Madagascar’s cuisine can be clearly marked by its sheer simplicity. The food is prepared without too many spices, but the lack of spices does not make the food dull and bland. Cuisines of France, China, India and also East African and Arabian cultures have all made their influence felt in Madagascar. The traditional cuisine of Madagascar consists mainly of rice. The rice is called “Vary” and it is typically eaten with some accompaniment, which is called the “Laoka”. As you move down the country towards the southwest regions, you will get to eat rice that may be supplemented or replaced by ground maize. However rice is the main diet of the natives, and is available in bounty. The native people have become very resourceful in developing huge numbers of scrumptious preparations with this one simple grain.
Apart form the heaping mountains of rice, Madagascar cuisine can also be characterized by its popular topping called “Zebu”. Zebu is an incredibly cooked beef, and can also be made from chicken, crab, pork, fish, corn, peanuts and potatoes. In addition, there is an abundance of fres...
Madagascar is one of the most diverse areas of land that has undergone evolution totally independent from surrounding continents. The plant and animal species located on the island are all endemic to the island, meaning all are native species. The amount of diversity is very high compared to that of other continents and the species found here cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Currently all organisms located on this island are in danger, even the humans. Much damage has already been done, yet each year the land seems to die even more. Many species are dying off rapidly and drastic measures will have to be taken to stop all of these species from becoming extinct.
What are some of the native foods, and/or dishes that are special from their homeland?
Kamara, Mariatu and Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango. New York: Annick Press Limited, 2008. Print.
The typical Cuban cuisine and common food rituals have their origins mainly in Spanish dishes, like arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) and paella; pork is served in diverse forms, chicken, and rice, and seasoned with sofrito (a mix of spices).
When many hear about a lemur, they immediately think of the movie Madagascar and the fun loving role that is played by the lemur King Julien; similarly, when hearing the name Madagascar, many think of the land of the lemurs. However, what would happen if there were no more lemurs? This is a harsh but readily approaching reality of Madagascar today. Lemurs are known as the world’s most endangered mammals, and specifically the Simpona, otherwise known as the Silky Sifaka lemur, is critically endangered. If treatments of Madagascar’s habitat, specificity the small mountainous area of northeastern Madagascar where the Simpona lemur reside, continue being treated as they are today, this will not only lead to the complete extinction of this rare Lemur, but it will also affect the economic standing in Madagascar as a whole. Therefore, it is vital to recognize the solutions and act on them in order to prevent these devastating occurrences.
Cuban cuisine has been influenced by Spanish, French, African, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese cultures. Traditional Cuban cooking is primarily peasant cuisine that has little concern with measurements, order and timing. Most of the food is sauteed or slow-cooked over a low flame. Very little is deep-fried and there are no heavy or creamy sauces. Most Cuban cooking relies on a few basic spices, such as garlic, cumin, oregano, and bay laurel leaves. Many dishes use a sofrito as their basis. The sofrito consists of onion, green pepper, garlic, oregano, and ground pepper quick-fried in olive oil. The sofrito is what gives the food its flavor. It is used when cooking black beans, stews, many meat dishes, and tomato-based sauces. Meats and poultry are usually marinated in citrus juices, such as lime or sour orange juices, and then roasted over low heat until the meat is tender and literally falling off the bone. Another common staple to the Cuban diet are root vegetables such as yuca, malanga, and boniato, which are found in most Latin markets. These vegetables are flavored with a marinade, called mojo, which includes hot olive oil, lemon juice, sliced raw onions, garlic, cumin, and little water.
The Cuban style of cooking is simple in concept but complex in flavor. Much Cuban food owes its heritage and tradition from Africa and neighboring, Caribbean cultures. However, there are two distinctive styles of cooking: "the classic" whose techniques and ingredients have been in use for a long time across the island, and "the new," labeled nuevo Cubano, which adds a variety of herbs and spices from other cuisine and emphasizes presentation. For example, the province of Oriente, in eastern Cuba, is well known for its contribution of spicier and more robust dishes to the cuisine of the island due to the influx of Haitian and Jamaican immigrants to the island beginning in the 1790's. In the states, Cubans, too, have opted to choose hot peppers, like blazing scotchbonnets and serranos, to prepare recipes such as black bean salsa.
Like many other countries, they use elements from other countries’ traditions. Attention to detail is very important to the Marshallese. They put a lot of emphasis on the correct amount of spices, for example. They also find the visual appearance of the dish very important (“Marshall Islands Cuisine”, 2013). The Marshallese do have some similar eating customs to Americans. They typically have coffee or tea in the morning with a small breakfast consisting of bread, fruit, and occasionally rice or fish. It is also usually eaten at home before going to work or school. Lunch is traditionally the biggest meal in the day and is spent with the family. It is a large feast that can last a couple hours. The foods for lunch are usually local and consist of vegetables, fruits, rice, and a protein such as fish or chicken. Then dinner is typically the smaller meal consisting of leftovers from lunch. Sometimes, if the parents are working during the day, lunch is eaten at work and dinner is then the family feast (“Food”,
The lowlands, including a lot of of the Acadia French regions of Louisiana and also the surrounding and the, enclosed a varied diet heavily influenced by Africans and Caribbeans, instead of simply the French. As such, rice contend an oversized a part of the diet because it contend an oversized part of the diets of the Africans and Caribbean. Additionally, unlike the uplands, the lowlands subsistence of protein...
Kamara, Mariatu and Susan McClelland. The Bite of the Mango. New York: Annick Press Ltd., 2008. Print.
Throughout time, the Jewish people had been discriminated, oppressed, mistreated, and even killed way before the Nazi era. From Christ-killers to being the devil, the Jews were never truly accepted anywhere. When Hitler came around, his hatred towards the Jews and other minorities went in crescendo. First using “legal” actions to repress and signal out the Jews in Germany, then measures got worse by the second. Right before Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the Jews were banned from every aspect of German life, social, religious, economic, etc. Unfortunately, from 1939 through 1941, the German Wehrmacht having tremendous success, their new weapons and tactics such as the Blitzkrieg caught their enemies by surprise. As a result, more than six millions of Jews were now under the control of the Nazi
Foods from Africa, which have impacted North American cuisine are numerous, and common in the everyday eating habits of Americans. In the 21st century, Americans take for granted the history of the food they eat, and the origins of the foods that are eaten today. In the early part of the history of the United States, people of European descent brought recipes from home and adapted their recipes to the ingredients which were available. The slave trade was directly responsible for what many Americans think of as American food, and those foods are traceable to Africa. Because slaves incorporated their own foods into the everyday lives of their masters, some of the unique foods from Africa and their history are not well known today. American
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).
According to Mishra et al. (2011), this vegetable becomes a highly economically important crop owing to its high protein, amino acids and minerals. Cat’s whiskers is of economic importance to Africa and Zimbabwe as well, because its production is cheaper yet it is of sound comparative nutritional quality compared to the exotic ones such as Brassica (Machakaire et al., 1998). Cat’s whiskers is also known to have high levels of β-carotene, a precursor for vitamin A. Chivinge (1983) stated that the vitamins and micro-nutrients in cat’s whiskers contribute to a healthy diet for many rural Africans with limited food budgets.
In conclusion, Indian cooking can very well be known to be vivid, exquisite, and simply delicious. India is a banquet expressed in colors, smells, flavors, and personalities. The hundreds of spices which most Indian cooks use, show exactly why their food can always stand out from others and taste fantastic. The traditional foods used in India such as curry, Roti, and chutneys are some of the reasons as to why India’s dishes are so extraordinary. The tasty snacks in India complete the list by allowing Indians to grab a quick bite while on the way to an important desti-nation.