Hello dear, today we’re food bound as we consider 5 of the most common foods found in Africa. Feel free to share with us more dishes if we omitted some.
What makes our motherland so unique is the wonderfully diverse cultures and traditions. When it comes to food in particular, the continent boasts a very wide variety of cuisines and delicacies spread across our various societies.
While the ingredients are relatively similar, the diversity of African cuisine largely lies in the style and technique of preparation. Due to their wide availability, most of these foods have become the backbone of meal times for most African families.
Despite the diversity, there are some popular dishes that cut across several countries on the continent and are usually prepared almost the same.
Jollof Rice

Jollof rice, also called ‘Benachin’ meaning one pot in the Wolof language, is a popular dish in many parts of West Africa. There are many variations of Jollof rice as you can see in this article: Four Nigerian Jollof Rice Recipe to Try. The most common basic ingredients are rice, tomatoes and tomato paste, onion, salt, and red pepper. Beyond that, nearly any kind of meat, vegetable, or spice can be added.
Fufu/ Foufou

Very popular across West Africa, fufu is a special meal made up of a mixture of different flavours, including cassava, cornmeal, green plantain, yam, and/or semolina. Some people boil the starchy food whole and then mash or pound them into a dumpling-like consistency, while others use flours made from one or more of these ingredients. Swallowed instead of chewed, fufu is served with soup.
Fried plantain

Not just in Africa, fried plantain is also very popular across the Caribbean and it is usually eaten as a full meal or a side dish. They are usually eaten with porridge beans.
Pap

Pap, which is porridge, is a popular breakfast dish across several African countries. Depending on the location, it is usually prepared with millet, maize, corn and/or sorghum.
Groundnut soup/stew

A popular staple dish across Africa, the main ingredients for this dish include groundnut paste, vegetables and chicken/meat/seafood. It is usually eaten with rice or any kind of “swallow”.
That’s it on the 5 Most Common Foods Found in Africa check back later for other recipes from our ‘delicious cookbook’. You can also go ahead and read up other articles about African foods. This soup is just one of them.
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See also: Ogbono Soup: Health Benefits & Recipes
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