All posts filed under: Africa

Video Saturday: Cameroon

Happy Saturday! This BBC video is all about eating bush meat in Cameroon – hunting and cooking it. Hunting for food is common around the world, even today – despite supermarkets and other conveniences. Enjoy!

Oils and Seasonings in Cameroon (with poll)

Cameroon’s name derives from the Portuguese word for shrimp. Speaking of shrimp… When Ava was a newborn we called her shrimp and the basket she napped in we called her “shrimp basket.” She is the sweetest thing I’ve ever laid eyes on. I could just eat her up. Nom nom. We propped our little shrimp up by 5 gazillion blankets and one boppy (never unattended, mind you). Pretty cozy for a shrimp basket. Yawn. ZZZzzz. She did a lot of that those first weeks. That’s right. I’m one of those moms. I’ll talk/love/gush/ramble on about my baby Ava any chance I get. Thanks, Cameroon for giving me a reason to talk my daughter. 😀 Ok, back on topic. Different oils are available in Cameroon’s varied regions: generally red palm oil in the south and sesame in the north Country onions are used for seasoning along with garlic and hot peppers, usually habenero. The small country onion (the bulb is about the size of a large grape) adds a smoky garlic note to food.

Menu: Cameroon

My husband about climbed the walls with excitement when he found out we were making Groudnut Croissants (well, there was a five second delay, until he realized that by “Groundnut Croissants” I meant croissants spread with ooey gooey peanut butter). Who wouldn’t? Peanut butter rolled up into a steaming croissant? Yes please! Our Cameroonian menu represents a crossroads of cultures and traditions. With elements of West African and French cuisine, the simple recipes below are easy to prepare and full of flavor. Particularly that peanut-buttery croissant! Fried Whole Fish [Recipe] Fish is an affordable and readily available source of protein in Cameroon. Regional fish include Tilapia, Catfish, Carp, and Snapper. West African Peanut Sauce [Recipe] Peanut butter and cayenne pepper join forces to create a simple sauce for any dish. Corn with Plantains [Recipe] Fresh or frozen corn stewed with sweet plantain. Peanut Butter Croissants (Groundnut Croissants) [Recipe] Croissant dough spread with peanut butter, rolled up and baked until golden. Mango Daiquiris [Recipe] Fresh mango, lime juice, sugar, and rum.

Photo courtesy of the CIA World Factbook

About the Food of Cameroon

Wild bush meat and French pastries. If you’re going to stereotype Cameroon, that’s just about the best way to do it. This unusual food combination stems from Cameroon’s origins, in 1961, when this African country formed from the union of two colonies, one British and one French. Like most coastal African countries, the people on the shore towns of Cameroon rely on fish, serving them up grilled, fried (recipe), steamed in banana leaves, or stewed with plantains, corn, yams, or beans on the side. One typical dish is corn cooked with plantains (recipe). Further inland, dinnertime gets a little more bizarre, as mice, snakes, and monkeys are hunted in the bush and stewed with a little water, tomato or peanut sauce. Most meals are served with fu-fu (soft, starchy mixtures pounded into a paste – often cassava), millet, or rice. Peanuts, called groundnuts in Africa, are particularly plentiful in this region. They make their way into sauces, stewed vegetables (like bitterleaf greens), breads and desserts. Spicy peanut sauces are poured over fried fish, chicken, and meat …

Monday Meal Review: Burundi

Burundi reminds me of my mother – wonderfully inventive with just a few ingredients. She could whip up dinner with a bucket of cement if she had to. Although made with simple, affordable ingredients, the plate you see before you is a feast worthy of any table – spicy, sweet, fresh, flavorful – betraying no signs of poverty or struggle. What a lesson we can learn from the creativity and fortitude of Burundi. Getting Ava to eat her meal was also a lesson in creativity and fortitude. A test of wills. And of patience. With several quick head shakes, Ava has refusing food down to an art. She wasn’t interested in the beans. Or the plantains. Or the tomatoes. Once in a while she faked interest, opening wide for a bite, but once the food touched her tongue, she pushed it back out, screwing her face up into a squinty smile. Little stinker knows she’s making my hair turn grey. In all of beautiful Burundi, fish was her only interest. With quickly fading hope, I filled her …

Red Kidney Beans with Plantains

Serves 4 If you can make this African bean dish a day ahead, please do. The sauce will thicken and coat every millimeter of the beans with chili and onion goodness. Great side dish for a party! Ingredients: 3 cups prepared red kidney beans (2 cans) 2 Tbsp red palm oil 1 onion, sliced 1 plantain, sliced salt 1 tsp chili powder 2 cups water Method: 1. Heat oil over medium heat, cook onion 2. Add beans, plantains, salt, and chili pepper. Cook for a minute. 3. Add water and simmer until plantains are cooked and about a 1/2 cup of liquid is left in the pan – 30 -45 min I chose a plantain with blackened skin. Unlike a banana, where darker skin indicates over-ripeness, blackened skin in a plantain indicates perfect sweetness with a little tooth – perfect for a short simmer. Always rinse canned beans. I bought “no salt added” to keep this dish low sodium. This photo flashes me back to spoonfuls of cod liver oil as a child. Luckily, red palm oil …

Fish with Tomatoes & Red Palm oil

Serves 2-3 Make this African dish with your favorite white fish. In Burundi, they use whole Ndagala or mukéké. The tomatoes and onion make a fresh, brothy sauce, while a pinch of fresh parsley enhances the flavor. Sometimes the fish is fried separately, then added to the sauce. I prefer the health benefits of gently steaming the fish over the sauce. Ingredients: 1 Tbsp red palm oil 1 lb fish (we used cod) 1 onion, chopped 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 habenero (whole or halved) 1 cup water Salt to taste Method: 1. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft. Then add tomatoes, habenero, water, and salt. 2. Simmer, uncovered, about 15-30 minutes, until the tomatoes break down into a light, brothy sauce. If you prefer a more reduced sauce – or less, adjust time to your preferences. 3. Add fish, cover, and cook until done. This will depend on the thickness of your fish. Check to make sure the fish flakes easily to determine if done. Ours took about 15 minutes. Tomatoes …

Witness the sights and tastes of Burundi

In this first video, you’ll see the longest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika, as well as mukeke, one of the fish that comes from these beautiful waters. In this second video you’ll view scenery from the small lakes region of Burundi, as well as spectacular fresh produce. Finally, watch drumming performances at the Avocado Oil Festival, followed by a display of food made with avocado oil.

Meals in Burundi (with poll)

While you are reading this, I’m on a plane. Flying to Virginia. On Friday the 13th. The flight left at 6 am. Yes, I made the reservations. Who knows what I was thinking. All I can hope for is a little relaxation. I bet I could find some at this beach, in Burundi… For today’s FFF,I thought it would be fun to share 4 first hand accounts of meals in Burundi, followed by our weekly poll: Lunch at the Market restaurant A heaping plate of rice and peas in tomato and onion sauce, fried bananas, a piece of beef (having lived a long and toil-filled life before landing on the plate), accompanied by slices of fresh pineapple, by bananas, peanuts, and a soft drink, cost $1.50 each. Move over McDonald’s. Burundian Delicacies …gorging ourselves on a number of Burundian delicacies – many different cooked vegetables, fried plantains, rice, sauce with beef (none of which was all that unusual to our American palates – though we think the cheese in one of the salads may have …

Pili-Pili hot sauce

Pili-Pili (also called Piripiri) is the kind of hot sauce that puts hair on a man’s chest. And, possibly, even a woman’s. This basic African condiment was introduced by the Portuguese in the 1500’s. To give you an idea of how intense pili-pili is, imagine this true story: Positioned just outside the second room, where we would shake the president’s hand, sat a vast array of spicy delicacies, accompanied by bowls of pili-pili sauce for dipping. For the uninitiated, Pili-pili (pronounced “pee-lee pee-lee”) is a sauce made from a fiery pepper similar but more potent than a jalepeno. Crushed into an eye watering hot sauce, pili-pili is not for the weak and timid. The majority of assembled dignitaries, faint with hunger, attacked the assortment of peppery cocktail treats with gusto. However, immediately before their moment of glory with Mobutu [the president], most had mouths heartily stuffed with spicy finger foods laced with pili-pili – a deadly combination. Television cameras caught diplomat after diplomat walking the red carpet, mouths burning into a smile, and eyes watering. Far from emotional tears …

Menu: Burundi

If you are looking for something quick and easy, Burundian food is for you. This fresh, healthy meal can easily be sized up for a crowd. Be sure to serve this meal with a big pot of white rice on the side. Fish with Tomatoes and Onion [Recipe] Light and healthy cod fish steamed with tomatoes, onion, a hint of habenero and red palm oil. Traditional recipes use Ndagala or mukéké. Red Kidney Beans with Plantains [Recipe] Spicy chili powder brings red kidney beans to life, while mildly sweet plantains make this dish addictive comfort food. Fried Plantains [Recipe] Lightly pan-fried plantains turn golden and crispy, with a pinch of salt. Hot Sauce (Pili Pili) [Recipe] Pili Pili (or piri piri) is made with fresh citrus juice, either lemon or lime, tons of garlic, and chili peppers. Additional herbs like parsley can be added if desired. Fresh Tropical Fruit Cooked desserts are not common in Burundi. Instead, fresh pineapple or bananas are served at the end of the meal.

About the Food of Burundi

Nestled up to the largest lake in the world, Lake Tanganyika, is the tiny country of Burundi. There, amidst the rolling hills and the lush tropics, live a people surviving on a simple bounty of beans, bananas, plantains, maize (corn), cassava, sweet potato, and peas. Peek under the lid of any Burundian pot, and you’ll likely find red kidney beans. Cooked simply with a little red palm oil, onion, and spicy chili powder, the nutrient rich bean becomes a delight. To avoid monotony, many Burundi mix things up by stirring in slices of sweet plantain (recipe). This completely stunning comfort food is both rich and savory. The banana and the plantain can be found everywhere, piled high on the back of bicycles, old truck beds, and in baskets on top of women’s heads. These sweet treats are served plain, fried (recipe), and in home-brewed banana beer called Urwarwa. In fact, there’s little in the way of cooked dessert served in Burundi. Instead, the people enjoy a ripe banana or juicy pineapple slices. Fish, drawn daily …