African Gourmet Food And Wine example essay topic

This paper will compare and contrast the different eating habits and examine the cultural dining of West Africa to East Africa. Africans like most of the world outside of American and London aren't fanatical on fast food even though it is becoming more popular most people eat at home or at relatives or friends home. Even Africans living outside of Africa love to cook rather than dine out in most cases. This report was based on interviews from Africans who grew up in traditional African homes in Africa. All references have been crossed checked and stories verified on how most African dishes are prepared, and their history. More research was done by the books listed, as well as other references such as internet sites.

Most of this data has been collected over years of experience of living with Africans from both West and East Africa. It is custom when one person is cooking they do not just cook for themselves, or even their family but for anybody who might drop by unexpected. Big pots are used to cook and food is rarely wasted because the people here are very close and always welcomed to each other's homes. That is what is the best part of being Africa, communities are still one, when one eats everybody eats. Throughout this paper Africans dishes consisting of: chicken, fish, goat, beef, shrimp, and even crab. As well as fruits such as: oranges, bananas, guava, mangos are very popular and will be listed.

African vegetables are just like anywhere else carrots, peas, and corns as well as exotic roots that are hard to find in the states like cassava, ef o, and cola nut. African cuisine combines traditional fruits and vegetables, meats and fish from the oceans that surrounds the continent, and a marinade of cultures, colonies, trade routes, and history. Africa cuisine is as broad as the continent, from dry desert, to tropical wetlands, plains, and jungle. The media has given Westerners the wrong impression of Africa, from the movies showing colonization to savages misrepresenting the birthplace of all man. African cuisine is on the rise in the U.S., due to the growing popularity as Africans bring the dishes of their country to family restaurants to this country. To an outsider of this culture it is impossible to categorize African food.

I have even seen cooking shows call plantains (a starchy banana) a Cuban or Spaniard dish but it originated on both coast of Africa. Eastern Africa is known for having a mix of cultures and cookbooks due to high trade, colonization, and imported foods, especially spices coming from China. West Africa was also effected by a mix when the Spanish and American slave trade occurred. African food is not the only thing expanding to the United States; African movies can be found at most African shops that sell food. Most of these movies are produced by Nigerians, due to France has financially backed Nigeria films. Most of these films are in English, some in French and few in Pidgin English and French.

Many popular movies take western movie themes and put an originally African twist on them. Africans in the United States are known to buy these movies as they buy their twenty-pound bag of Gari. Western Africans like these movies more than East, due to many of the movies have a reputation of having witchcraft in them. African food spread to the United States because of the slave trade.

Fufu, which is very popular in all of Africa, is recognized as a form of cornmeal in America. It was actually how cornmeal was brought to this country by the southern slaves, and made so popular. From this country got porridge, ground millet, cassava flour which makes fritters, and other batters, flatbread's and even the every so popular in the south grits. These dishes are part of southern American culture but are all African foods according to the book South African Gourmet Food and Wine: Traditional South African Food and More.

Instead of using vegetable oil they enjoy using palm oil, which is red and made from palm kernels. This is more tasteful oil that adds a different flavor to your food. A wonderful dish that West Africa is known for is Okra soup. Nigerians love Obe Soup, which is a pepper soup, which is made out of thick sauce made by boiling ground tomatoes, ground pepper, meat or fish, meat broth or fish broth, onions, vegetable oil or palm oil, and other spices.

Puff Puff, which is similar to, is a snack made from deep-frying a dough mixture into circular balls. This is more of a French dish, but much of Africa had French explorers and occupations. The French like to eat with powdered sugar with their caf'e. Africans like to eat Puff Puff anytime of the day.

Puff Puff is easily made and can feed many people. It is sometimes used as a side dish for soups, meats, and can be made different ways. Sometimes it is dipped in sugar, other times it is eaten with corn-chaff, which is a mix of beans and corn blended in a spicy soup. Gari sometimes mixed up with is another popular dish usually eaten with a soup or meat dishes. This is like a cornmeal texture usually yellow but sometimes replaced with the not so good white version. You use the gar i to scope up the okra soup or meat dish very good.

Meat pies are very common, and a dish called chin chin which is dough kneaded, then rolled flat and cut up into small pieces and fried in oil. They are like a sweet snack to Nigerians that they can enjoy while watching the very so popular soccer games. Like most of the world alcohol is very popular in Africa, even in the Muslim countries. When a man visits friends it is common for him to be greeted with an alcoholic beverage before he is offered juice or soda. Palm wine also called Man tango is a very popular drink made from the juices of palm trees. This drink is often duplicated but never imitated when you have the real palm wine you are guaranteed to be on your back in a daze.

Guava and Papaya juice are also favorites of both West and Eastern Africans. Zoo which I found only to be known in Nigeria is also quoted to be a nice drink according to web it taste like fruit punch and flavors are added such as raspberry, vanilla, and strawberry. Food is very important part of Africans lives, almost like a ceremony. Families come together to enjoy a large meal and talk about daily activities. If a person doesn't find food in the house, they can always go to a friend's house and eat. Also street vendors sell fresh cooked fish on the streets.

One of the most popular dishes found on the streets by tourists in Nigeria is Suy a. This is a dish from the Hausa tribe, but plantains, yams are also good foods found on the streets. Food is embraced in Africa because much of Africa is struck by poverty. According to web 2003 0127. htm in 2003 around 14 million Ethiopians, and 1.4 million Eritreans will be thre a tend by food shortages.

Malawi, Kenya, Cameroon, and much of Africa can find themselves in these situations due to lack of resources, and being cut off from new world and the Big 6. Africa finds itself with food because of dry weather, massive water shortages, and livestock losses. Corrupt politics is another reason Africa suffers; government officials have sold surpluses of food for their own financial gain to only to find themselves in a shortage the next year. Malawi is a prime example of this according to Limbikani Kamlongera Malawi had a surplus of corn until President Hastings Kamuzu Banda who had been in power for three decades since 1964 decided to sell Malawi's food for his own financial gain. Countries like Eritrea and Ethiopia are were estimated to receive 1.44 million metric tons of food between the two of them. Some Africans only have the basic necessities in life, food, family, and shelter, and understand they could all be taken away at the blink of an eye.

Food to Americans is often wasted, Africa which is the first place of man still values nutrition. Landlocked countries like Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 90% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounted for nearly 40% of GDP and 88% of export revenues in 2001 according to web East African foods are delicious meals like Lukkuu Akha awi which is grilled chicken meat marinated in garlic and fresh lemon juice, grilled with onions and bell peppers, and is very tender and flavorful.

Vegetarian dishes are also popular such as Hoe-Dra, which is a combination of fresh collard greens, mixed vegetables, creamy navy beans, and organic red lentils, is a vegan delight. Lamb is also a favorite amongst West and Eastern Africans, dishes like Food HoolaaDiima which is boneless lamb cooked with garlic, onions, and paprika can be found at most East African restaurant. The prime characteristic of native African meals is the use of starch as a focus; accompanied by a stew, containing meat or vegetables, or both. Starch filler foods, similar to the rice cuisines of Asia, are a hallmark. Cassava and yams are main root vegetables. Steamed greens, mixtures of hot spices with root vegetables, stew with and without meat, particularly chicken, all are African inspired.

Peanuts, also called groundnuts are commonly used in many dishes from garnish to peanut soups a delicious meal I have had. Melons, particularly watermelon, are popular. West Africa loves chilies in their food according to Beryl Gwan a cook from Cameroon. She said, "west African recipes include fish marinated in ginger, tomatoes, and cayenne, cooked in peanut oil". The French influenced Senegal politically and in their food, and Senegalese women use a lot of lime juice, chopped vegetables including scallions, garlic, and marinades because of it. Peanut oil, palm oil, and often coconut oils are common.

The black-eyed pea is an icon of West Africa. Okra, known also in this country especially in the south, is native to Africa; used in many dishes to thicken soups and stews. South Africa is known for its top self of white and red wines. South Africa also produces a tangerine based liqueur called Van Der Hum according to South African Gourmet Food and Wine: Traditional South African Food and More. Tusker, the famous Kenyan beer says web Studies / Cookbook/Kenya. html, is imported to America, for those who want to enjoy. Beer goes well with most African cuisine.

Alcohol is one thing all of Africa and most of the world share in common. The most famous alcoholic drink Ethiopia is honey wine, or called Tej, which is as old as the culture. It is called honey wine because it is made from bee's honey, and has what they call an acquired taste web Ethiopia lays claim to another first, the cultivation of coffee. The Ethiopian coffee ceremony includes lighting of incense, passing around the beans for guest's approval, and roasting on the spot. From Ethiopia, coffee spread to Yemen, and on through the Arabic world to Europe. Even though Ethiopia is separated from mainstream African on the map and politically, its cuisine.

Ethiopia has high plains, breezy nights and produces many different foods. Ethiopia, which is east Africa, loves meat, and it must be fresh. At weddings in this country the groom and bride serve slices of slaughtered raw beef to visitors similar to steak tartar. Another favorite according to Beza Semenew an Ethiopian where my research on this country was found is a dish called Berbere. Berbere is a spicy hot pepper paste, and can be mixed in with something as simple as rice. Another favorite and national dish is Doro Wat, which is stewed chicken with onions, tomato, and hard-boiled eggs.

Injera is something I have consumed while attending an international banquet here at Grambling State. Injera is delicious bread that is similar to pita bread but ten times better. One thing about African food is you can leave the silverware at home, with east African Injera bread, or West African Gari, or Fufu, which can be consumed in a meal or by itself. When conducting my research I had to use the facts because food can be prepared in many ways.

There was also a conflict of comparing both West and East Africa, because there is a slight rivalry. Many East Africans are prejudiced inside the African community towards their western brothers. This forced my questions to be unbiased but straight forward. I had no idea that African food had such an influence on the rest of the world.

It is interesting to see how different cultures remade and remixed other culture recipes and used it for their own. The most important lesson in this paper is to see how culture came from Africa, and that we are all the same. Learning about different cultures is vital for man kind to survive, many wars are fought because of ignorance. Even in Africa food is important and cherished. With this paper my appreciation of African food has increased, as well as my menu selection. I enjoy African food because there is not much diary in the typical African diet.

Bibliography

1. A Slice of Africa: Exotic West African Cuisines by Chid i A sika-Enahoro 2. South African Gourmet Food and Wine: Traditional South African Food and More by Myrna Rosen, Lesley Loon 3. Berthing Fomenky native of Cameroon, and resident of Senegal 4. Beryl and Rhoda Gwan native of Cameroon 5. Limbikani Kamlognera native of Malawi 6. web web Studies / Cookbook/Kenya. html 8. web web 2003 0127. htm 11. Beza Semenew web.