The Taste of the Dark Continent

Algeria

Chakhchoukha is a flavorable stew prepared with torn pieces of a thin, round, flatbread known as rougag and marqua. Other ingredients in the stew are diced lamb, tomatoes, chickpeas, and onions. The stew is flavored with cumin, ras el hanout, caraway, galangal, lavender, and red chili peppers.

Chorba frik is a traditional soup based on tomatoes, meat, chickpeas, and an ancient grain called frik. It is seasoned with Algerian spices like mint or coriander. 

Rechta is a traditional dish that consists of thin, flat noodles and chicken sauce. The noodles are made with flour, salt, water, and ghee. The sauce is prepared with chicken pieces, onions, garlic, oil, chickpeas, ras el hanout, cinnamon, turnips, potatoes, and zucchini. The noodles are prepared separately and placed on a dish and topped with the sauce.

Cameroon

Poulet DG is a poultry dish that is prepared with chicken, and ripe plantains in a tomato sauce. The dish is garnished with vegetables like green beans, bell peppers, and carrots. 

Ndole is one of the two national dishes of Cameroon. It is made with boiled bitter leaf, peanuts, and melon seeds. It is seasoned with spices and hot oil and can include either meat or fish. 

Cape Verde

Cachupa is a slow-cooked corn and bean stew with vegetables like plantains, sweet potatoes, squash, and yams. It includes meat like marinated pork and chorizo sausages. It can also be prepared with tuna. Spices include bay leaves, garlic, and pimento.

Egypt

Fetir meshaltet is an Egyptian delicacy that is prepared with flaky layered pastry. The pastry can be plain or filled with sweet or savory ingredients like ground beef, cheese, halwa, chocolate, or raisins. Plain fetir meshaltet is served with sides like fruit jams, honey, cheese, and green olives. The savory version is served with sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Samak mashwi is a dish popular in both Egypt and Lebanon. It consists of a whole baked fish garnished with parsley, lemon slices, mayonnaise, pickles, and sliced olives. The fish is cleaned and deboned with the head left on before baking and seasoned with salt and olive oil.

Kebda Eskandarani or Alexandrian liver is a dish prepared with fried beef liver and seasonings like sumin, garlic, cardamom, and chili peppers. It is served in sandwiches with tahini dip. If served on its own it is accompanied by warm rice, lime wedges, or pita bread on the side.

Eritria

Fata is a dish prepared with a rich and spicy tomato stew. This is a spicy tomato and bread salad consisting of minced onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, oil, tomato paste, cayenne peppers, allspice, and pieces of crusty bread. It is usually dressed with full-fat yogurt.

Kulwa is a popular Eritrean dish. It is made with lamb or beef chunks fried with berbere spices, ghee, tomatoes, and onions. It is served with rice or flatbread.

Ethiopia

Genfo is an Ethiopean porridge eaten for breakfast. It is prepared with dry-roasted barley flour added to boiling water. Then stirred to a smooth and thick consistency. When placed in a bowl it is shaped in a mound with a hole created in the center. The hole is filled with clarified spiced butter with spices like besobela, koseret, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, turmeric, Ethiopian cardamom, cinnamon and berbere, a mix of chili peppers and up to twenty different spices.

Doro wat is a stew prepared with chicken. The chicken is soaked in water, salt, and lemon juice and cut into eight to twelve pieces. The chicken is stewed until tender. Peeled hard-boiled eggs are added to the stew about five minutes before it is done.

Shiro is a stew that is prepared with chickpeas or broad beans. Other ingredients include garlic, onions, ginger, tomatoes, and chili peppers.

Gambia

Domoda is the national dish of Gambia. This is a peanut stew that can be made with or without meat. It is served over fluffy rice. If prepared with meat it can be beef, bushmeat, or chicken. Without meat, it can include vegetables like pumpkins and sweet potatoes. The peanut sauce is made with ground peanuts, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes mixed with onions or chili peppers.

Ivory Coast

Attieke is a traditional couscous that is made with fermented and ground cassava roots. It is accompanied by sliced onions, tomatoes, grilled chicken, or fried fish.

Kenya

Githeri is a Kenyan staple food. It is made with beans and maize stewed with onions, tomatoes, and at times potatoes or meat chunks. It is flavored with cumin, turmeric, or chili powder. The dish can be served on its own or served with rice or crusty bread on the side.

Wali wa kukaanga is a delicious dish prepared with boiled rice, turmeric, onions, oil, and vegetables like carrots, peas, and corn. Once the rice is combined with the vegetables it is fried and served as an accompaniment to chicken dishes.

Mali

Maafe is a traditional stew enjoyed in West and Central Africa. It is made with roasted peanuts ground into flour making the sauce for this dish. The dish is made with meat like beef, lamb, goat, or chicken or fish different vegetables and spices like ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon.

Morocco

Leems are a Moroccan and North African specialty that consists of preserved lemons pickled in lemon juice and sea salt. The lemons are preferred for their intense flavor. They are added to tagines, stews, and soups. Leems can also be finely chopped and added to salads or used as an accompaniment to fish and seafood dishes.

Taktouka is a healthy salad that is made with cooked tomatoes and green peppers mashed into a puree. It is usually served as a side dish for grilled meat and fish dishes. Taktouka can also be used as a dip with crusty bread. When served it is garnished with freshly chopped parsley or coriander and a drizzle of olive oil.

Briouats are small and crispy pastries. These can be filled with various ingredients like chicken, lamb, cheese, or lemon. The pastries are fried or baked. They are sprinkled with various herbs and spices.

Nigeria

Ogbono is a traditional Nigerian soup. It is prepared with ogbono seeds, red palm oil, onions, stock, seasoning cubes, leafy vegetables like spinach, pumpkin leaves or bitter leaf and assorted meat and fish like beef, tripe, shrimp, and crayfish. The ingredients are simmered in an uncovered pot until all is tender, 

Jollof rice is the national dish of Nigeria. The rice is cooked in a rich tomato sauce. The ingredients include tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, salt, and pepper. For flavor, coconut milk, nutmeg, partminger (African basil leaf), and Roiboos tea are added. If preferred meat, fish, or vegetables can also be added.

Moin moin is a Nigerian dish made with ground beans or black-eyed peas, onions, oil, and freshly ground peppers like chili, bell pepper, and Scotch bonnet. The dish is served as an accompaniment to jollof rice, fried plantains, and akamu.

Senegal

Thieboudienne is a combination of fish, vegetables, and rice in a hearty tomato sauce with garlic and chili. The fish, vegetables, and rice are served separately with a few lime wedges on the side.

Yassa is a chicken stew that is made with marinated chicken in lemon, onions, and vinegar for at least eight hours. Then the chicken pieces are cooked over medium-high heat until the marinade becomes a sauce. It is served over rice.

South Africa

Gatsby is the signature sandwich of Cape Town. The sandwich is prepared with a crusty, toasted roll topped with bologna, French fries, ketchup, lettuce, and hot piri-piri sauce. Other ingredients used for the filling can be masala steak, calamari, or sausages and many other ingredients.

Droewors is a South African dried jerky sausage. The sausage is made with beef or mutton with sheep tail fat, coriander, vinegar, and various spices. It can be flavored with garlic or chili peppers. These thin sausages have a long shelf life and can be frozen for months.

Hoenderpastei is a dish made with a shortcrust pastry shell that is filled with chicken pieces, onions, carrots, celery, hard-boiled eggs, and flavored with pepper, lemon juice, salt, and bay leaves. The pie is baked to a golden brown.

Bobotie is a deep-dish casserole. It is a combination of ground beef or lamb, herbs, spices, curry powder, fruit, and topped with a golden-brown egg custard scented with cinnamon or nutmeg. It is a balance of flavors like sweet and fruity from the chutney, apricot jam, and sugar, spice from curry and turmeric, sour from vinegar, and salty from the meat.

Tanzania

Mchicha is a popular dish made with leafy vegetables like amaranth or spinach, grated coconut, coconut milk, peanut butter, tomatoes, and onions.

Tunisia

Kafteji is a traditional Tunisian dish. It is prepared with fried vegetables like eggplants, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, and pumpkins. The vegetables are chopped, fried, and combined with eggs and seasonings. They are topped with chopped parsley or coriander. Usually served as a side dish to poultry or fish. As a street food, it is served in a baguette.

Fricassee is a traditional sandwich. The base is made with flour, eggs, oil, salt, water, and yeast. Then shaped into round or elongated rolls fried in hot oil. These are filled with tuna, hummus, boiled eggs, capers, olives, harissa, and boiled potatoes.