Africa’s dinner plate is a colorful tapestry woven with grains, roots, pulses, vegetables, and fruits—some native to the continent, others brought in from distant lands over centuries. Understanding where our food staples come from helps us appreciate its role in health, culture, and history.
Many of Africa’s current food staples are indigenous, meaning they were first domesticated here thousands of years ago. These include sorghum, millet, teff, African yams, okra, cowpeas, and the resilient bambara groundnut. These plants not only shaped African agriculture but also nourished generations across highlands and semi-arid zones, especially for smallholder farmers.
Ethiopia gave the world teff, used to make the famous injera bread, while West Africa is home to the versatile yam and cowpea. Sorghum and millet, drought-tolerant and nutrient-rich, are still prized in arid zones, especially for smallholder farmers.
But not all food plants on African plates are homegrown. Maize, cassava, groundnuts, tomatoes, and even chili peppers are immigrants from the Americas, brought by Portuguese traders as early as the 16th century. Rice and bananas came from Asia, while crops like lentils and sugarcane arrived via trade routes and colonization. These newcomers blended with indigenous crops, changing food traditions forever.
Africa has also exported its own. Sorghum and millet are now grown in India and the U.S., okra flavors dishes from the Caribbean to Louisiana and baobab fruit is hailed globally as a “superfood.” Apart from normal grain dishes, fermentation is being used to prepare refreshing drinks. Fermentation has long been used across Africa to preserve food and enhance nutrition. Drinks like togwa in Tanzania, mahewu in Zimbabwe, ogi in Nigeria and fura da nono in West Africa are all based on fermented grains or milk, and serve as healthy, non-alcoholic staples.
Many African grains and pulses are nutrition powerhouses. Teff is rich in iron and calcium. Millet and sorghum provide fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidant power. Cowpeas and bambara nuts are protein-rich and support soil health through nitrogen fixation. Amaranth and lentils are rich in iron and folate—key for maternal and child health.
As Africa faces modern health challenges, returning to traditional, whole, and often forgotten foods may offer sustainable solutions for nutrition and wellness.
LONGEVITY TIPS
DR MARK BURA
- Bura practises Plant Based Dietary Consultancy at Golden Rose Hotel in Arusha from Monday to Saturday 4-6pm. His contact is 0626265471.
