BANANASWild banana has its origin in the tropical parts of Asia. The fruit originally is hard and full of seeds, but when cultivated and domesticated it has become sweet and seedless. The Arabs began to grow the plant in parts of northern Africa, and the banana thus spread to the Iberian Peninsula. The Portuguese also "discovered" the banana growing in Africa. Bananas are commonly eaten without further preparation and are mostly served at the end of a meal. Grown big scale on plantations or small scale in compound gardens.
BANANAS, GREENThese are unripe bananas. They are sometimes used as a green vegetable, mostly boiled, with or without their skin.
BARLEYThe barley plant is believed to have its origin in the highlands of East Africa. Nowadays it is an important food staple to people in Ethiopia. It is mostly used as an ingredient in different types of bread. Throughout Europe and the US barley is mostly made into malt, an important ingredient in beer and whiskey. Even the ancient Babylonians brewed beer from this plant. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
BEANSThe bean plants have their origin in Central and South America and were commonly used by the Aztecs. Many variations stem from this ancestral plant: Limas, black beans, pinto beans, white beans, green beans, kidney beans and black-eyed peas, to mention the most common.In Africa black-eyed beans (which are indigenous to the continent, where they are a staple food), mung beans and red kidney beans are most commonly used. Beans are used in several types of dishes, for instance soups, stews, rice dishes, salads and as snacks. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
CASSAVA (MANIOC/TAPIOCA)The cassava is an important source of dietary carbohydrates in the tropical and subtropical areas of the world, with its roots providing food for over 500 million people. It comes with hard and starchy white flesh. This vegetable is the basis in the making of cassava flour. The cassava contains a strong poison, cyanide, which needs to be eliminated during the preparation of the flour. This is done by cooking or fermenting the vegetable. Drying and grounding comes next. The cassava flour or gari is now ready for storage or use. The cassava or manioc plant has its origin in South America. Amazonian Indians used cassava instead of or in addition to rice/potato/maize. Portuguese explorers introduced cassava to Africa through their trade with the African coasts and nearby islands. Africans then further diffused cassava, and it is now found in almost all parts of tropical Africa. Africans adopted it for several reasons: The cassava plant is possible to cultivate in shifting systems and it gives flexible harvest. Furthermore it is resistant to locust attacks and drought. Today Nigeria and Congo-Kinshasa are great producers of cassava, next to Brazil. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens and consumed locally but also on a bigger scale in some countries.
CINNAMONCinnamon is a spice, which originally came from the Moluccas (Indonesia) and was brought to Africa by European traders. This seasoning is one of the ingredients in the commonly used five-spice powder. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
CLOVEThe clove plant has its origin in Indonesia (the Molucca Islands). The Portuguese carried it to the East African islands. Today clove is produced on a great scale both in Madagascar and Tanzania. Clove is a common spice in African cookery, and is also one of the ingredients in five-spice powder. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
COCONUTThe coconut is truly a tropical fruit, spread on its own to tropic coastal zones all over the world. The flesh and milk from the coconut is widely used in Africa. Creamed coconut is used grated onto casseroles or used to make coconut milk by dissolving it in boiling water. Coconut is used in relishes, frying dishes, sauces, desserts - you name it. Coconut milk is also widely used in all kinds of warm meals. Fresh coconut is sometimes peeled into slivers and used as topping on desserts. Sometimes grown on plantations, but mostly harvested directly from wild trees.
CORIANDER/CILANTROThe coriander plant is native in the Orient. In Africa fresh coriander is used to garnish both hot and cold dishes. Coriander adds an intense pungent flavor to stews and soups. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
CUMINCumin is a seasoning, which was first cultivated in ancient Egypt. It was originally used in the cuisines of northern part of the continent but was later introduced to Central Africa. Cumin is commonly used as basis in sauces to accompany chicken and other meat dishes. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
CURRYDuring the construction of the railway to Uganda, the British imported thousands of Indians, and with these immigrants came the curries, chapattis and chutneys. Curry is a spice (a mix of several herbs) commonly used in vegetable dishes, as well as in meat and fish dishes.
EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE)The eggplant originally came from India and was further spread to the Mediterranean and Africa. Greeks and Egyptians feature the eggplant as a daily fare. African eggplants are usually of the smaller and bitterer kind. They are usually yellow, and most commonly referred to as garden eggs. Eggplant is used widely in West Africa. It is chopped, cooked and mixed into a variety of vegetable dishes, meat-/fish-dishes and sauces. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
GARLIC This is most truly an Asian plant, but also the ancient Egyptians used it widely. Today it is present in cookery all over the continent, as well as in the rest of the world. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
GINGER This seasoning has its origin in Asia, probably India. The Romans imported it via Egypt. Because of its root form, ginger was more easily shipped than most seasonings, and it was thus widely spread at an early stage of history. Ginger was a favorite spice amongst the ancient Romans. Today it is a common used seasoning in African cookery. Non-alcoholic beer is also made of ginger in the western part of the continent, as well as in the rest of the world. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
GROUNDNUTS These are valuable cash crops for small-scale farmers in the semi-arid tropics. The main use of groundnut is as a source of edible oil, but the high oil and protein contents also make it an important food crop. Groundnuts are mostly cooked and pureed into a thick, rich sauce and spooned over plantains, rice, different kinds of animal staples, etc. Originally, groundnuts came from southern Bolivia and northern Argentina, where the local Indian peoples cultivated them. Then the groundnut was "discovered" by Spanish explorers and spread throughout the world, including Africa. Today most of the groundnut production takes place in the Sub-Saharan part of the continent, being a favorable source of nutrition and cash earnings in semi-arid zones.
LENTILS Lentils are one of the world's oldest cultivated foods and they are known to been cultivated in Egypt 5000 years ago, and were probably introduced by the Egyptians to both the Greek and the Roman cultures. The plant is believed to have had its origin in northeastern Iraq. Today, lentils are used all over the African continent, as in the rest of the world. They are most commonly soaked overnight, boiled and mashed together with other vegetables to be used as accompaniment to a meat or fish dish. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
MILLET Millet is an ancient grain that originates in Asia or Africa. More specifically, millet is believed to have originated in the mountains of East Africa and has further been domesticated by Ethiopians. The grain is rather resistant to drought and it is a useful crop in any soil, even ones with little nutrition. This makes millet an important food staple all over the continent, especially in the semi-arid areas. Mostly grown as a major staple on community or private fields and consumed locally.
NUTMEG Nutmeg is a seasoning plant, which originated in the Moluccas. European traders brought it to Africa. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
OKRA Okra is a vegetable that is extremely popular in African cookery. It is often added into soups and needs no special preparations besides washing, topping, tailing and cutting up. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
ONIONS Different species of wild onions exist worldwide. Onions were already used by the Sumerians (modern Iraq) and the ancient Egyptians. Today, they are an important flavor ingredient on most African tables, as well as in the rest of the world. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
PARSLEY Parsley is an herb, which probably is indigenous to the Mediterranean. It is said to have been brought to North America by the ancient Vikings (medieval Scandinavians). Throughout Africa chopped fresh parsley is often sprinkled on top of all kinds of dishes. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
PEPPER This famous spice has its origins in India. In fact, it was because of pepper Columbus made his trip to America. European traders in general found their way all over the world in search of "the five noble spices" - pepper, ginger, cinnamon, clove and nutmeg.Green pepper is an unripe pepper fruit; white pepper is the fully ripened fruit. Unripe peppercorns, dried and ground, give black pepper.Chilies or hot peppers are now grown in West Africa and are commonly used as seasoning both in fish and meat dishes, as well as in soups and stews. Chilies come in red, yellow or brown.Szechwan pepper is one of the ingredients in the already mentioned five-spice powder.Pepper is mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
PLANTAINS The plantain is a member of the banana family. These fruits can either be green, yellow or almost black, according to their ripeness. When plantains are green and unripe, they have a chalky texture and flavor resembling a potato. Plantains should not be eaten raw, but once cooked, boiled, fried, baked or roasted, they have a wonderful flavor. Mostly grown small scale in compound gardens.
RICE The domestication of rice ranks is one of the most important developments in early history, because this grain has fed more people over a longer period of time than has any other crop. The rice plant has been diffused and carried all over the world. Originally, rice was grown by direct seeding and without standing water, under conditions only slightly different from those to which wild rice was subject. In some parts of Africa, rice is still grown under these conditions. However, presently, rice is mainly grown in swampy lowlands under standing water.
Incorporation of wild rices into an agricultural system has taken place in Africa. Originally wild rice plants were found in most parts of the tropics/sub-tropics (indigenous). By the river Niger it was further grown and developed into more commonly known rice sorts. Rice also gradually spread from areas of the Mediterranean to a few locations in North Africa. Rice is mainly grown as a major staple, were water access allows it, on community or private fields, but also big scale in irrigated landscapes (often government, community or private owned plantations). Much of the rice consumed in Africa, however, is imported or donated from Asia.
