In the African continent the food has a strong convivial connotation and represents almost a sacred rite and a moment of joy and union with the guests. The typical African dishes are different from region and region.
When we talk about cooking, we can divide Africa into four large areas: East Africa, West Africa, Northern Africa and Southern Africa.
East African cuisine
This area includes Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zanzibar.
East African cuisine is characterized by a mixture of flavors and contaminations from different parts of the world. Many meats and fish products are cooked and spices from India are used; the influence of Arab cuisine is strong; you can also observe contamination of the Mediterranean diet and, in particular, of Italian cuisine. The consumption of tropical fruit is also widespread.
The cuisine of northern Africa
When we talk about northern African cuisine we refer to Algeria, Egypt, Liberia, Morocco and Sudan.
The cuisine of North Africa is very ancient and its roots are found in the history of Egypt, some 2000 years ago; also in this case, however, there are many contaminations and they are mainly due to contacts with the peoples that followed one another in the most northern area of Africa.
In the kitchen of this part of the world couscous is widely used and olives and olive oil are used, as in the best Mediterranean tradition. The other commonly used ingredients are potatoes, tomatoes, many vegetables, chilli peppers and a rich variety of spices . The use of mint is also very common.
Since most of the North African area is Muslim, only halal meat is consumed in this area.
West African cuisine
When we talk about Western African cuisine we refer to Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Burkina Faso.
From contacts with the Arab world, Western African cuisine has inherited rice and cinnamon, two widely used ingredients. One can also note the influence of European cuisine in the use, for example, of tomatoes .
Despite contacts with numerous peoples, West African cuisine has always remained tied to its traditions and has never changed much over the centuries.
Southern African cuisine
This area includes South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
Southern African cuisine is sometimes called rainbow cuisine due to the variety of influences from different cultures and peoples, starting with the indigenous Africans to reach Europeans and Asians. The result was a very complex and particularly rich culinary culture. The basic ingredients are ittic products, all meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, wheat and wheat by-products. Fruit, which is also often used as a dessert, includes apples, grapes, mangoes, bananas, papayas, avocados, oranges, fish and apricots; but there are also desserts inherited from Europe and, in particular, from Portuguese cuisine.
At the table, there is also the habit of consuming alcoholic beverages, some traditional, others more modern; there are, for example, several beers inspired by those produced in Europe.
