African Foods & Cuisines
Your Authoritative Guide To The African Stomach


Welcome to Africanfoods.com: The Home of Authentic African Food Information And Recipes .

African Foods: The African Way.

African foods are unrefined natural products often grown at subsistence level across that continent.

From the estuaries of the Zambezi basin to the plains of Ashante, far afield to castles in Casablanca, Calabar, Lagos, Lome to the legendary port of Alexandria, African cuisines are prepared from ingredients made from cassava, millet, sorghum, cocoyam, rice, beans, matoke, plantain, palm oil, yam, fish, poultry, bush meat, beef, and an array of fruits and vegetables. And more. And more.

Despite the advances made in communication, many folks still wonder and ask: What do Africans eat? Is that your experience too? African foods are largely made of natural whole foods from grains, legumes, roots and tubers as well as a vast array of fruits, seeds, nuts and vegetables as listed above. 

They are usually food items rich in dietary fibers and low in refined sugars and additives, often gluten free, providing a balanced highly nutritional diet when properly prepared and eaten.

Most fruits like mangoes, bananas, oranges, pawpaw, pineapples, coconuts and a host of other "tropical fruits" known in the Western world comes from Africa or The Caribbeans. They are every day fruits found growing near most homes in African towns and cities and make part of the African dessert.

You will find on this site a wealth of information on authentic African cuisines and foods eaten across the continent. We invite you to digest top info and facts about African foods here and see why it became pertinent to provide the information you are about to devour. 

Facts About African Foods

African foods: Often quite spicy!

Facts about African foods understandably, will be better related by Africans themselves.

That not much is known about foods from Africa stems from the fact that individuals from that extraction are yet to take the message of African dishes and foods outside their continent and sell it as vigorously as the Asians have done to their food, that in many parts of the Western world, Indian foods and Indian Restaurants, Chinese foods and Chinese Restaurants and even Thai foods and Thai Restaurants are so well known that they eclipse traditional Western cuisines in certain districts.

That is about to change. In many parts of London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Toronto and indeed many big western cities, you are now sure to find food shops, stores and restaurants, offering delicious African cuisines that are as tantalizing and nutritious as foods from anywhere else in the world.

Africans, through their foods, as is their unique culture and values, bring exciting diversity and beauty to the human race and experience and offer opportunities to all others to explore such cuisines and find an exquisite delight in the taste of Africa.

Africans, wherever they are, take pride in cooking and eating carefully prepared meals, devoid of modern day refinements and contamination. They seek natural produce, fresh from the farms near their homes, prepare them into a variety of finished products and serve these to their family or household, all enjoying their meal round the table or by the fire side.

Meal times are sacrosanct. This is when ancestral stories are told.  In some communities though, children are often dissuaded from speaking during meal times to prevent choking. Morals are taught at such times too. Community and societal values are reinforced. It is that time of the day every member of the family looks forward to.

Here are top facts about African foods you probably never knew of:

  • There are about 54 different countries in Africa with over 1000 completely different  tribes and cultures and each culture have their different food types and staples
  • Most food types and cuisines from Africa are based on stews made from vegetable sauce with meat or fish and served with fufu or mashed boiled tubes or oven fried grains
  • Traditional African foods are amongst the healthiest in world because they are devoid of refinements and provide rich fibre, prebiotics and are largely gluten free - no wonder many bowel diseases and conditions like Crohn's or ulcerative colitis are almost unheard of in those whose meals are mainly truly African in composition
  • Though often thought to be very expensive, you can get foods from this continent in many shops around the world and could be delivered to your door with the click of your mouse.  

Recipes And Where To Buy African Foods

Egusi soupDelicious Egusi Soup: Usually Served With Pounded Yam.

Apart from genuine information about African foods, you would be sure to be able to access top African food recipes here. We have included leading recipes from most African countries and continue to grow the list of recipes from all over the continent.

You would also be able to get information on the health and nutritional benefits of these foods, where available. We also aim to help you on a wide range of issues, including:

  • Typical breakfast, lunch and dinners, party and special event dishes across Africa
  • Quick easy African cuisine recipes
  • Gluten Free African recipes
  • African slowcooker recipes
  • Find African Restaurant and Food Stores close to your home
  • And of course contribute your African stories here and get them published!

Where ever you are, join hands and let's make African cuisines and foods more accessible to the enjoyment of all.


Pictures And Videos On African Recipes And Foods

We are working to provide original videos on African cuisines and recipes from across the continent. 

You would be able to access most of them through our Youtube page. 

If you have a favorite African dish you enjoy and can produce a short video on how to prepare it, why not share it here? Please contact us now and let's create a page for your special video.

Diet And Health Tips For The African Stomach

Want regular updates on African cuisines and food recipes? What about unique health information about these foods - what to eat and avoid to keep healthy from the list of African recipes available? 

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