African cuisine/ja: Difference between revisions

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=== Countries ===

* [[Botswana cuisine]]

* [[Cuisine of Eswatini]]

* [[Cuisine of Lesotho]]

* [[Namibian cuisine]]

* [[South African cuisine]]

* [[Zimbabwe cuisine]]

* [[Mozambican cuisine]]

==West Africa==

{{Main|West African cuisine}}

[[File:Mafe SN.JPG|thumb|West African [[maafe]] or groundnut stew, prepared by a [[Senegal]]ese cook]]

A typical [[West Africa]]n meal is made with [[starch]]y items and can contain meat, fish, as well as various spices and herbs. A wide array of staples are eaten across the region, including [[fufu]], [[Banku (dish)|banku]], [[kenkey]] (originating from [[Ghana]]), foutou, [[couscous]], tô, and [[garri]], which are served alongside soups and stews. Fufu is often made from starchy [[root vegetable]]s such as [[yam (vegetable)|yams]], [[Xanthosoma|cocoyams]], or [[cassava]], and also from cereal grains like millet, sorghum or plantains.

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[[File:Jollof rice.jpg|thumb|[[Jollof rice]] is a popular dish throughout West Africa.]]

The staple grain or starch varies between regions and ethnic groups, although corn has gained significant ground as it is cheap, swells to greater volumes and creates a beautiful white final product that is greatly desired.  Banku and kenkey are maize dough staples, and garri is made from dried grated cassavas. Rice dishes are also widely eaten in the region, especially in the dry [[Sahel]] belt inland. Examples of these include the Senegalese dish [[thieboudienne]] also known as [[Thieboudienne|benachin]] or [[Jollof rice]], a pan-West African rice dish similar to Arab [[kabsah]].

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Seeds of Guinea pepper ([[Aframomum melegueta]], also called grains of paradise or melegueta pepper), a native [[West African]] plant, were used as a spice and even reached Europe, through North African middlemen, during the Middle Ages. Centuries before the influence of the Europeans, [[West Africa]]ns were trading with the [[Arab world]] and spices like [[cinnamon]], [[clove]]s, and [[Mentha|mint]] were not unknown, therefore becoming part of the local flavorings. Centuries later, the Portuguese, French and British influenced the regional cuisines, but only to a limited extent.

The local cuisine and recipes of [[West Africa]] continue to remain deeply entrenched in the local customs and traditions, with ingredients like native rice (''[[Oryza glaberrima]]''), rice, [[fonio]], millet, sorghum, [[Bambara groundnut]]s and [[Hausa groundnut]]s, [[black-eyed pea]]s, brown beans, and root vegetables such as yams, [[cocoyam]]s, [[sweet potato]]es, and cassava. Cooking techniques include [[roasting]], [[baking]], [[boiling]], [[frying]], mashing, and spicing. A range of sweets and savories are also prepared.

[[File:Kwlikwli.jpg|thumb|Klouikloui, rings of fried peanut butter as served in [[Benin]]]]

Cooking techniques of West Africa are changing.  In the past [[West Africa]]ns ate much less meat and used native oils ([[palm oil]] on the coast and [[shea butter]] in Sahelian regions).  Baobob leaf and numerous local greens were everyday staples during certain times of the year. Today the diet is much heavier in meats, salt, and fats.  Many dishes combine fish and meat, including dried and fermented fish. Flaked and dried fish is often fried in oil, and sometimes cooked in sauce made with hot peppers, onions, tomatoes, various spices (such as [[sumbala|soumbala]]), and water to prepare a highly flavored stew.

In some areas beef and mutton are preferred, and goat meat is the dominant red meat. [[Suya]], a popular grilled spicy meat [[kebab]] flavored with peanuts and other spices, is sold by street vendors as a snack or evening meal and is typically made with beef or chicken.  It is common to have a preponderance of seafood, which as earlier stated, is sometimes also mixed with other meat products. Guinea fowl and chicken eggs are also preferred.

With regard to beverages, water has a very strong ritual significance in many West African nations (particularly in dry areas) and water is often the first thing an [[Africa]]n host will offer their guest. [[Palm wine]] is also a common beverage made from the fermented sap of various types of [[Arecaceae|palm]] trees and is usually sold in sweet (less-fermented, retaining more of the sap's sugar) or sour (fermented longer, making it stronger and less sweet) varieties.  Millet beer is another common beverage (Millet beer, also known as Bantu beer, is an alcoholic beverage made from malted millet.)

===Countries===

* [[Benin cuisine]]

* [[Burkinabé cuisine]], Burkina Faso

* [[Ghanaian cuisine]]

* [[Cuisine of Guinea-Bissau]]

* [[Cuisine of Guinea]]

* [[Ivorian cuisine]]

* [[Liberian cuisine]]

* [[Malian cuisine]]

* [[Mauritanian cuisine]]

* [[Nigerian cuisine]]

* [[Cuisine of Niger]]

* [[Cuisine of Saint Helena]]

* [[Senegalese cuisine]]

* [[Cuisine of Sierra Leone]]

* [[Togolese cuisine]]

'''<big>Notable Dishes</big>'''

'''Bitter Leaf Soup'''

The Bitter Leaf itself is known scientifically as Vernonia amygdalina and is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. The bitter taste comes from the alkaloids contained within the plant.