparation that dates back to ancient Berber traditions.  The kefta are seasoned with cumin, paprika, and coriander, spices that have shaped Morocco’s history in the global trading of spices whi...
Read the full post here