Heather Little-White, Gleaner Writer

When most people think of the African continent, they think everything there is eccentric, strange and archaic. On the contrary, 'African' represents that part of our Jamaican heritage that makes us 'big and boasy', unique, different, yet memorable.

If you do not know what to expect, African cuisine can be intimidating. According to Uni Blake of eHow.com, "What people don't know is that an African meal is a nutritious, well-balanced meal ... ." Interestingly, African cuisine is considered 'rainbow cooking' because of the variety of ingredients and healthy cooking techniques used to prepare meat, whole grains and beans and fresh fruits and vegetables.

African kitchen

That continent has richly influenced international foods around the world. Traditionally, African women grew and prepare food for the family. They worked on the plantations, or 'shambas', planting, weeding, reaping, cooking and serving food. The African kitchen traditionally was outside the house in a separate building.

According to africaguide.com, the most traditional and, to this day, the most common sight in an African kitchen is a large swing black pot filled with meat, vegetables and spices simmering over a fire. The pot usually sits on three stones arranged in a triangle, and the fire slowly consumes three pieces of wood that meet at a point under the pot.

Grandma's Cooking Terms

Grandma's cooking secrets had origins in the African kitchen.

Mussal - first step: Simmer meat gently with just enough water to tenderise and produce a flavourful concentrated reduced stock, with tender meat.

Dally Nocckoss - second step: It's a mix of spices and herbs pounded well in a mortar and pestle to produce a very fine paste.

Nocckoss - third step: It's a mix of spices and herbs pounded in the mortar and pestle simply to release the flavour.

Taye: Steaming over boiling water or stock.

Dock: Saute a paste until the mixture separates.

Saffal: Are mixed spices with herbs or a mixed herb salad.

Roff: A unique technique from West Africa to flavour a cut of meat.

Beggueg: African mayonnaise (it is made from vegetables - free of dairy and oil), it is one of the component foods used to build muscle for traditional athletes and sportspeople in Africa.

The triumph of Grandma's cooking was to create her own condiments. (www.shieldandspear.com)

African foods have emerged from Arab traders, European colonisers and Asian immigrants with distinctively different preparations in the regions. My African journey took me to several places across the continent and the cuisine in each region was authentic, interesting and tasty.

North Africa

It could be said that North African cuisine had its roots in the beginning of civilisation. North African foods are influenced by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Berbers and the Ottomans. The Carthaginians introduced wheat and semolina. The Berbers, a Christian nomadic group, made couscous from semolina. Couscous is now a staple in the North African diet. Olives and olive oil were known before the Romans arrived and baked and sweet pastries came after the Ottoman Turks.

Countries in North Africa include Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt. Egyptian cuisine goes back 5,000 years to the time of the pharaohs. The builders of the pyramids survived on a diet of onions, garlic, coarse bread and beer. Beer is rarely used, but those other basic ingredients, supplemented by tomatoes, okra, eggplant, favas, lentils, pasta and rice, still form the foundation of Egyptian food today. Meat has always been spare for Egyptians given the small sliver of grazable land either side of the Nile. But dairy cattle provide a variety of farmer-style cheeses, and dishes using domesticated pigeons are favourites. (What's4Eats.com).

East Africa

Ethiopian cuisine is one of the world's best-kept secrets with its spicy mix of vegetable and lentil stews and slow-simmered meats. TibsWet is a spicy and fatty meat dish served with Injera bread, a spongy bread that is served with Ethiopian food. My pick in Ethiopia was Yataklete Kikil, a vegetarian dish also known as Ethiopian gingered vegetable stew.

Yataklete Kilkil

(Ethiopian gingered vegetable stew, a popular vegetarian dish, especially during Lent)

6 new potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds

1/4lb green beans, trimmed and cut in half

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp ginger root, peeled and minced

2-3 chilli peppers, minced

3 tbsps oil, butter

1/2 tsp cardamom or nutmeg, ground (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Place potatoes, carrots and green beans in a large saucepan, cover with water and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low flame and simmer until vegetables are cooked but crispy. Drain and set aside.

2. Place onion, garlic, ginger and chilli pepper in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.

3. Heat the oil, butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion purée and saute until the moisture evaporates and onions have wilted. Do not brown onions.

4. Add cooked vegetables, cardamom or nutmeg, salt, pepper and about 1/2 cup of reserved water. Store well and simmer at low heat for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Variations: Vegetables may be steamed, instead of boiled, to conserve nutrients. Try using different vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers.

East Africa

East African cuisine is influenced by the Persians and Indians and the diet today is made up of grains and vegetables. Common dishes include Ugali, a starchy, corn-based paste similar to our turn cornmeal or Spanish polenta, served with soups and stews. Other common dishes are chapati, East African sweet pea soup and Swahili pudding.

Kenya

Before I visited Kenya, I had heard of chapattis in Indian cuisine. My first taste of it was in Nairobi. It is, in fact, an Indian wholewheat flatbread. It is made on a hot griddle or tava. During mealtime, the chapatti is broken off and wrapped around food before it is placed in the mouth. My East African culinary experience was heightened when my friends at Cornell University cooked up a storm, serving Tanzanian veggie soup, a welcome meal on a cold winter night. Another tasty dish is chicken in coconut [Kuku Wa Kupaka]. Swahili cuisine highlights the Arab influence with the lavish use of saffron, cloves and cinnamon.

West Africa

The typical West African meal is loaded with starchy foods with far smaller portions of meat on the side. West Africans love spicy foods and dishes which include chilli peppers and the native hot Guinea pepper. Seafood is mixed liberally with chicken and other meat. Goat meat is the commonly used red meat, so you can see how Jamaica's cuisine has been influenced by West African culinary practices. West African culture has also been influenced by Arabs and Europeans. Examples are Dodo (fried plantains), fufu (mashed cassava or yams) and moin, moin (a bean pudding).

Cote d'Ivoire

In Cte d'Ivoire, formerly called Ivory Coast, well-flavoured stews are combined with the variety of starches and grains. Chicken and fish are popular proteins. Tomatoes, eggplants and onions are important vegetables. Cassava root, plantains and rice form the bulk of starchy calories. Mafé, or sauce d'arachide, is a famous and popular West African dish, particularly in Senegal, Gambia, Mali and Cte d'Ivoire. It is a stew with meat simmered in a sauce thickened with ground peanuts and has a wonderful sweet-salty flavour. Mafé is known by many names, including groundnut stew, sauce z'ara and tigadene.

Side dishes include fried or mashed plantains and attieke, grated and cooked cassava. Small, local restaurants or maquis serve dishes like kedjenou, chicken stewed with tomatoes and vegetables.

Nigeria

The populous West African country of Nigeria serves up food typically West African and varying in ethnicity. Jollof Rice is a popular dish in Nigeria, so much so that my friends know that when I am to visit, I can partially predict the menu. In the Western world, Jollof Rice is similar to Spanish Rice, in which white rice is steamed and flavoured with herbs, chicken stock and vegetables. Jollof Rice carries several variations, including fried rice and coconut rice.

JOLLOF RICE

Preparation time: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

4 cups of long-grained rice

2 medium-size cans of tomato sauce or tomato paste

1lb of chicken gizzard (shrimp or fish can be substituted)

1 can of corned beef

2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables

1 medium-size white onion (chopped)

2 small yellow peppers (chopped)

Cooking oil, salt, blend of spices (basil, thyme, curry), beef stock cubes and seasonings to taste.

Preparation:

Parboil rice for about 10-15 minutes, drain excess liquid and set aside. In a pot or skillet, pour in 2 tablespoonfuls of oil, add corned beef, gizzard (or shrimp/fish) and fry for at least 5 minutes or until meats are brown or golden (This should be done with high heat).

Add tomato sauce/paste, two cups of warm water, mixed vegetables, chopped onions, peppers and spices. Stir slowly and leave to simmer for a few minutes until sauce comes to boil. Add parboiled rice into the sauce and stir thoroughly. Lower the heat and let simmer until the rice has absorbed all the sauce.

Note: If sauce has been absorbed and rice is still a bit hard to the touch and taste, add at least a cup of salted warm water and continue to simmer.

Garnish with parsley, lettuce or boiled eggs and serve hot with baked chicken, fish or beef. (ezinearticles.com)

Serves 4-6

Ghana

In Ghana, I enjoyed Jollof Rice, served with fresh fish stew and Ashanti stew.

Senegal

The influence of French food in Senegal is unmistakable, yet it has a quality of its own, with dishes from many other parts of the world and other parts of Africa incorporated into the cuisine. Rice is the main starch, with the couscous of North Africa also being a great favourite. Groundnut stew was a delightful meal which I ate with my hands.

South Africa

South African cuisine is a blend of cultures. South African foods are influenced by the Europeans, Asians, Portuguese, Dutch and British settlers. Add Indian spices, seafood and local ingredients, including game meats like antelope and ostrich, and you get an eclectic mix. Fruits and vegetables heavily consumed and fruits such as grapes, bananas, papayas form part of the fresh fruit fare for dessert. Pudding is served on special occasions. In South Africa, I enjoyed Cape Kidgeree, a fish and rice dish.