AFROPIX: Africa's 20 most popular foods: Biltong, fufu, injera, couscous, ugali anyone?

Southern Africa has the most varied cuisines of any region on the continent

 

After careful consideration of the various regions and cross-boundary recipes here are the top 20 most popular dishes on the continent:

Biltong

Cured meat exported all over Africa, originally from South Africa

Fufu

Very popular in West Africa, it is made by boiling starchy food crops like cassava, yams or cooking plantains and then pounding them into a dough-like consistency

Mandazi 

A form of fried bread, taken in sweet or savoury form, popular in East Africa

Injera

A sourdough-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture, popular in Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia

Jollof rice

The most popular rice dish in West Africa, the most common basic ingredients are rice, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, salt and red pepper

Chermoula

A mixture of herbs, oil, lemon juice, pickled lemons, garlic, cumin, and salt very popular in North Africa

Nyama Choma/ Braaivleis /Mechoui

Many different names and cooking techniques, but meat roast over charcoal is popular all over the continent

Couscous

Made from steamed and dried durum wheat, couscous has become a popular alternative to rice and pasta in North Africa

Garri

A popular West African starchy carbohydrate made from pounded and fermented cassava tubers

Kachumbari

A fresh tomato and onion salad dish popular in the cuisines of Madagascar, East Africa and the African Great Lakes region

Tagine

A historically Berber slow-cooked meat, chicken or fish dish from North Africa, named after the type of earthenware pot in which it is cooked.

Fried Plantain or Dodo

Found anywhere that plantains grow, this is a staple on the continent and served with meats dishes.

Shahan Ful

A vegetarian fava bean dish very common in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan.

Biryanis and Pilaus

With Indian origins, these rice dishes are fragrant and flavourful, mostly popular along the East African coast.

Suya

A spicy shish kebab-like skewered meat delicacy in West Africa.

Wat, We’t or Wot

A highly flavourful and spicy Ethiopian or Eritrean stew that is prepared with meat or a variety of vegetables.

Feijoada

A typically Portuguese stew of beans with beef and pork which is popular in southern Africa.

Mafé

A famous and popular West African stew with meat simmered in a sauce thickened with ground peanuts.

Sadza/Nsima/Ugali 

Cooked with water to a porridge or dough-like consistency, this is the most common staple starch in East Africa, the Great Lakes region and southern Africa.

Piri Piri Sauce 

A hot and fragrant sauce originally from Portugal but widely adopted in southern African cooking.

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