List of African dishes facts for kids

Africa is the second-largest continent on Earth. It is home to hundreds of different cultures and groups of people. This amazing variety is seen in the many local food traditions. These traditions show up in the ingredients used, how food is made, and the cooking styles.

Five African dishes with three buns from Nigeria

Popular African Dishes to Try

African cooking is full of delicious and interesting dishes. Here are some popular ones from different parts of the continent.

West African Favorites

West Africa is known for its hearty stews and dishes made from root vegetables.

• Akara (or Koose)

From Nigeria, Benin, Ghana, and Sierra Leone, Akara is a food made from peeled beans. The beans are shaped into balls and deep-fried. It's a popular snack and is often eaten for breakfast.

• Alloco

This is a fried plantain snack from Côte d'Ivoire. It's often served with chili pepper and onions. In Nigeria and Ghana, it's called dodo and can be a snack or a side dish with rice or beans.

• Amala

A staple from Nigeria, Benin, and Togo. Amala is a dough-like food made from yam flour. It's usually served with different kinds of soups.

• Eba

Popular in West Africa and Nigeria, Eba is a cooked starchy food. It's made from dried, grated cassava flour, also known as garri.

• Fufu

Found across West Africa and Central Africa, Fufu is made by boiling starchy vegetables like cassava or yams. These are then pounded into a dough. People eat Fufu in small balls, dipping them into soup or sauce.

• Jollof Rice

This is a very popular dish across West Africa. It's called "benachin" in the Wolof language, meaning "one pot." Jollof rice is thought to have started in Gambia. It's a tasty rice dish cooked with tomatoes, spices, and often meat or fish.

• Kelewele

From Ghana and Liberia, Kelewele is fried plantains seasoned with spices. It's a sweet and spicy snack.

• Moin Moin

A steamed bean pudding from Nigeria. It's made from peeled black-eyed beans, onions, and peppers.

• Suya

A popular shish kebab-like food in West Africa, especially from northern Nigeria. Suya is usually made with skewered beef, goat, fish, or chicken. The meat is rubbed with a dry spice mix and then barbecued.

• Yassa

From Senegal and Gambia, Yassa is a spicy dish with marinated fish or poultry. It's prepared with onions and lemon, giving it a tangy flavor.

North African Delights

North African cuisine often features spices, flatbreads, and slow-cooked stews.

• Couscous

A well-known dish from North Africa, Couscous is a type of pasta made from semolina. It's often served with stews or vegetables.

• Harira

A traditional soup from Algeria and Morocco. Harira is a hearty soup often made with lentils, chickpeas, and meat, especially popular during Ramadan.

• Tajine

Named after the special clay pot it's cooked in, Tajine is a slow-cooked stew from North Africa. It often has tender meat, aromatic vegetables, and a flavorful sauce.

East African Specialties

East African food includes staples like injera and fresh salads.

• Dabo Kolo

From Eritrea and Ethiopia, Dabo Kolo are small pieces of bread fried in oil. They make a crunchy snack.

• Injera

A unique, spongy flatbread from Ethiopia and Eritrea. Injera is made from teff flour and has a slightly sour taste. It's used to scoop up stews and other dishes.

• Kachumbari

A fresh salad from East Africa, made with tomatoes and onions. It's a light and refreshing side dish.

• Mandazi

A fluffy fried bread snack from Sub-Saharan Africa. Mandazi is popular in East Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania. It's easy to make and can be eaten with almost any food or as a snack.

• Ugali

A staple food in the African Great Lakes region and Southern Africa. Ugali is a dish of maize flour (cornmeal) cooked with water to a thick, dough-like consistency. It's often served with stews or vegetables.

Southern African Flavors

Southern African cuisine features grilled meats, unique desserts, and hearty stews.

• Biltong

Similar to jerky, Biltong is popular in Southern Africa. It's raw meat, like beef or ostrich, cut into strips, cured, and dried.

• Bobotie

A unique dish from South Africa, Bobotie is spiced ground meat with an egg topping. It's a flavorful and comforting meal.

• Boerewors

This is a South African spiced mixed-meat sausage. It's traditionally flavored with coriander and black pepper. It's very popular for barbecues (called "braais").

• Braaibroodjies

A popular South African version of a toasted sandwich. It's grilled over an open fire instead of in an electric toaster. The name means "grilled-sandwich."

• Droëwors

From South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, Droëwors is a boerewors sausage that has been dried and cured, similar to biltong. Its name means "dried sausage."

• Hertzoggie

These are mini jam and coconut tarts from South Africa. They are usually filled with apricot jam and are a popular tea-time treat.

• Koeksister

A South African syrup-coated doughnut in a twisted or braided shape. It's sweet and sticky!

• Malva Pudding

A sweet pudding from Southern Africa, often served hot with custard or ice cream. It's made with apricot jam and has a spongy, caramelized texture.

• Pap

A traditional porridge made from mielie-meal (ground maize) or other grains. It's a staple food in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

• Potjiekos

Meaning "small pot food," Potjiekos is a stew prepared outdoors in a round, three-legged cast-iron pot. It's a traditional way of cooking in Namibia and South Africa.

• Sosatie

A traditional South African dish of meat (usually lamb) cooked on skewers. The name comes from "sate" (skewered meat) and "saus" (spicy sauce).

• Vetkoek

From South Africa, Vetkoek is dough deep-fried in cooking oil. It can be filled with cooked mince (ground beef) or spread with syrup, honey, or jam.

Images for kids

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  Achu/Achou, a dish from Cameroon

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  Ming'oko, a dish of wild edible yams from Tanzania

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  Afang, a vegetable soup from Nigeria

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  Ahriche, tripe wrapped around sticks from Morocco

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  Asida, a lump of cooked wheat flour dough from North Africa

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  Attiéké, a side or main dish made from cassava from Côte d'Ivoire

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  Banga soup, made from palm nuts, popular in Nigeria

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  Bazeen, barley dough served with tomato sauce from Libya

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  Biltong, similar to jerky, from Southern Africa

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  Raw Boerewors, a South African spiced sausage

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  Boerewors rolls, a popular South African hot dog variant

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  Braaibroodjies, a grilled sandwich from South Africa

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  Brik, a stuffed pastry from Tunisia

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  Briouat, a sweet puff pastry from Morocco

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  Cachupa, a stew of hominy, beans, and meat from Cape Verde

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  Calulu, dried fish with vegetables from Angola

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  Chakalaka, a vegetable relish from South Africa

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  Chakhchoukha, a stew of lamb and flatbread from Algeria

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  Chermoula, a marinade often used for seafood in North Africa

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  Dabo kolo, small pieces of bread fried in oil from Eritrea and Ethiopia

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  Dambou, a semolina dish prepared with moringa leaves from Niger

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  Draw soup, a soup of okra or pumpkin seeds from Nigeria

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  Droëwors, a dried boerewors sausage from South Africa

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  Duqqa, a dip of herbs and spices from Egypt

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  Echicha, cassava, pigeon pea, and palm oil from Nigeria

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  Edikang ikong, a vegetable soup from Nigeria

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  Efo riro, a Yoruba stew mainly consisting of spinach from Nigeria

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  Egusi soup, a stew mainly consisting of egusi from Nigeria

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  Ekwang, grated cocoyams wrapped in cocoyam leaves from Cameroon

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  Eru soup, made with Gnetum africanum leaves from Cameroon

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  Ewa Agoyin, a Yoruba dish of mashed beans from Nigeria

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  Feijoada, a stew of beans, beef, and pork from Southern Africa

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  Fesikh, fermented, salted mullet from Egypt

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  Fit-fit, an Eritrean and Ethiopian breakfast food

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  Frikkadel, traditional meatballs from South Africa

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  Ful medames, mashed fava beans with olive oil from Egypt

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  Ga'at, a stiff porridge from Ethiopia and Eritrea

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  Gatsby, a South African style of deli sandwich

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  Gored gored, a raw beef dish from Ethiopia and Eritrea

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  Harira, a traditional Algerian and Moroccan soup

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  Hawawshi, a traditional Egyptian meatloaf

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  Hertzoggie, mini jam and coconut tarts from South Africa

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  Himbasha, an Ethiopian and Eritrean celebration bread

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  Iru, fermented locust beans used as a condiment in Nigeria

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  Isi ewu, a traditional Eastern Nigeria dish made with goat's head

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  Jaffle, a popular variant of a toasted sandwich from South Africa

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  Kachumbari, a fresh tomato and onion salad from East Africa

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  Kamounia, a beef and liver stew prepared with cumin from Sudan and Tunisia

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  Kapana, spicy Namibian grilled beef strips

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  Kebab, grilled or barbecued meat dishes from the Middle East

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  Kedjenou, a spicy stew slow-cooked in a sealed pot from Côte d'Ivoire

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  Kenkey, a staple dish similar to a sourdough dumpling from Ghana

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  Kitcha, a basic, thin, unleavened bread from Ethiopia and Eritrea

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  Kitfo, raw beef marinated in chili powder and clarified butter from Ethiopia and Eritrea

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  Koki, steamed black eyed peas with red palm oil from Cameroon

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  Konkonte, a famine food made from dried manioc root from Ghana

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  Kuli-kuli, a Hausa food made from peanuts from Nigeria

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  Kushari, made from rice, lentils, chickpeas, and macaroni from Egypt

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  Lablabi, a Tunisian dish based on chickpeas in a thin soup

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  Lahoh, a spongy, pancake-like bread from Somalia

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  Lamington, a sponge cake dipped in chocolate-syrup and desiccated coconut from Australia and South Africa

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  Maafe, a stew or sauce common to much of West Africa

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  Makroudh, a pastry often filled with dates or almonds from Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria

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  Mala Mogodu, a derivative of tripe served as a stew from Southern Africa

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  Malva Pudding, a sweet pudding of Afrikaner origin from Southern Africa

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  Mandazi, a fluffy fried bread snack from Sub-Saharan Africa

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  Matbucha, tomatoes and roasted bell peppers cooked together from Morocco

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  Matoke, a meal consisting of steamed green banana from Uganda

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  Mbongo Tchobi, a black soup made from burnt mbongo spice from Cameroon

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  Méchoui, a whole sheep or lamb spit roasted from North Africa

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  Melktert, a sweet pastry crust with a creamy filling from South Africa

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  Merguez, a very spicy, red sausage from North Africa

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  Mesfouf, similar to couscous with butter added from Tunisia

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  Mealie bread, a traditional sweetened bread baked with sweet corn from South Africa

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  Moambe chicken, chicken in a palm butter and spice stew from Central Africa

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  Mrouzia, sweet and salty tajine with honey, cinnamon, and almonds from Morocco

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  Msemen, traditional pancakes from Maghreb

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  Mulukhiyah, leaves of the Corchorus species used as a vegetable from Egypt

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  Ndolé, a national dish of Cameroon with nuts, bitter leaves, and fish or ground beef

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  Nshima, a cornmeal product and staple food in Zambia and Malawi

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  Obusuma, a Kenyan dish made from maize flour

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  Ogbono soup, a Nigerian dish made with ground ogbono seeds

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  Ogi, fermented cereal pudding from Nigeria

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  Okpa, an eastern Nigerian street food made with bambara nut

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  Pap, a traditional porridge of mielie-meal from Southern Africa

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  Pastilla, a traditional Moroccan meat pie

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  Pepper soup, a very heavily spiced soup from West Africa

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  Phutu, a traditional maize meal dish from South Africa

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  Placali, a fermented cassava paste from Ivory Coast

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  Potbrood, a bread traditionally baked in a cast-iron pot from South Africa

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  Potjiekos, a stew prepared outdoors in a three-legged pot from Namibia and South Africa

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  Qatayef, an Arab dessert commonly served during Ramadan from Egypt

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  Sadza, a cooked cornmeal that is the staple food in Zimbabwe

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  Samosa, fried or baked pastry with a savory filling

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  Seswaa, a traditional meat dish of Botswana

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  Sfenj, donuts cooked in oil then soaked in honey from North Africa

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  Shahan ful, a common dish generally served for breakfast from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan

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  Shakshouka, a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions from Northwest Africa

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  Shark chutney, boiled skinned shark cooked with bilimbi juice and lime from Seychelles

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  Shiro, a homogenous stew whose primary ingredient is powdered chickpeas or broad bean meal from Ethiopia and Eritrea

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  Shish taouk, marinated cubes of chicken skewered and grilled from North Africa

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  Sosatie, a traditional South African dish of meat cooked on skewers

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  Souttert, a traditional South African tart resembling a French quiche

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  Tahini, a paste made from ground, hulled sesame seeds from North Africa

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  Tapalapa bread, a traditional bread of western Africa

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  Tapioca pudding, a sweet pudding made with tapioca and milk or cream

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  Thieboudienne, made with fish, rice, and tomato sauce from Senegal

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  Tomato bredie, a South African stew normally made with mutton

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  Toum, a garlic sauce similar to aioli from Levant

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  Umngqusho, a Bantu dish with several variants

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  Usban, a traditional Tunisian sausage stuffed with rice, herbs, lamb, liver, and heart

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  Vetkoek, dough deep-fried in cooking oil from South Africa

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  Wat, an Ethiopian and Eritrean stew or curry

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  Waterblommetjiebredie, a stew made of meat and waterblommetjies flowers from South Africa

See also

• Botswana cuisine
• Caribbean cuisine
• List of cuisines
• List of African cuisines
• List of Ethiopian dishes and foods
• List of Middle Eastern dishes