The chile was most likely was brought over to West Africa from Portugal in the 15th century. The African populations at that time readily accepted the new chile, as they were already familiar with hot spices. Cubeb pepper, grains of paradise, and Ashanti pepper were regularly used in West Africa cooking.

Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese in West Africa, there is very little mention of spices in the diets of medieval Arabic people in this region. There is mention, however, of a “Sudan pepper” in Morocco. This was probably Ashanti pepper or cubeb, a variety of pepper known for its hotness. Ashanti was cultivated in places on the Guinea coast before the Portuguese arrival. There is also evidence that some spices were imported from North Africa, as told by Arabic travellers in the 16th century.

In today’s West African society, you will find the spiciest food of anywhere else in Continent of Africa. East, Southern, and Central Africa have mostly bland cooking in comparison, with the exception of Cameroon, Gabon, and the Congos. Some say these regions have even hotter food than in the West African region. There are also areas of Angola in the southwest part of the continent, and Mozambique in the southeast that are spicy areas. Portuguese colonies have brought that influence to those locations.

Spicy West African cooking refers to the cooking of Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissou,Senegal, Mali, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Siera Leone, Ghana,Togo, Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso. Oddly enough, in the southern parts of all of these countries, the food is hotter than the northern parts.

Western African food is dominated by various kinds of stews. And since breads are rarely found in West African cooking, the starches that are found are usually in the stews. Typically, you will find millet and sorghum as the dominant grains in West Africa. You will also find rice, wheat, and beans in the West African diet, but to a lesser extent.

Another important food of West Africa is a cereal called fonia, which is fairly bland, but easily cultivated. It does well in times of drought, so therefore has a very important role in the food of West Africa. Wheat is rare and expensive, so it plays a minor role in the diet of West Africans.

And as to the importance of cooking fats in West Africa cooking, red palm and peanut oil are essential fats since the discovery of the New World.

Billy Bristol is the writer and editor for Spicy Cooking, a website devoted to hot spices, spicy foods, blazing cooking, the hottest cuisines around the world, and “knock-your-socks-off fiery recipes that all chile-heads and chili-head wannabes will love. Spicy Cooking will fire up taste buds and scorch your plate…Guaranteed. Spicy Cooking [http://www.foodheat.com] –

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Billy_Bristol/16090

It is very common in Africa to show hospitality by giving a visitor a drink before any serious greetings or discussions take place. The formality of indulging in drink is very ingrained in Africa. The drink differs from one part of Africa to the other.

In East Africa tea is poured for visitors. Often that means that the guest will wait for fifteen minutes to an hour before the tea is brewed. It is not simple tea, it is made with plenty of milk and enormous quantities of sugar. In the rural areas the woman of the house has gone to great lengths to provide the guest with this drink of greeting. She may have walked a half mile or more to fetch water, carried it home (water is extremely heavy), sat bent over a blazing, hot wood or charcoal fire while it cooked. The sweet brew is served most often in enamel cups or glasses. The woman of the house will continue to pour the guest cup after cup of tea. It is considered rude to begin any discussion of substance until the tea is drunk.

In West Africa, water is the drink of welcome. Women sometimes several hike miles to retrieve water from a well or river and carry it home on their heads. The water is then often poured into clay urns that are placed in the coolest area of the house, so that when a guest comes, she can be offered a refreshing drink against West Africa’s heat and humidity. When a guest arrives in a house the wife or a child quickly scurries off and returns with a glass, tin can, or shallow bowl full of water. The one offering the drink will most often sip from the bowl before handing it to the guest. In this part of the world, where voodoo is prevalent, the sipping shows that the drink is safe for consumption.

In the Sahel regions of Africa, where water is the scarcest, palm wine is offered as a drink of greeting. The palm wine is the product of time and labor. Weeks before families have tapped palm trees, allowing sap to secrete into gourds that have been placed at the base of the tree. The liquid is brought home and allowed to ferment. This is the same drink that can be further distilled into a gin, often called sodabi. The family member serves the brew to the guest by by offering it with both hands cupping a halved calabash or a tin can. The guest is usually seated in the shade of a tree to consume the relaxing drink.

Of course, in many modern, African homes cokes, bottled beer, and wine are offered to guests, but the tradition of offering a drink before conversation remains very much a part of African culture.

Many African forums have begun to share the huge variety of African food and recipes on the Internet. African meals are beginning to be influenced some by the availability of foreign products, but the love of home African cooking still prevails.

by Richard Chowning

MyWeku Forum [http://www.myweku.com/forum/]

About the Author – Richard Chowning is a writer with broad Africa experience, having lived on the continent for 25 years and managing African Missions Resource Center and Stories of Africa.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Chowning/458060