African foods come in a variety of delectable tastes.
Below are some of our favourites from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Tanzania.
South African Bunny Chow
The Bunny Chow is one of South Africa’s ultimate street foods.
Its basically a meat curry stew stuffed half loaf of bread to keep you going all day.
Bunny Chow is quite a versatile dish and can be Vegeterian as well as with a variety of meat stews and curry fillings ranging from lamb, chicken and Beef.
The roots and origins of Bunny Chow can be found in South Africa’s History of Indian indentured Labour in the City of Durban which is where it originated.
Bunny Chow appears to have been a staple amongst indentured Indian labourers who worked long hours on Durban’s Sugar Plantations.
Eventually it spread from the Sugar Cane fields to the Streets, and the rest they say is History.
What you will need To Make Bunny Chow
- Cooking Oil
- 750 g mutton or lamb
- curry powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 chopped Onion
- Tomato paste
- Chopped potatos and carrots
- 1 loaf of white bread
Relish 360 shows how to put it all together.
Zimbabwean Mopane Worms
The next dish in our African Foods and People Of Africa Recipes section is naturally my favourite food, Mopane Worms also known as Macimbi.
Made from the Caterpillar of the Emperor Moth found in Southern Africa, the Mopane Worm’s diet is made mostly of Mopane Tree Leaves hence its name.
The Mopane worm has been a reliable protein source for people in the subregion probably since humans first populated the Region.
Throughout the year, you can find Madora or Macimbi in the Matebeleland Region of Zimbabwe where the Ndebele people are famed for harvesting and preparing them.
It doesn’t take much to prepare this delicious African delicacy:
Ingredients
- 2 cups Boiled and drained Mopane worms
- 2 cups cooking oil
- 2 Tablespoons of Salt
The Lempies Food Channel video shows how it all comes together.
Give this African delicacy a try and you wont regret it.
Tanzanian Chapati
My first experience of Chapati was at a Varsity Tanzanian Society Student’s party.
I had a lot of Tanzanian friends in University, and after a few Beers, we decided to go for a serving of Chapati.
It was one of the most pleasant food surprises of my life, and to this day, I still grab every opportunity that comes my way to enjoy some Chapati because it can easily be combined with any other dish especially meats and savoury soups.
Chapati is essentially unleavened Bread akin to Indian breads like Paratha.
The History of Chapati in Tanzania can probably be traced to the historical Swahili East African Coastal Trade between the East African Coast and Asia which culminated in the famous Trading City of Kilwa which was destroyed by the Portuguese in 1502 when they took over the Island.
Its a legacy of Africa’s ancient historical role in the Swahili Coastal Trade involving Africa and Asia, the Western end of the Indian Ocean trading routes.
What You Will Need To Make Chapati
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
Chapati ingredients are as basic as they come but its all in the technique as seen in the preparation video courtesy of Chef Lola’s Kitchen.
Nigerian Egusi Soup
Egusi soup provided my first taste of Nigerian cuisine, and it still remains one of my favourites.
Its a rich mixture of Melon seeds,vegetables, assorted meat cuts, offal and fish with a strong flavour and satisfying taste which will leave you full for days after a hearty serving.
Egusi soup is popular amongt most Tribes in Nigeria such as the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.
What You Will Need To Make Egusi Soup
- 500g Egusi (Melon) seeds
- 3 cooking spoons red palm oil
- Beef cuts and tripe
- Fish: dry fish and stockfish
- 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
- Pepper and Salt
- Vegetable: Pumpkin leaves, spinach or bitter leaf
- 3 small stock cubes
In the preparation video, the Zeelicious Food channel shows how to prepare this signature Nigerian dish that is now famous all around the African Continent.
