I believe that there is a reason why taste is probably the only sense that isn’t compromised. Of course there are people who have other disorders that could wreak havoc on one of the principle duties of the tongue but taste is one thing that remains virtually untouched.
The enjoyment of food is one that all deserve and with a continent as diverse as ours, there has to be a list to know where to begin when sampling some of the best dishes in the world.
So I took it upon myself to compile what I believe to be the most popular dishes in the continent- excluding Kenyan dishes because most of us already know the joy that is Nyama Choma and the hedonism that is mutura and mahindi choma.
Here are ten African dishes you have to try at least once.
Baba ganoush
This is a dish found in Levant- the Eastern Mediterranean region but I focused on Egypt. It consists of mashed eggplant mixed with virgin olive oil and seasoning.
Banga soup
This is from Nigeria. It is a soup made frm palm fruit concentrate, beef, fish and pumpkin leaves (or any preferred vegetable).
Bobotie
South Africa’s answer to moussaka. It is a dish that comprises of oven baked curried meat topped with eggs.
Chermoula
Imagine if East Africa had that common thing they marinated meat in. Well, our imaginations didn’t get that far. But it did in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia where they all use this herb spice sauce as a marinade for fish or chicken.
Fufu
Suppose we made ugali with cassava? Well we don’t but the West African nations of Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria do so. And sometimes they use plantain flour instead.
Makroudh
Even the name sounds tasty. Makroudh is a pastry from Morocco filled with dates, nuts or almond paste.
Luwombo
This is not a meal per se but a preparation style. Popular since the reign of the Kabaka, Ugandans use this unique method to prepare stews, matoke or even chicken. Whatever needs cooking is wrapped in fresh unbroken banana leaves and put in a steam oven (of sorts). On menus the meals appear as chicken luwombo or beef luwombo.
Ndole
This is a spinach stew flavoured with garlic, crayfish and shrimp/ beef. Our Cameroonian brethren have found a way to make spinach look good and I would definitely try this- which is a miracle considering how much I loathe spinach.
Shakshuka
Of the lot, this is my favourite. It is a dish from Tunisia that can be eaten as breakfast or lunch and it consists of tomatoes, onions, spices and eggs. It sounds like an omelette but it’s nothing that unimaginative. It’s like a tomato stew where you add eggs to taste.
Kitfo
Another favourite, kitfo is an Ethiopian dish that consists of spicy raw beef mixed with butter. When I had this, I had paired it with Ethiopian flat bread injera. Which tastes like a sour crepe. The tang of the injera and spicy round housing of the kitfo was one that had me begging for my stomach to get a bit bigger so that I could have just a bit more.