Popular Dishes from Around Africa

1. Maize porridge and barbequed meat is a very popular combination in southern Africa. Pap en vleis (or “maize porridge and meat” in English) is a dish that includes starch, stewed meat, spicy gravy, relish, or chakalaka (a spicy vegetable relish) on the side. [The picture shown below.]

2. Another popular dish is called chorba frik. This dish is very popular in Algeria. It is a soup with a tomato base. It includes meat, chickpeas, and frik (which is an ancient grain). It usually has traditional spices, which include mint and coriander.

3. Efo-Riro is a popular soup dish in Nigeria that is native to the Yorubas (one of the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria). This soup is usually made with stock cubes, leaves of pumpkins, onions, meats, fish, and tomatoes. The name of this dish means vegetable soup in English.

4. Another popular dish from Nigeria, more specifically Edo, is Ogbono Soup. This is a traditional soup made from ogbono seeds, onions, stock, seasoning cubes, leafy vegetables (spinach, pumpkin leaves, and bitterleaf), red palm oil, different meats (including beef), and different kinds of fish (including shrimp and crayfish).

[Ogbono Soup is pictured below.]

5. Galinaha a Zambeziana is a chicken dish that is cooked with lime, garlic, coconut milk, piri piri sauce, and pepper. This dish is from Mozambique. The food in Mozambique is a combination of African flavors as well as Portuguese, oriental, and Arab flavors. Galinaha a Zambeziana is commonly served with matapa, which is cassava leaves that are cooked in a peanut sauce. Most tourists who visit Mozambique usually call this dish grilled chicken piri piri.

6. Jollof rice is a very popular dish from Nigeria. Many people think that this is “a great favorite all over West Africa.” Many people believe that this dish might be the origin of jambalaya, which is a popular Cajun dish. Jollof rice is a simple and spicy dish. It is usually made with rice, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. This dish can usually be found at parties and festive gatherings. [Shown below.]

7. Another common dish is called bunny chow from South Africa. It is not known why this is the name, but it is a very popular street food in South Africa. Bunny chow is a loaf of white bread with the middle cut out (usually half or a quarter loaf) that is filled with curry. The curry is either meat or vegetable curry. [Show in the picture below.]

8. Githeri is a common dish in Kiambu County, Kenya. This is a bean and maize (corn) dish that is made into a stew with tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and meat. Some common seasonings include cumin, turmeric, and chili powder. Sometimes, githeri is served with rice or bread, but it is usually served by itself.

9. Rechta is a traditional dish from Algeria. This dish is a noodle dish, that is made of thin, flat noodles and a chicken sauce. The noodles are made from flour, water, salt, and ghee (clarified butter). The chicken sauce is made with chicken, oil, garlic, chickpeas, ras el hanout (a spice mix with usually over a dozen different spices), turnips, cinnamon, potatoes, and zucchini.

10. Mchicha is the most popular dish in Tanzania. This is a vegetarian dish that is thick and creamy. It is made with leafy vegetables (like spinach), grated coconut, coconut milk, peanut butter, onions, and tomatoes. It is commonly served with either rice, ugali (a type of maize flour porridge), samp (dried corn), or beans on the side. [Shown in the picture below.]