African Art and Food Sharing History and Heritage

Everyone will undergo the sentence of the grave. These death and burial Igbo African proverbs teach practical lessons on death and dying. Where there is a dead body, both criers and laughers are found ~Igbo Proverb Death African Igbo Proverbs Everyone will Undergo the Sentence of the Grave.  The debt that a strong man owes to the earth is death.  Things that are sweet are killers. One who constantly disagrees will agree on the death mat.  Even the best cooking pot cannot produce food. Death does not recognize the chief. The corpse does not know that it is being mourned. Where there is a dead body, both criers and laughers are found.  A poor person thinks about money more than death.  He who will go tomorrow finds tomorrow has already gone. Rain does not fall on one roof alone. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa? About African Healers ...

Adinkra symbols Kintinkantan meaning arrogance, FoFoo meaning jealousy and Tamfo Bebre meaning envy are three West African symbols to avoid using. Three West African Symbols to Avoid Tamfo Bebre pronounced Tah-M-Foh Beh-Breh  Secret meaning is envy or the enemy shall suffer.  Envy is deeply rooted in human behavior as well as one of the seven original deadly sins.  Envy leads to feeling resentful of people who have what you want. If you do not confront and sort through the true reason for your envy, you cannot focus on your blessings. You will continue to hate someone for his or her good fortune. If you are not careful, the enemy suffering could be you. Fofoo pronunced Foh-Fuh  Secret meaning is jealousy. Mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear is defined as jealousy. Longing to have what someone else has with misplaced hatred only leads to a life of self-inflicted suffering. Kintinkantan pronounced Ken-tin-ka-tan  Secret meaning is arrogance. The wicke...

Savor Nigerian toasted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy, nutritious snack. Indulge in the delight of Mkpuru Ugu, Nigerian toasted pumpkin seeds, as a convenient grab-and-go snack, or sprinkle them over salads and soups for that perfect crunch. These delectable toasted pumpkin seeds will satisfy your cravings and offer a nutritious boost to your day. In Nigerian cuisine, pumpkin seeds are often used as a key ingredient in preparing Egusi soup, a traditional and beloved dish. The seeds are ground into a powder and combined with other ingredients such as vegetables, meats, and spices to create a rich and flavorful soup that is enjoyed across the country.  Apart from being used in soups, pumpkin seeds are also roasted and enjoyed as a standalone snack in Nigeria. They are commonly seasoned with spices like salt, pepper, or other local seasonings to enhance their flavor.  Roasted pumpkin seeds are a popular street food snack. They are often sold in markets or by vendors in small package...

Cabbage is one of the most popular vegetables in South Africa grown mostly in KwaZulu-Natal inland regions. The capital of KwaZulu-Natal is Pietermaritzburg and is known as the garden providence. The cabbage plant grown throughout the world was thought of as a gift from God. Healthy kabichi cabbage salad recipe is super easy to make using only three ingredients. Healthy Kabichi Cabbage Salad Recipe Healthy African Kabichi Cabbage Salad Recipe Ingredients 1 cup shredded cabbage 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 medium tomato diced Salt and pepper to taste Directions Add all ingredients into a large bowl, mix well refrigerate 2 hours and serve as a side dish for grilled meats or a healthy salad for lunch or dinner. Cabbage was used for therapeutic purposes to treat arthritis, stomach problems, ear nose and throat issues, and headaches. More economical easy lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again. ...

African proverbs on being wise, humble and sensible African proverbs on being wise, humble and sensible. African Proverbs are one of the oldest wise sayings revered the world round. Proverbs teach us to worry less and love more, listen to good advice and take responsibility for our actions. African proverbs show us how to accept change and understand ourselves. You become wise when you begin to run out of money ~ Ghanaian Proverb African proverbs on being wise, humble and sensible Leading a race does not mean that you will win it. ~ Bemba Proverb Optimism leads to riches and pessimism leads to poverty. ~ Kenyan Proverb It is survival, not bravery that makes a man climb a thorny tree. ~ Ugandan Proverb   One cannot see oneself, a stone cannot push itself. ~ Boran Proverb If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom ~ Nigerian Proverb A climbing plant with tendrils cannot grow on its own without the support o...

In Africa processing grain using hand tools has not changed in 3.5 thousand years. Pounding grain in Africa What are threshing, winnowing, and milling? Threshing. Threshing is hitting the stems and husks of grain or cereal plants to separate the grains or seeds from the straw. Winnowing. Wind winnowing or screening is a method used for separating grain from the chaff. Pounding or milling. Pounding or milling grain requires great skill and stamina, the goal is not to produce very fine flour but rather to mill the grain to a point of coarseness that is acceptable to the cook. Milling, pounding, and grinding is used interchangeably to describe the process of taking grain and decreasing it down to smaller sizes. Pounding grain is often a necessary communal activity and many hours are spent each day milling grain by hand. Pounding grain is therefore still a common sight and sound in many areas of Africa. Mortar and pestle grinding methods are still in common use throughout Africa to...

African ancestors have a wealth of proverbs on the bolstering overconfident fool. In the world today, there is no shortage of confident people who believe in faking their way to success. Most people would rather swallow a self-confidence pill to increase their knowledge and ingenuity since embracing inner insecurities and self-doubts is seen as a sign of weakness. African proverbs on the confident fool People have more confidence than they need but are not as great as they think. Many see confidence as the key component of success and think that increasing confidence is the only solution to relationship and career problems.  Fake it till you make it, life is all about perception acting as if but, if people never allow themselves to feel vulnerable and insecure it becomes impossible to build self-confidence.  What remains in the world are people playacting at life instead of actuality living life. African proverbs on the confident fool Fools a...

Discover a new twist on ordinary peanut stew, add goat !  Make and share this easy one pot West African goat peanut butter stew recipe with family and friends tonight. West African Goat Peanut Stew Recipe     West African Goat Peanut Stew Recipe Ingredients 1 pound goat meat cut into small cubes 2 medium yellow sliced onion 2 medium chopped green pepper 2 large potatoes diced 2 medium carrots diced 1 cup smooth peanut butter 5 cups vegetable broth One big pinch of salt or to taste 2 whole cloves 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon allspice 2 hot peppers sliced 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon vinegar Directions Sauté goat and olive oil until goat is browned, add onions and green peppers and heat for 3 minutes. Add broth to peanut butter in a separate cup and stir well. Add all ingredients to goat mixture cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Serve over rice. Did you know? Goats are very competitive with each other hav...

Nigerian Igbo proverb, when husband and wife are in harmony, one piece of yam is enough for their food, teaches us that by watering the seeds of kindness and cooperation, you can plant togetherness which will bring peace to your heart and home.  I wish you everlasting peace, love, and harmony in your marriage. When husband and wife are in harmony, one piece of yam is enough for their food. - Nigerian Igbo proverb. The proverb serves as a reminder to prioritize harmony and unity in our partnerships and to appreciate the power of working together towards common goals. It encourages us to build strong, supportive relationships that can withstand challenges and nourish us emotionally and practically, allowing us to find contentment and fulfillment in even the simplest aspects of life.  The essence of the proverb lies in the idea that when a husband and wife work together harmoniously, their combined efforts and mutual support create a sense of abundance and contentment, even with ...

The question of when life begins seems to be a basic answer but, it is one of the most interesting and meaningful questions we can possibly ask. The African folklore story of crocodiles fortune and when does life begins is still debated by beasts and birds to this day. When Does Life begin African Folklore Questions about the very beginnings of life African Folklore story Crocodile was very old. Finally he died. News of his death spread among the Beasts; and his relatives and friends came to mourn. After a proper number of days had passed, the matter of the division of the property was mentioned. At once a quarrel developed, on the question as to who were his nearest relatives. The tribe of Birds said, "He is ours and we will be the ones to divide the property." Their claim was disputed, others asking, "On what ground do you claim relationship? You wear feathers; you do not wear plates of armor as he. "The Birds replied, "True, he did not wear our...

Ashanti proverbs express the timeless wisdom of the Ashanti people. Wise sayings in the speech of proverbs have been passed down for generations in Ashanti culture. There is no medicine to cure hatred is the Chic African Culture's favorite proverb. Anger leads to hate which leads to misery, which leads to hate which leads to anger; it is a never-ending cycle of negativity. Only when you insert love into the cycle it will become clear that love is stronger than hate. Hate destroys but love builds. More African proverb quotes and wise sayings about hate   Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. - Martin Luther King Jr.   I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain. - James Baldwin   I do not have time to hate people who hate me because I am too busy loving people who love me. - Unknown ...

Happy fat wife in Mauritania Africa where fat women are preferred. Fat wives with stretch marks, rolls of fat and broad backsides are considered extremely beautiful in areas of Africa desert country of Mauritania. In Mauritania, Africa, fat wife makes for a happy life. Fat Wife Makes A Happy Marriage Life in Africa Desert Country of Mauritania In Mauritania, overeating is not a sign of addiction, but rather of a tradition. Beauty as always is in the eye of the beholder. In the eleventh largest country in Africa, Mauritania, among the white Moor Arab population, fat women are traditionally seen as more desirable and obesity is viewed as a sign of wealth and prestige. The fatter the wife the happier the husband and the marriage bed. Why? If a girl was thin, she was considered poor or sickly, and would not be respected enough for marriage.  To attain Mauritanian traditional standards of beauty, many women undergo the practice of gavage, or "fattening up." Gavage is F...

What Does Africa and The NYSE Have to do with Each Other Africa's Coffee, Cocoa, and Cotton rule the New York Stock Exchange Intercontinental Exchange Group soft commodities market. African influences are extensive in the softs markets and are of vital importance to the international soft commodity trading of the world. Africa's Influence On The New York Stock Exchange and China A stock exchange is a facility where stockbrokers and traders can buy and sell securities, such as shares of stock and bonds and other financial instruments. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization. African influences are extensive in the soft markets especially in the case of cotton, cocoa, and coffee and are of vital importance to the international soft commodity trade on the Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange Group or ICE of the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE. According to ICE, it became the center of global trading in...

African farmers and climate is very important to Sierra Leone for farming and weather impact because subsistence agriculture is the dominant sector in the Sierra Leone economy. With a population of nearly 6.5 million people the weather of Sierra Leone from December to February is dry but rainfall along the coast is around 200 inches a year, making it one of the wettest places in Africa. Traditional shifting cultivation is by far the predominant system of farming in the African country of Sierra Leone. Most farmers produce a wide range of crops under rainfed conditions including rice, the main crop, cassava, sweet potato, maize, sorghum, yams, groundnut, benniseed (sesame) millet, okra, garden eggs (small eggplants), pepper and a multitude of leafy vegetables. The sesame plant prefers humid areas, so it is mostly grown in the wetter northern provinces, intercropped with rice. The small white seeds, the only edible part of the plant, are traditionally prepared in two ways: toasted...

Nearly every culture in the world has a creation story that explains life on earth came to be here. These creation stories have a massive influence on African storytelling literature. Yoruba Ori destiny creation narrative, you cannot outrun your destiny explains creation from the African Yoruba point of view. To the Yoruba people, Ori is an Orisha supernatural concept. Ori refers to a person’s spiritual intuition and destiny, the deep within a spark of human consciousness rooted in the human spirit. Yoruba destiny creation story of how choosing the right Ori will establish what life you will inhabit Earth. Ori and Human Destiny The God Oggun who never sleeps as long as the world is turning molded the human skeleton and the God Obatala molded the head of humans out of clay.  Olodumare, the supreme God of the universe, blew the breath of life into the completed human body.  The destiny or Ori chosen determines your final destiny. You are said to be free to choose any Ori fr...