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Culture of africa cuisines essay
Culture of africa cuisines essay
An essay on food cultivation in Nigeria
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This essay is about Nigeria and the food that they eat in Nigeria. I also included what kind of food is presented at the special celebrations, meal time, and how Nigerians gained access to the different spices that they use in their food. There are some interesting medical facts about the food that they eat in Nigeria. Also while reading this essay; there are some comparisons about the fast food restaurants that are in Nigeria and the fast food restaurants in America.
Trade was responsible for changing the flavors of African cuisine. Before trading between continents began, they just had rice, millet (a type of grain), and lentils. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach Nigeria. In addition, this was around the time when they established Nigeria as the slave trade center. Portuguese explorers introduced Cassava to Western Africa. By the 1700s, the British were the main traders of slaves on the Nigerian Coast. They also introduced Cassava, in addition, Beans and Maize. The Explorers introduced Asian seasonings such as pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Nigeria is one of the most ethnically diverse countries: the Hausa and Yoruba is twenty-one percent of the population, Igbo/Ibo is eighteen percent, Fulani is eleven percent, Ibibio is five percent and many others that make up twenty-three percent of the population. Each are has its own favorite dish depending on customs, religion, and tradition. It also depends on the season. For example, the “hungry season” is before the rain arrives in March, and the “season of surplus” which follows the harvest in October and November. In Nigeria they eat fruits and vegetables such as Oranges, Melons, Grapefruits, Pineapples, Mangoes, Apples (not American apples, they are pink, white and tin...
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...nergy for an extended amount of time. Also it could possibly help with Chrons disease. (2) Cassava is used for Gari, Eba, Lafun, Cassava dough, and Cassava chips. It is a good substitution for bread and wheat products because it is gluten free. (3) Bitter leaf is the leaf of, the plant called Vernonia amygdaline. It is proven to be rich in phytochemicals that protect the body against various cancers and help in the treatment of liver cancer. (4) Ogbono is a very good weight loss agent as well as a good sexual enhancement agent. (5) Palm Oil protects from having a heart attack.
The purpose of this essay was to introduce some of the popular dishes and to give insight on a different part of the world. Most of the food that was mentioned in this essay can be found in America. So this really let people see that Nigeria and America have some similarities and differences.
American style of food Cuisine as it’s frequently used in the essay is very unique in the eyes of Sequeira. She believes The diverse culture had brought together different styles and techniques of food choices to choose from. These food choices however are very unhealthy but satisfy the Americans to their needs. Throughout the essay the author Shona Sequeiras states the unhealthy food habit that American has created in their society. She states how Americans forms many simple dishes into something very exotic For example; “Request an American cookie, and you can be showered with hundreds of delectable options, including oatmeal raisin, double chocolate chip, macadamia pecan delight, and coconut brownie (Sequeiras
Of African origin are such specialities as gumbo and pralines, West Indian callaloo and duckandoo (a dish of greens and a dessert based on sweet potatoes), the Brazilian condiments dende oil and spicy hot sauces. Jamaica's bammy bread and the pan bread so beloved in the southern United States are both said to have their origin in the flat round cassava breads typical of Africa. Seeds and the plants of sesame, okra, some melons, and certain varieties of greens as well as yams, together with many techniques of bread making, and the use and combination of spices, are also all credited to the ingenuity of the African cook. It could be argued that every nation and every ethnic group has its own soul food. But the contemporary connotation of the term "soul food" refers to the gradual blending and developing of a peculiar style of cookery with its own dictionary of food terms: it is a blend of West African cookery begun in the southern United States and now very much a part of the cultural tradition of African-Americans, binding them proudly to their African heritage.... ...
Nigerian Ibo culture in the village of Umoufia. Like the Ibo, many other nations are strongly rooted to
The immediate cause of the European voyages of discovery was the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453. While Egypt and Italian city-state of Venice was left with a monopoly on ottoman trade for spices and eastern goods it allowed Portugal and Spain to break the grip by finding an Atlantic route. Portugal took the lead in the Atlantic exploration because of the reconquest from the Muslims, good finances, and their long standing seafaring traditions. In dealing with agriculture, The Portuguese discovered Brazil on accident, but they concentrated on the Far East and used Brazil as a ground for criminals. Pernambuco, the first area to be settled, became the world’s largest sugar producer by 1550. Pernambuco was a land of plantations and Indian slaves. While the market for sugar grew so did the need for slaves. Therefore the African Slave start became greatly into effect. Around 1511 Africans began working as slaves in the Americas. In 1492, Columbus embarked on his voyage from Spain to the Americas. The Euro...
Niger, home of the free flowing Niger River, is a Sub-Saharan, western African nation. Sadly, it is an extremely poor country because part of the country is desert and less than 3% open for crop use. The present economic situation is bleak at best. Yet, the vibrant tradition and history of this country lives today in its tribes and its people even through all of its adversities. From severe droughts to military coups to a dysfunctional government to the culture has stayed strong.
Nigeria has a complex history and though it is independent the effects of British colonization are still present.1#2 Nigeria’s dissension is inextricably linked to the merging of Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914.2#3 Early missionaries used Western education as a tool for evangelism causing a northerrn pulation dominated by islam to be suspicious and reject Western influences.3 In the south western ideals were more widely accepted as a result of their acceptance to Christianity and evangelism. Due to their easy acceptance of westernization the British built schools, roads and infrastructure in the South, none of which appeared in the North.
The first leg of the journey was from Europe, mainly Portugal to Africa. Many of the goods produced in Europe were not available in Africa or America. The Europeans traded manufactured goods, including weapons, guns, beads, cowrie shells (used as money), cloth, horses, and rum to the African kings and merchants in return for gold, silver and slaves. Africans were seen as very hard workers who were skilled in the area of agriculture and cattle farming. They were also used to the extreme temperatures that people of lighter complexions could not bear. There had always been slavery in Africa amongst her own people, where men from different tribes/villages would raid other villages to kidnap the women for their pleasures, and the men to use as slaves. To learn that they could actually profit from this activity made the job of getting slaves very easy for the Europeans. Slaves acquired through raids, were transported to the seaports were they were help prisoner in forts until traded.
...’s depictions of both traditional and modern beliefs in varying degrees illustrate the importance of both in contemporary Nigerian culture, as well as the greater Africa as a whole, and how both are intertwined and cannot exist without the other. In effect, she skillfully subverts stereotypes or single perceptions of Africa as backward and traditional, proving instead, the multifaceted culture of Africa. She further illustrates that neither traditional African nor western culture is necessarily detrimental. It is the stark contrast of the fundamental cultures that inevitably leads to clashes and disagreements. In the end, what holds African countries such as Nigeria together is their shared pride. Modern, western influences can bring positive changes to society, but new cultures cannot completely eradicate the foundational cultures to which a society is founded on.
In Southwestern Nigeria there is an ethnic group of people known as the Yoruba. This culture is found in other areas of Africa such as Togo, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In these countries their group is known by different names such as Anago, Tsha, Ife and Aku (Yoruba Online). Through archaeological excavation in Oyo and Ife, it is thought that the Yoruba people originated between the years of 800 and 1000 AD from the Middle East (p. 13 Drewal, Henry John, John Pemberton, Rowland Abiodun, and Allen Wardwell.).
While the outside world considered Nigeria to be a united and monolithic entity, even the British colonial administration was wary of the reality of Nigerian politics; the nation was not so much a “country” as it was more than three hundred different groups coalesced into one.4 5 These tribes were divided between three main spheres of influence: the Yoruba, the Igbo, and the Hausa. Historically, their interests were often opposed, and their cultures did not come into regular contact with one another until the British occupation. In spite of the differences British administration a...
African foods are bountiful and diverse. They are rich in nutritional fiber and often unrefined and they offer a healthy choice when consumed in the right blend. Most African recipes are based around ingredients and spices that are natural and can be easily farmed or produced at a subsistence level. Most African foods do not contain refined sugars and processed additives and are mainly starch based, with generous amounts of fresh vegetables and proteins found in fish or beef (AIG, 2011).
Nigerian culture is as multi-ethnic as the people in Nigeria. The people of Nigeria still cherish their traditional languages, music, dance and literature. Nigeria comprises of three large ethnic groups, which are Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani and Igbo.
Islam was brought into Nigeria through Globalization. When the government in the 70s supported Islamic views it reached some of the people tostudy Islam. This brought a whole new culture into Nigeria which today still continues to spread
Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.
- Food: The History of Taste, Paul Freedman, Chapter Six: New Worlds, New Tastes, (pgs. 197-232), and Chapter Seven: The Birth of the Modern Consumer Age, (pgs. 263-300), and Chapter Nine: Dining Out (pgs. 301-332)