Today, African food is the most diverse cuisine on the planet, a
true "melting pot" of foods and flavors. Africa's history is
rich and so is its cuisine. With influences from so many other
countries, Dutch, English, Asian, and Indian, Africa's new
cuisine is the newest global food trend.
The Mediterranean has a place in African foods with its
influence of olive oil, olives, and pasta. Rich African stews
are infused with elements from both the East and the West. Using
little meat, but an abundance of vegetables, African stews have
become a gourmet trend.
Southern African cuisine is reminiscent of the East with its
sosaties, which are like kebabs, bobotie, which is a curried
minced dish, and bredies, which is a type of casserole dish.
It's all about spice
Africa is all about spice: hot and spicy seasonings characterize
the African cuisine. Close your eyes and you'll be able to
recognize the Ethiopian seasoning mix, Berbere, which is a
combination of chilies, chives, tarragon, coriander, cardamom,
fenugreek, and garlic.
The unique flavors of the African new cuisine are dependent on
the abundant use of various specific aromatic plants and other
spices. Fenugreek, for example, is used a lot and has a
bittersweet flavor. Cassava is a starch root and is used to
thicken stews. Bambara are African peanuts and are used in
various dishes. Similar to cardamom, grains of paradise are
strong pepper-flavored seeds and used to flavor stews. Other
seeds that are used for flavor include the Egusi seeds. African
spices are often mixed. Some spice mixes, such as the Ras
Al-Hanout includes over 25 different ingredients, such as rose
petals, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and grains of paradise.
|
