The rich and diverse culinary traditions of Africa developed over a very long time and many cultures have contributed to the unique character of African dishes. These cultures include not only indigenous people, but also influences from other parts of the world.

In this series on African cuisine, we take a look at how knowledge and use of indigenous food plants form the heart of delicious, nutritious meals shared by different cultures and adapted to specific tastes.

Fusion of culinary traditions

The food story of Africa was started by hunter-gatherers who were groups of people who roamed the continent in search of animals to hunt and wild plants to gather for food. They led a subsistence lifestyle that relied on hunting, fishing and foraging for wild vegetation and other sources of nutrients, like honey, for food. Anthropologists (scientists who study people) have discovered evidence for the practice of hunter-gatherer culture by modern humans (Homo sapiens) and their distant ancestors dating as far back as two million years. Earlier groups used to rely on scavenging meat from the remains of animals that predators had left behind. All humans practiced hunting gathering until about 12 000 years ago.

They had to move great distances to find the food they needed to survive. As they travelled, they encountered different landscapes and new environments with plant species yet unknown to them. In this way, they discovered different edible plant species, such as grass species with edible seeds that could be ground, legumes that could be stored, as well as leafy greens and tubers or roots that could be prepared in different ways. As they travelled, they also met other groups of hunter-gatherers and interacted with them at social gatherings or by sharing habitats for a while. Whenever they met up, they exchanged information about the local plants and their uses, whether for food or for medicines.

They also traded goods and foods. Some of the grain and legume seeds that adapted to the new environment were planted and became integral to the diet of the receiving community. The groups also learned how to prepare dishes and potions with the new plants they were introduced to. This led to a fusion of cooking or culinary traditions. As the groups adopted new ingredients, they adapted their recipes to their own liking, thus creating unique dishes. Agricultural practices were first developed about 12 000 years ago. People settled in one place where they planted vegetables and eventually also started keeping livestock. Today, very few hunter-gatherer groups still exist, with the Hadza people of Tanzania being one of the last groups to live in this tradition.

Influences from outside the continent

But the hunter-gatherer groups not only learned from each other. They also learned about new ingredients and using these in their cooking from people from outside Africa, and more specifically from the Indian Ocean countries, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. They learned about and adopted staple foods like maize, cassava, bananas, and Asian rice from other continents, as well as the New World that brought capsicum peppers (sweet or hot chillies).

Hotness and spice became a trademark for many types of African cooking. East African cuisines were influenced by Omani, Yemeni and Indian settlers who brought their spices with them. These spices have been planted in Africa and now form part of the cuisine of many African kitchens.

Some countries, like Egypt, where this stall sells watermelons, influenced the cuisine of other African countries. (Source: Pixabay)

Countries’ cuisines that played an important role

”African cuisine is a rich tapestry woven together by various regions, communities, and historical influences,” says Jurie van der Walt, author of several books on Africa’s indigenous plants and their use in traditional foods. Some countries have played influential roles in shaping African cuisine due to their geographical, historical and cultural significance. These countries are situated along traditional trade routes where many cultures meet. Add to that the influence of historical events such as colonialism.

Egypt: Ancient Egypt with its agricultural practices along the nutrient-rich banks of the Nile River, had a profound influence on African and Mediterranean cuisines. They use wheat and barley, fruit, vegetables, legumes and aromatic herbs. Their culinary heritage include bread making and beer brewing.

Algeria: Algerian cuisine is influenced by Mediterranean, the indigenous Berber people, Arab, and French cultures. Traditional dishes like couscous and brik, a deep-fried savoury pastry with egg, have found their way to the broader North African region.

Morocco: Morocco’s diverse and flavourful dishes were influenced by Berber, Arab, Moorish and the Mediterranean food cultures. Spices, herbs, preserved foods, and cooking techniques like using a tagine, an earthenware pot, have influenced North African and other African foods.

Food prepared in a tagine, a terracotta pot, is traditional fare of Morocco. (Source: Pixabay)

Ethiopia: Ethiopian cuisine is well-known for its injera, a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour, and unique spice blends. The practice of sharing meals on a communal plate, a practice known as gursha, is a sign of the impact of Ethiopian cuisine on the region. Gursha refers to the practice of placing a bite of spicy food wrapped in injera in the mouth of another.

Nigeria: Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is home to a wide range of ethnic groups, who have contributed to the country’s diverse culinary traditions. Nigerian cuisine includes dishes like jollof rice, pounded yam, egusi soup and suya. Egusi refers to the protein-rich seeds of certain cucurbitaceous plants that are dried and ground. Suya is a traditional smoked, spiced meat skewer. Nigerian culinary practices have influenced the West African subregion.

Senegal: Senegalese cuisine uses fish, rice, peanuts and baobab fruit in its flavourful stews. The country’s cuisine has made its mark in the region, but also among communities in the African diasporas, which refers to African population living scattered across different regions away from their place of origin.

Ghana: Ghanaian cuisine includes rich and tasty soups, stews, and dishes like fufu, made from mashed yam, cassava or plantain, and waakye, a savoury dish of rice and beans. Ghana’s food traditions have had an impact on West African cuisines.

South Africa: South African cuisine has been influenced by colonial history, but also by indigenous practices and diverse cultural groups including European, Asian and indigenous flavours. Pap, or maize porridge, and biltong, cured, dried meat, exist alongside Cape Malay traditional dishes like bobotie, and umngqusho, a traditional indigenous dish of samp and beans.

Different countries played a prominent role in the fusion of cultures in their cuisines. (Source: https://ontheworldmap.com/africa/)

Source references

African Cuisine. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_cuisine

Hadza (n.d.) (National Geographic) https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/hadza/

Hobbs, J. (2017) Fifteen of Africa’s favourite dishes. CNN https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/africa-food-dishes/index.html

Hunter-Gatherer Culture. (n.d.) National Geographic https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/hunter-gatherer-culture/

Van der Walt, J (2024) Authentic African cuisine and recipes https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/jurie+van+der+walt+african+food/KtbxLxgRRmmWjkPZLqWhcTLWlrksfJTwvq?projector=1&messagePart Id=0.1

Waris, D. (n.d.) Top 30 Healthy Native African Foods and their country of origination. Motivation Africa https://motivation.africa/top-30- healthy-native-african-foods.html

In Ethiopia, it is customary to share food from one plate. (Source: Vanessa Hayford, https://www.blackfoodie.co/how-to-eat-and-orderethiopian-eritrean-food/)