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.

History of Rice in West Africa No One Knows About

History of Rice in West Africa No One Knows About. Rice, a staple food in many African countries. Rice has been cultivated in West Africa for over 3,000 years, however, about 450 years ago, the Asian species, Oryza sativa, was introduced to Africa from Asia and the demand for Asian rice has outpaced the demand for African rice among Africans.

Secret History of Rice in West Africa.

African rice, whose scientific name is Oryza glaberrima, is unique to Africa. Rice is not only a vital part of African culture but also a favorite food. Long-grain white rice imported from Thailand and Vietnam are more widely consumed by most West Africans. 

African rice, whose scientific name is Oryza glaberrima, is unique to Africa
African rice

Since 1960, when most West African countries were gaining independence, the total population of the region was just over 90 million but in the course of over 50 years, the population nearly quadrupled, reaching 342 million by 2015. Such huge population growth has a major impact on agriculture and on the demand of its food resources, especially rice. 
 
According to the Africa Rice Center, long-grain white rice dominates the markets in most of West Africa. Preferences for broken rice differs between countries. In Ghana, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali Senegal and Mauritania most consumers prefer rice broken.

Broken rice is sold as a low-quality; low-cost product in most markets, but is the preferred rice product. Parboiled rice can be either of high quality with a golden tinge or low quality with a dark color.

Burkina Faso transforms a large share of its rice production into parboiled rice; this is done mostly by women. Nigeria is one of the largest importers of fully milled, high-quality parboiled rice and Liberia is one of West Africa’s top importers of low-quality parboiled rice.

Since 60 percent of West Africans are projected to live in urban areas by 2020 and the number of cities with more than 100, 000 inhabitants will grow from 78 in 2006 to more than 200 in 2030, demand for imported staples such as rice is likely to increase. This requires a significantly upgraded staple food processing capacity in the West African region.

In Mali, rice is the third most important commodity in value terms, after livestock and cotton. Since 1985, rice production in West Africa has doubled, but consumption of rice has increased even more rapidly. This has resulted in the increasing dependence of West African countries on rice imports.

African rice, whose scientific name is Oryza glaberrima, is unique to Africa
Rice

A population of 80 percent farmers live on the Danyi plateau in Togo cultivation of upland red and white mixed colors rice is a specialty. The Danyi plateau farmers use the indigenous African rice, which was domesticated about 3,500 years ago in West Africa.

African rice, whose scientific name is Oryza glaberrima, is unique to Africa. About 450 years ago, the Asian species, Oryza sativa, was introduced to Africa from Asia. A few African farmers, such as the villagers in the Danyi plateau, have continued to grow African rice because of its adaptability and its ceremonial and cultural value.

Cooking rice in Senegal
Cooking rice in Senegal

Africa eats 13 million tons of milled rice per year, of which 40 percent is imported. Nearly 21 of the 39 rice-producing countries in Africa import between 50 and 99 percent of their rice for consumption.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Africa's inability to reach self-sufficiency in rice is the result of several major constraints in the rice industry which requires urgent addressing. In order to stem the trend of over-reliance on imports and to satisfy the increasing demand for rice in areas of West Africa.

African rice did you know? Rice has been cultivated for more than 3,000 years in parts of Africa.

Easy lunch and dinner rice recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring white rice recipe again.

  1. Mozambique Coconut Beans Recipe
  2. Black-Eyed Pea Casserole with Rice and Herbs
  3. Rice and Beans Ghana Style
  4. Fried Banana Rice Dumplings
  5. Fried Rice Cakes Recipe

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Week’s Best African Culture Posts

African Men Shaped Canada’s History

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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...
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Greek Obsession with Ethiopia

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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...
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Kru Tribe Fine Boy Tradition

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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...
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What is the difference between ugali and fufu

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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 ...
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