Africa is a colourful and diverse continent rich in culture, history, and culinary traditions. African cooking is full of surprises, magical flavors, and fantastic elements from different cultures—Arab, European, Asian, and Black African. Each country boasts a unique national dish reflecting its heritage and local ingredients, from savory stews to spicy rice dishes.
Let’s journey through Africa with these 11 tasty dishes:
1. Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice is a staple dish in Nigeria and West Africa, known for its vibrant color and bold flavors. However, it’s hard to pin it down to a specific country, and there’s a fierce rivalry between Nigerians, Senegalese, and Ghanaians as to who makes the best version, each claiming theirs to be the finest.
Like most popular foods, there are different ways to make Jollof Rice. Typically, it’s made with rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, and numerous meats, spices, and vegetables. Jollof rice is usually reserved for festive celebrations, but since it’s so popular and delicious, there’s no limit on when it can be made.
2. Bobotie
Bobotie is a South African dish with Malay origins. It consists of spiced minced meat (usually beef or lamb) mixed with onions, curry powder, dried fruits, topped with a creamy egg custard, and baked until golden brown. It’s often served with yellow rice and chutney.
Bobotie’s roots in South Africa date back to the 17th century. Dutch traders set up camp in the area that is now Cape Town as a stopping point on their journeys back and forth to Indonesia. The traders brought spices, cooking techniques, and recipes with them. While the specifics are a bit vague, some believe the original bobotie recipe came from Indonesia and was adapted to fit the available ingredients.
3. Brik
Brik or burek is a North African version of borek. It is a stuffed pastry made of malsouka that is commonly deep-fried. The egg brik is the most popular version, which consists of a whole egg in a triangular pastry pocket with chopped onion, tuna, harissa, and parsley.
In Algeria and Libya, brik is known as Bourek. It is prepared using identical ingredients and methods of preparation but with a slightly different shape. It is often filled with raw eggs, herbs, tuna, harissa, and olives and sometimes served in a pita.
To make brik pastry, a sticky lump of dough is slapped onto a hot, non-stick surface in overlapping circles to produce the desired size and cooked quickly. The brik dough sheets are called malsouka or warka. Typical fillings include tuna, ground meat, raw egg, chicken, or anchovies garnished with harissa, capers, or cheese.
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4. Muamba De Galinha
Chicken Muamba, or Poulet Moambé, is a spicy stew made with palm oil or palm butter, garlic, chili, and okra. This dish is quite rich and spicy, so it pairs well with traditional African starchy porridges like fufu and ugali.
Chicken Muamba is considered one of Angola’s national food treasures, showcasing the strong influence of Portuguese cuisine on this former colony. Variations of Chicken Muamba, such as Poulet Moambé, are found all over the Congo River region and are usually served with cassava leaves and rice.
5. Banku and Tilapia
Banku with tilapia fish is an authentic and very popular dinner recipe from Ghana. It is often served alongside grilled tilapia fish. Banku is a fermented cornmeal dish cooked to a smooth, slightly sour consistency. It is eaten by hand and used to scoop up the flavorful tilapia and spicy pepper sauce.
It can be found virtually everywhere, with each region having its variations. However, the two main elements always remain the same.
6. Dumboy
Dumboy is Liberia’s national dish. Fresh cassava is peeled and boiled to prepare it, and the fiber from the center is removed. The cooked roots are then placed in a mortar and beaten with a heavy pestle before being shaped into balls.
Preparing dumboy requires a lot of experience and skill. If a novice prepares it, it will likely be somewhat lumpy and inedible. To serve, pour meat stock or hot pepper soup over the dumboy, along with some vegetables.
Consuming dumboy as soon as it’s made is essential because the sticky dough adheres to almost anything.
7. Mandazi
Mandazi is a form of fried bread that originated on the Swahili Coast. It is also known as bofrot or puff puff in Western African countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. It is one of the principal dishes in the cuisine of the Swahili people who inhabit the Coastal Region of Kenya and Tanzania. The dish is popular in the region, as it is convenient to make, can be eaten with almost any food or dips or just as a snack by itself, and can be saved and reheated for later consumption.
Mandazi is similar to doughnuts, having a sweeter taste that can be differentiated by adding different ingredients. However, it is typically less sweet than the United States doughnuts and is usually served without glazing or frosting. It is frequently triangular (similar to samosas) but also commonly shaped as circles or ovals.
8. Koshari
Koshary, kushari, or koshari is a delicious and popular street food in Egypt that is also the country’s national dish. It’s a hearty and filling meal made by combining pasta, Egyptian fried rice, vermicelli, and brown lentils. To top it off, a zesty tomato sauce, garlic vinegar, and crispy fried onions are added. Chickpeas are also added as a garnish. Those who love spice can add hot sauce to give it an extra kick.
Koshary is a favorite among workers and laborers and a great option for mass catering events such as conferences. It’s easy to prepare at home and available at roadside stalls and restaurants throughout Egypt. Some restaurants even specialize in koshary exclusively.
One of the great things about koshary is that it’s typically vegan, as it doesn’t contain any animal products. As long as vegetable oil is used for frying, it’s perfect for those following a vegan diet.
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9. Pastilla Au Pigeon
Tagines and couscous are well-known Moroccan dishes, but pastilla au pigeon (also known as b’stilla) is one dish you won’t find in your average cookbook. This pie is made of shredded cooked squab (or chicken, when pigeon proves hard to find), thickened with an egg sauce, and interspersed with layers of paper-thin pastry and nutty, spicy filling.
Pastilla au pigeon is a complex and flavorsome feast dish —sweet, savory, substantial, and delicate. No grand celebration in Morocco would be complete without it, and it’s usually reserved for feasts because it is so labor-intensive to make. Pastilla au pigeon can be found on menus throughout Morocco.
10. Tagine
Tagine refers to both the dish itself and the clay pot in which it’s cooked. This slow-cooked stew typically features tender meat (such as lamb, chicken, or beef) or vegetables. Tagine is a flavorful dish made using an array of spices. Cumin, cinnamon, and saffron are some of the spices used in the dish. It is usually served with couscous or crusty bread.
The cooking pot used to make tagine is traditionally prepared in the Middle East and North Africa. There are different ways to make the dish. In the original qidra style, the pot’s surface is lubricated using saman (clarified butter), and a puree of chopped onion is added for flavor and aroma. For muqawlli-style cooking, the ingredients are placed in olive oil to enhance the flavors.
11. Koki/Bean Cake
If you ever find yourself in central Africa, particularly Cameroon, try the delicious appetizer known as koki! This dish is primarily made with cowpeas, which are mashed, wrapped in banana leaves, and steamed.
Koki has a bright red color and a unique flavor from the red palm oil it’s cooked in, and other condiments like crayfish, fish pieces, and chili peppers are often served with it.