AFRICAN CUISINE MAGAZINE

The Business Of AfricanFood In the Diaspora -

An Insight Into A Growing Behemoth

The Gambia: A Li�le isNever Too Much

Have you been called to theAfrican bar?

BUSINESS REPORT TRAVELLER’S KITCHEN DRINK & BEVERAGE REPORT

RECIPES

AN UNPALATABLE POT OF STEWCULINARY CHOICES IN THE DIASPORA

AfricanAll The Goodness of Africa

CUISINEMagazine Celebra�ng the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the DiasporaMARCH 2013

MAKE YOUR MARK IN AFRICAN FOOD AND DRINKTalk to us at www.africancuisinemagazine.com

AFRICAN CUISINE MAGAZINEThe Global Pla�orm for African Cuisine in the Diaspora

Marke�ng and Adver�sing Enquiries Email - [email protected]

Tel +447450972851Tel +447727655669

LET THE MARKET COME TO YOU

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KITCHEN PRACTICALA Guinea Fowl Adventure

A west African bird is laid to rest in the bowels of an African kitchen in the Diaspora

25 24

The Business Of AfricanFood In the Diaspora - An Insight Into A Growing Behemoth

9

The Gambia: A Li�le isNever Too Much

16

A report into the highly compe��ve Beer industry in Nigeria

18

THE UNPALATABLE STEW?An insight into meat-es�ng habits in the Diaspora

14

CONTENTS MARCH 2013

RANDOM RECIPEYou cook it, we rate it!

28

BIOGRAPHY OF FOODThe Pedigree of the Plantain

108 Mali and the Mango

11

LAST WORDAn Afropolitan Opinion on African Cuisine

26

BUSINESS REPORT TRAVELLER’S KITCHEN DRINK & BEVERAGE REPORT

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Ge�ng children on boardThe joys and anxie�es of teaching your children

how to cook African food in the Diaspora

What will your kids make of these food items?

RECIPES

Where Do you RESTAURANT REVIEW

The first point of reference when African cuisine is discussed is often restaurants.

FRESH OUT OF AFRICAimports that make sense

STAY WITH THE TRADITION

Karibu!In the words of our Swahili brothers and sisters, I welcome you to the preview issue

of African Cuisine Magazine – the interac�ve place for celebra�ng the best in African food and drink in the Diaspora. The African Kitchen is a place of mystery where, famously, mothers cook up a range of delights and tantalise the family tastebuds with mysterious recipes.

For erstwhile adventurers seeking a peek into the soul of Africa, a trip into her culinary belly leaves memories that are carried into far-flung outskirts of the world. The past twenty five years have seen a burst of migra�on out of Africa. Many of these

migrants se�led down in the host society, deciding to make the best of both worlds - living outside Africa yet savouring its flavoursome delights. Notably, out of this menagerie has emerged a huge market in which products and services are traded. This trade has caught the interest of interna�onal authori�es, one key factor being concern about banned items and endangered species smuggled for food. Where are we today? A robust trade in foods and drink from Africa thrives in most countries. There are a number of respected wholesale importers with processing and packaging facili�es around the world.

A very virile food and drink retail sector thrives in communi�es where ethnic minori�es abound. African restaurants abound across the world as cultural outposts where Africans socialise among themselves and also invite their non-African friends to dip into the pot of Africa’s generous kitchen.

As with anything though, there

are concerns. These concerns are many and will be part of what we tackle at African Cuisine Magazine. We will be a fair cri�c when we see the worst but we will always be the advocate of the best of African food and drink in the Diaspora. For now, welcome to our kitchen.

Enjoy ya Belleful!

MichaelFounder/Publisher

AN UNPALATABLE POTWe look at the scourge of obesity and associated ailments in the African Diaspora and try to see how our habits in our new home might be a debilita�ng factor in the dispropor�onate rate of obesity among Africans loving in Europe and America. This is a highly controversial topic and is bound to elicit mixed responses. Let us know how you feel and contribute to a debate that is not going to go away any �me soon.

Elsewhere in this issue, we give you teasers into some of what we will be covering in future edi�ons of African Cuisine Magazine.

And It’s our pleasure to do so.

NEXT EDITION APRIL 2012

Have You Been Called To TheAfrican Bar?

Out&About With African Cuisine Magazine

Season’s Recipes

Restaurant Review

Random Recipe Result!

People/ My Mama Taught Me

....and many more

It’s time to talk [seriously] about

African Food and Drink in the

Diaspora!

WRITE TO US Email [email protected]

Twiter @african_cuisineFacebook AfricanCuisineMagazine

a gnitavoni enterprise©

Michael O Banjo Founder/Publisher

contributorsMegan Worola - Associate WriterDebola Ayoade - Associate Writer

Meg Banjo - Commercial ResourcesBabs Ajayi Jnr - North America Editor

Dr Bukky Ogunbiyi - Health & Wellness AdviserDiarra Ba - Francophone Correspondent

Segun Fatuase - Adviser

www.africancuisinemagazine.com

AFRICAN CUISINE MAGAZINE‘All the Goodness of Africa’


CUISINEMagazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

6

NEWSIF Campaign targets food poverty

A coal�on of about 100 non-governmental organisa�ons have come together to campaign against

global food poverty. According to the promoters, the world produces enough food for everyone, but not everyone has enough food. The main aims were outlined by the actor Bill Nighy.The key message is anchored on the premise that no child needs to go hungry IF a number of known factors are tackled by governments, local and interna�onal ins��u�ons as well as commercial enterprises.

According to the IF Campaign, they want leaders to act on the four big issues that mean so many people do not get enough food.

These issues they refer to as more Aid to poorer countries and a

requirement to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countriesThe third issue is Land availability IF poor farmers are not being forced off their land and also to ensure that land is used to grow crops to feed

people, not fuel cars.

Finally , they call for tansparency by governments and big companies are honest and open about their ac�ons that stop people ge�ng enough food.

UK: Achieving sound Public Health

THE government of the United Kingdom has inaugaurated Public Health Responsibility Deal with partners in the Food and Drink industry to explore how public health objec�ves can be achieved through voluntary collabora�on.This campaign is riding on the back of the success of Change for Life that took off in early 2012.

In a recent address to the food industry, Public Health Minister Anna Soubry, made it clear that she believes food and drinks companies have a moral responsibility to act.

According to the Public Health Responsibility Deal plan, the

partners are expected to sign up to pledges that will require them to make posi�ve chnages to their products or services that ul�mately benefit the public.Some of these pledges are Salt Catering and Salt Reduc�on, Alcohol Labelling, Ar�ficial Trans Fats Removal and several others.

It is expected that partners will provide annual updates on progress towards achieving the ac�ons required to meet thir pledges.

UK: Horse Meat for Beef; Pork for

Halal

UK authori�es are inves�ga�ng contamina�on in the Meat supply chain. In February, it was discocered that traces of Pig DNA was found in hala products supplied to prisons. Food distribu�ng company 3663 iden�fied McColgan Quality Foods Limited as the source of “the very small number of halal savoury beef pastry products” found to contain pork DNA that it supplied to prisons.

The Food Safety Agency also declared that it had been found that many food products labelled to contain Beef were actually made up of up to 100% Horse meat.

This led to product recalls by many supermarkets including Waitrose, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl. Along with specula�on that the source of horse meat contamina�on came from Europe, the UK FSA invaded and closed two UK meat-processing plants in Wales and Yorkshire amidst threats of crimimal prosedu�on.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the launch of IF in London

I’ve got the horse!

Tell us atwww.africancuisinemagazine.com

Twi�er #african_cuisineFacebook africancuisinemagazine

THE BEST AFRICAN RESTAURANT IN THE DIASPORA?



8

Next �me you buy a mango in your local supermarket, it’s likely that you could be ea�ng produce from Mali. Of course, you may not know that or even figure

that a country whose name is synonymous with the music of amazing Griots and the sonorous voice of Oumou Sangare does export food.

Agriculture is a major pillar of Mali’s economy. It accounts for 45% of the country’s GDP and employs 80% of its workforce.The Industry represents 17% of the country’s GDP, with food processing, construc�on, phosphate and gold mining as the principal industrial ac�vi�es. Mali’s main exports, since the 1970s, have been gold, co�on, and livestock.

The fruit was tradi�onally collected and sold mainly for the domes�c market. During the 1970s, Mali was the first country in West Africa that began to focus on opportuni�es to export fresh mangoes. However, these exports were exclusively via air-freight, reaching a volume of between 1,000 and 1,500 tons per year, and targeted the niche market of the expensive retail shops selling tropical fruits in France.

Therea�er, the government iden�fied high-value non-tradi�onal agricultural products as one op�on to generate income and achieve greater diversifica�on of exports, based on the country’s compara�ve advantages. Mangoes were one of the prime candidates because of the excellent agro-clima�c condi�ons in the southern regions of Bougouni and SIkasso.

Following the implementa�on of a World Bank-assisted project, between 1993 and 2008, total exported volume of mangoes in 2008 reached 11,995 tons, an all �me record. At the beginning of the 2000s, Mali was not on the radar screen of fruit importers in the EU and categorized under “Others”. Now it is a recognized origin.

The average quality of the fruit exported has improved. As an indica�on of the improvement in the quality, as well as the quan�ty, of mangoes exported, the number of sea container rejec�ons due to fruit flies has been reduced from 14 containers in 2007 to 5 containers in 2008, while the fruit fly infesta�on nonetheless remains an issue.

Nevertheless, whatever your view on the current Islamist insurgency in Mail, raise a glass of Mango juice to the ordinary men and women who work to bring you that special taste of tropical sa�sfac�on.

MALI Mango and the Land of the MadingoMali is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordering seven other countries: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

KEY FACTS1.24 million sq km - Total land area 3.76% - % Arable land area80,000 - hectares irrigated land12.3m Es�mated popula�on47.5% - % popula�on living in poverty na�onally [UNDP Human Development Index.2006]



9

PEOPLE

BUSINESSTHE BUSINESS OF AFRICAN FOOD IN THE DIASPORA

AN INSIGHT INTO A GROWING BEHEMOTH By Michael O Banjo

Much has changed in the way Africans in the Diaspora access foods from the

home con�nent or how they make use of replica foods and drinks to as-sert their culinary heritage. Without a�emp�ng a historical excursion into the sources of foods and drinks of Africa into Europe, America and Asia and how Diaspora communi�es have made use of them, it is necessary to note that the recent boom in African cuisine around the world is quite recent. In the past thirty years or so, a wave of outward migra�on from Africa, caused mainly by civil strife and economic crisis has enlarged exile African communi�es primarily in Europe but also in North America and Asia.

Because the exile communi�es o�en live in close proximity, their ancestral preferences of food and drink were maintained. Where it was possible, subs�tute products were found lo-cally to replace foods from home. For example, among west Africans be-tween the 1950s and 1970s, ground rice was an European subs�tute for Gari which was scarce and o�en very expensive. This prac�ce of subs�tu-�on also affected east African com-muni�es essen�ally because of the rela�ve distance to Europe and their rela�vely small number compared to west Africans and north Africans.

As �me went by, subs��on led to ‘home-based’ manufacturing o�en by wives and mothers. They began to find the skills to make their own foods [and drink!]. O�en, this was the outcome of Home Econom-ics classes sponsored by the host governments to help the families to develop new skills. Some of these baking and cooking purported to be the recipes their mothers and fathers had taught them back home. With-out a doubt that was the inten�on. However, the absence or shortage of certain ingredients always meant that there was always that missing ‘something’ crucial to the real thing.It soon became clear that there was no going back. One notable part of African society is the party spirit. All African commu-ni�es in the Diaspora have earned reputa�ons for a scale of partying and entertainment that is well beyond the level of the host society. Africans love to celebrate every and any life event. Child-naming ceremo-nies [in some cultures, some items of food are fundamental to success!], birthday par�es, gradua�on par�es, funerals, memorials, ge�ng a job or a promo�on, religious fes�vi�es and so on and so forth. It all means a lot of cooking, a lot of buying, a lot ea�ng and drinking. Families also clubbed together to contribute food and drink for large par�es. As responsibili�es grew and less �me for cooking for family events,

some women [and men] became renowned for their large event cater-ing. Hence, the advent of the mul-�tude of catering businesses in the Diaspora. This occurrence was also due to the way in which rich Africans came abroad with large re�nues for fabulous par�es such as lavish wed-dings. Some flew in tradi�onal food in containers. But cost, convenience and quality soon forced them to use Diaspora services.As this was happening, industrious immigrants soon found a lucra�ve trade in the ethnic food market. This gave room for concern as some of the products brought into the host countries were downright illegal. Some of these, such as endangered animal species, were frowned upon. Baboons, monkeys, large cats and other threatened animals were brought and o�en seized by customs officials. Snails, fish and poultry were brought in as personal luggage. These were the first African food entrepreneurs. They were to spark a new industry which has grown to become one of the most dynamic engines of growth in the Diaspora economy.

To be concluded.First part of an overview of the Food and Drink sector in the African Diaspora economy.Comments may be sent to:

[email protected]�er #african_cuisinewww.africancuisinemagazine.com

Restaurants Dry Imports Catering Home Cooking Manufacturing Fresh/Live Imports



10

Plantain is one of the common names for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa.

The fruit they produce is generally used for cooking, in contrast to the so�, sweet banana (which is some�mes referred to as the dessert banana). There is no formal botanical dis�nc�on between bananas and plantains, and the use of either term is based purely on how the fruits are consumed. The usage of the words plantain and banana can vary by culture and by terminology view.

Plantains fruit all year round, which makes the crop a reliable all-season staple food, par�cularly in developing countries. In Africa, plantains and bananas provide more than 25 percent of the carbohydrate requirements for over 70 million people.

Steamed, boiled, grilled, baked, or fried

In Ghana, boiled plantain is eaten with kontomire stew, cabbage stew or fante-fante (fish) stew. The boiled plantain can be mixed with groundnut paste, pepper, onion and palm oil to make eto, which is eaten with avocado and without pork. Ripe plantains can also be fried and eaten with black eyed beans cooked in palm oil; a popular breakfast dish. Kelewele, a Ghanaian snack, is spiced ripe plantain deep fried in palm oil or vegetable oil.

In Nigeria, plantain is eaten boiled, fried or roasted; roasted plantain, called boli is usually eaten with palm oil or groundnut. In Tanzania, plantains are usually used in its unripe form, boiled and eaten with vegetables.

The Biography Of Food

No. 1 Plantain

10



11

There’s nothing like the taste of home, so they say. And that is why there is an irresis�ble urge to bring in as many food items as pos-

sible when we visit Africa. Apart from the ‘authen�c’ taste factor, there is also the price factor as many prod-ucts imported to Diaspora society are expensive and also some�mes scarce to find.

Over many years, it has been custom-ary for many travellers to use surrep-��ous means to bring in their supply of food from Africa. Sadly, Border of-ficials o�en seize these and destroy them along with a warning or a fine. In 2010-11, 16828 seizures were made at UK borders.

But this need not be the case. The law actually makes provision for personal import of foodstuff into the European Union area. Personal im-port is something that you bring into the country for your own bring into the country for your own. Rules re-la�ng to personal imports also cover parcels of food posted from abroad and addressed to an individual in the UK.

Personal imports of fruit and raw veg-etables from outside the EU may be subject to a limit of 2kg due to plant health restric�ons. For informa�on on what fruits and vegetables are re-stricted and which are not restricted, see the searchable Imports Rules sec-�on on Defra’s website. Personal imports of potatoes from non-EU countries are not permit-ted. For informa�on about impor�ng plants see the Plant Health sec�on of the Defra website.Some food products of non-animal origin are currently restricted for im-

port to the EU for commercial pur-poses. Whilst these productscan be brought in for personal use, travellers need to be aware of any health risks that such products may cause due to possible contamina�on.

Personal imports of meat, meat prod-ucts, milk and milk products are not allowed from African countries,Up to 2kg of powdered infant milk, infant food and special foods for medical condi�ons for personal use are permi�ed. They must be carried in personal luggage. They must not require refrigera�on before opening, and must be commercial brands of products in unbroken packaging.

Live snails, dead snails s�ll in their shells and water Up to 2kg in total per person ofthe following animal products:live bivalves (e.g. mussels, oysters, scallops), eggs/egg products, frogs’ legs (only if skin and internal organs are removed), honey, rep�le and in-sect meat, and shelled, cooked,prepared/preserved of edible land snail meat are permi�ed.

Up to 20kg in total weight per person, or the weight of one fish, whichever weight is the highest, of fresh fish (must be gu�ed), fishery products eg processed fish (dried, cooked, cured or smoked), lobsters, crab, shrimps/prawns and dead bivalves e.g. mus-sels, oysters, scallops are permi�ed.

For more informa�on about approved countries see the Personal Imports sec�on of the Defra website. Please also bear in mind the compos-ite products rules men�onedbelow. You should note that there may be addi�onal restric�ons on import-ing food if circumstances change.Please note that these restric�ons

can change rapidly, so you should check the up-to-date situa�on before you travel.See the searchable Import Rules sec-�on on the Defra website to find out what you can bring back into the UK for personal consump�on. If in doubt, do not bring those food products into the EU.Personal imports of composite prod-ucts containing processed meat prod-uct are not allowed from countries outside the EU. If they contain other processed products of animal origin such as dairy, fishery and egg prod-ucts, then they need to comply with the rules as set out on Defra’s web-site and are subject to the allowances men�oned above.

A composite product is defined as ‘a foodstuff intended for human con-sump�on that contains both proc-essed products of animal origin and products of plant origin’.For many people the allowance lim-its described above will be sufficient. However, where it is not, travellers can consider making arrangements to bring in fishery products as commer-cial consignments. Before doing this see Defra advice on impor�ng fisheryproducts and bivalve molluscs.

They key message is that you can bring in foodstuff from outside the EU for personal use as determined by the current Defra limits. If you need more than that, get a commercial li-cence. And if its not in the list, or you are not sure, don’t bring it.

FURTHER INFORMATIONwww.defra.gov.ukwww.fsa.gov.uk

IMPORTING FOOD FOR PERSONAL USE IN THE EUNow and again, Diasporans returning from Africa are asked to take that special condiment or unusual food item by family members and friends to add to their kitchen. Whether it’s bushmeat, rep�le or vegetable, EU authori�es have a strict regime of what comes in and what stays out. And there are stringent penal�es for flou�ng the rules. Here is a brief overview of the United Kingdom framework on Personal Imports managed through the UK Depart-ment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Defra.

POLICY



12

How to Make Afang Soup

This is a nutri�ous dish that is served mostly in the South-ern and Eastern part of Nigeria. The food is specific to the Efik tribe amongst other dishes like; Edikang Ikong, Afia efere, Efere Abak etc. The people of the Efik tribe are located mainly in Cross River State and Akwa-Ibom State. This dish is also known as Ukazi soup and is cooked differently by the Ig-bos. Another name for Afang leaves is Cnetum africanum. I have prepared Afang the way the Efik people make it.

Ingredients

* Afang leaves - Shredded and Pounded

*Water leaves /Spinach – a bundle

* Beef

* Shaki (beef tripe)

*Kpomo (Cow Skin)

* Dry Fish

* Crayfish

*Dry blended crayfish

* Fresh pepper (op�onal)

* Maggi Cubes – 4

*Dry pepper – 1 teaspoon

*Palm oil – 3 cook-ing spoons

*3 cups of water* Salt – 3 teaspoons

Method:

#Shred and Pound the afang leaves �ll a smooth mashed texture is achieved.

#Wash the water leaves or spinach and shred

#Wash the beef, shaki and kpomo and put in a pot to boil with 2 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of salt, dry pepper, 2 cubes of maggi and boil �ll the beef and kpomo are so�. Take out the shaki if need be so it doesnt become too so� and put back once the beef and kpomo are so�.

#Wash the dry fish and and the crayfish and add to the pot allow to boil for 5 minutes then add half a cup of water if the water is dry-ing up.

#Add the blended dry crayfish and the remaining salt and Maggi cubes

#Add the water leaf or spinach and the cut up fresh pepper and allow to simmer for 3 minutes

#Add the pounded Afang leaves and s�r in.

#Add the palm oil and allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

Serve with Pounded yam, Eba (Garri or Cassava flakes), Fufu or Semovita.

Food of Love at ValentineGreen Shades of Afang Soup 4th day of Valentine CookingHave you ever thought about precolonial love? If we had never been exposed to pasta Alfredo or even Jollof rice what would we consider “roman�c food”. Well in my opinion, nothing says ‘I love you’ more than Vegetable soup in this case Afang soup with an assortment of meat, snails, tripe and fish. For that tradi�onal lover, give your significant other a meal that would make their heart sing. Enjoy XoXo

courtesy Afrolems.com

HAPPY VALENTINE’SDAY fromus



13

Coconut Plantain Shrimp Infusion 6th Shade of Valen�nes CookingPlantain Recipes, Shrimp Recipes February 6, 2013 Leave a commentPlantain is a staple ingredient in the Nigerian menu and it definitely had to feature in our valen�nes series. The sweet flavours of the plantain and coconut infused with the savoury taste of shrimps ought to get your significant other inspired and loving you. I recommend that the men make this dish by the way. It is simple enough and your wife would love you for it. It also leaves your house smelling really fancy like you made this super gourmet dish. Enjoy XoXo

Recipe

2 fingers of plantain

5 Jumbo shrimps (Chopped)

1/2 Green Pepper (Chopped)

3 Scotch Bonnet Peppers (Regulate according to spice level)

1/2 bulb of Onion

3 Tablespoons of Coconut milk

1.5 Tablespoons of Unsalted Bu�er

1 teaspoon of curry

A pinch of thyme

1.5 Maggi cubes

2 teaspoons of salt

Method

Heat up the unsalted bu�er on medium heat

Add the onions, scotch bonnet peppers and green peppers and s�r fry.

Add the plantain and reduce the heat further.

Pour in the coconut milk and add the seasonings.

Pour in the chopped shrimp and reduce the heat �ll the shrimps are cooked.

Serve with shredded coconuts and spring onions as garnishing.

We thank Afrolems [http://afrolems.com/] for their kind permission to feature the Valentine recipes in this edition. You can see more of their unique African recipes on their website at www.afrolems.com.

courtesy Afrolems.com

HAPPY VALENTINE’SDAY fromus

Food of Love at Valentine



14

The African pot of stew is a ma�er of popular fable. Across many countries, the household pot of stew [or soup-pot] is an indica�on of the internal dynamics of the family or compound. It is some�mes said that a woman who cooks her soup secretly is concealing the paucity of meat and thus the family’s poor circumstances.

In the majority of meat-ea�ng African communi�es, the choicest meat is o�en reserved for the male head of the family. Thus, a significant point in growing up in these communi�es is a desire to eat choice meat whenever it is available. As young people leave home, unrestrained meat consump�on is o�en the first sign of freedom from domes�c constraints.The rela�ve affordability of meat in Europe and America may yet turn out to be an albatross for many Africans in the Diaspora.

The pot of stew on the cover of this magazine is illustra�ve of the concern about meat consump�on in certain sec�ons of the Diaspora community. For the trained eye, the pot contains pieces of offal as well as some chicken. In some African countries, ea�ng of animal intes�nes and internal organs such as lung, heart, kidneys and even the genitals cons�tute what is o�en referred to as ‘spare parts’. These ‘spare parts’ are considered delicacies and are o�en either very expensive if they are rare such as chicken gizzards and kidneys or very cheap such as parts of the intes�nes.

In African countries, these animal parts are specially prepared by hand and me�culously cleaned before they are cooked.

In foreign countries, this is not o�en the case. In fact, for a long �me when Africans began to se�le in Europe and America, these ‘spare parts’ were

thrown away or used for agricultural or industrial purposes. In the 1950s and 1960s in England, cow feet were given away by English butchers for free since it spared them having to dispose of it.

The key point is that the consump�on of these animal parts could not be compared to the personal a�en�on paid to their prepara�on for human consump�on in African countries. These meat parts were not intended for human consump�on. Nevertheless, it can be argued that the very intense way in which Africans cook their meat for consump�on mi�gates any poten�al serious harm.Yet, with the recent furore over horse

meat in Europe, it is hard to assume that what is bought for ea�ng is actually fit to be eaten. Looking further into the pot of stew, one can see that the meat swims in a lake of oil. Certainly this is unhealthy. This point is stronger when you realise that many people do not know how to measure propor�onally to their need.

No thought is given to the balance between the ground peppers and tomatoes that form the stew. And what type of oil itself? Is it saturated or not?

What is not obvious to the eye is the salt content of the stew. This is usually very high. For one thing, the salt is not measured to fit the needs of the individual. It seems to be the prac�ce that the bigger the pot, the more the salt. Apart from salt, concentrated flavourings such as Maggi cubes are added to the stew. This is

in addi�on to the fact that the same Maggi and salt that had been used to season and cook the meat in the first place!

Overall, it is not difficult to say the pot of stew - or soup - is not palatable at all. It evidences the worst of our culinary excesses in the Diaspora.

If you need to have to meat, be sensible. Don’t overindulge and be careful ea�ng those ‘spare parts’ whose progeny is doub�ul because it is through such ‘minority meats’ that the risk of illness and long-term ill-health sneak into the body. Your body is your temple. Keep it clean. You are what you eat.

AN UNPALATABLE POT OF STEWCOVER

CULINARY CHOICES IN THE DIASPORA

Golden Waters Swirl

languidly by a lazy loungebetwixt turns

the golden waters swirl;the luscious layers unfold

like a petal of loveits flavours sensous as a glove



16

Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for

a short coastline on the Atlan�c Ocean in the west. It is situated around the Gambia River with an es�mated popula�on of 1.7 million.

The Gambia gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined the Commonwealth of Na�ons 18th February 1965. Her capital is Banjul but the largest ci�es are Serekunda and Brikama.

The sun in The Gambia is quite hot and one need not doubt because it is reflects in the indigenes complexion as all of them are dark complexioned or rather Black, li�le wonder white people flew over to sun tan their skin colour.

Asides the weather and climate, Gambia is a beau�ful place to behold with lovely Arts and Cra�. They have lovely materials, well-carved Ar�facts and they are friendly. It is however notable that their food is not le� out.Their food range from potatoes (Irish and Sweet) to chicken sausage, to bacon, to rice (Jasmine, Basma�) to salad, coleslaw to different kinds of fruits- Orange, Water Melon, and Tangerine and so on and so forth.

They also have fruit drinks like the orange juice, Baobab juice and Wonjo juice popularly known as zobo across board. Over there, they

eat mostly wheat bread and bread without salt, sugar or wheat. The bread is hard and dry; their bu�er too is without salt and sugar.

Breakfast is usually any of the following; boiled Irish potatoes, chicken sausage, bacon, cereal- Rice Krispies, Melon flakes, Choco Krispies, Oats, Fried Eggs (on request); low fat milk, sugar, wheat bread, Croissants, tea or coffee. You have the right to make any choice you want and you also have the right to eat to your sa�sfac�on.

Lunch also has its own share of crea�vity: Rice (any kind), salad, coleslaw, le�uce, cabbage, carrots, beefs, boiled/sauced crayfish, Fresh Fish, stew with assorted meat etc.. There is always a bo�le of water to support.

While dinner mostly has more of dessert- Ice cream, vegetables, salad, carrots, sliced cucumber, coleslaw, some�mes rice, there is also crayfish, fresh fish, assorted meat and beef. You have a choice to order for Chapman, Coconut juice and any extra drink you want.

Some of their food had its share of fat and cholesterol while some don’t.

Everyone is put into considera�on, both diabe�c and non-diabe�c ones, picky and non-picky, healthy and unhealthy ones. It is commonly said that water has no enemy, in Gambia, not just water; the food also has no enemy.

Debola is an Audio/Visual Ar�st and wrote this following a recent trip to Banjul, The Gambia.

Caressing The GambiaA Li�le is Never Too Much By Debola Ayoade

TRAVEL

an alcohol free drink from Gambia



17

Celebra�ng African Foodby Joanne Camas

IN OTHER WORDSsomething interes�ng we found about African Cuisine

Oldways, the food and nutri�on educa�on nonprofit, is launching African Heritage & Health Week today, and challenging all of us to enjoy food inspired by the cuisine of African-American ancestors and Oldways’ African Heritage Diet Pyramid.

“Scien�fic studies show that many chronic condi�ons such as diabe-tes, heart disease, and obesity, now prevalent in African American communi�es, appear in popula-�ons as tradi�onal diets are le� behind,” say the organizers. “Black History Month is the perfect �me to commemorate and explore the healthy culinary side of history.”

If you want to eat in an African res-taurant, Oldways can help. They’ve compiled a searchable database of U.S. restaurants specializing in Af-rican-inspired food from Ghana to Ethiopia, and Senegal to Jamaica. They also offer a slew of tasty African recipes in case you want to celebrate at home.

Love African food? Check out our video recipe demos for South African bo-bo�e, Nigerian akara, and spicy Ethiopian daro we�.

www.oldways.org



18

It is a paradox of a kind. At a �me many sectors of the economy are

underperforming due to the global economic downturn and the debilita�ng Nigerian opera�ng environment, key brewery companies are awash with cash. The brewery giants are engaged in a fierce compe��on for the lion share of the industry said to have the greatest poten�al for growth in Africa.

Before now, Nigerian Breweries, NB, and Guinness Nigeria, the two dominant players in the sector, were engaged in a cut-throat compe��on for control of the na�on’s beer market, but the entry of SABMiller, a global brewing giant with headquarters in London, in 2009, changed the face of the compe��on.

The sector has a�racted huge foreign investments, which have enabled the companies to expand their capacity. For instance, Heineken acquired 54 per cent shareholding in NB in 2000 and subsequently invested more than $500 million (about

N77.5 billion) in the company to raise its installed capacity, which is now said to be about 12 hectolitres. In 2003, NB acquired its sixth brewery at Ameke in Enugu State, which is one of the biggest in the country. Similarly, it acquired three more breweries in 2011 from its parent company Heineken.

Guinness Nigeria is not le� out of the expansion rat race. Its parent company Diageo has spent over N40 billion to expand its Benin and Lagos breweries. It was, therefore, no surprise that in 2008, the Nigerian market for Guinness Stout overtook

Ireland, the home country of Guinness, to become the company’s largest market a�er the United Kingdom, UK.

The consolida�on in the industry, which followed the same pa�ern with the global beer market, is borne out of the compe��on for industry leadership. Though Guinness and NB are the main players in the beer market, there were, however, other fringe players like Sona Group, Consolidated Breweries, Benue Breweries, Life Breweries, Jos Breweries, Interna�onal Breweries, Pabod Breweries, Dubic Breweries, Standard

Breweries, among many others.

In 2004, Heineken increased its shareholding in Consolidated Breweries from 24 to 50.05 per cent. The Dutch company also bought five breweries from Sona Group, which it later sold to NB and Consolidated Breweries. Not done with consolida�on, Heineken also bought Life Breweries. Diageo, the parent company of Guinness Nigeria, on the other hand bought Dubic Breweries for the produc�on of low price beer.

The entry of SABMiller

An Overbearing Ba�le?Brewery giants in Nigeria engage in fierce compe��on

for the lion share of the market, in the face of inclement manufacturing environment

DRINK AND BEVERAGE REPORT

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19

An Overbearing Ba�le?also added another dimension to the consolida�on in the Nigerian beer market. A�er many years of eyeing the lucra�ve Nigerian beer market, it made an incursion into it in 2009 by buying Pabod Breweries, while also inves�ng in Interna�onal Breweries. The London-based company is also building a new refinery in Onitsha, Anambra State with a capacity to produce 500,000 hectolitres of beer, which should come on stream before the end of the year. Consequently, the Nigerian beer market is now dominated by three global players; Heineken, through NB and Consolidated Breweries, Diageo, through Guinness Nigeria, and SABMiller.

However, experts insist that NB has about 65 per cent of the market, Guinness about 25 per cent, Consolidated about 10 per cent, while SABMiller has about five per cent. “The consolida�on in the brewery sector has indeed been good for the industry, which is now dominated by the three world players Diageo, Heineken and SABMiller. Unlike before when we had many breweries, now we have just three

major players and the output now is more than when we had about 25 breweries. Employment in the sector is also more now than before the consolida�on,” says Kunle Oyegun, a brewery expert who has over 15 years of experience in the sector.

The performance of the companies in terms of their financials is an indica�on of how lucra�ve the industry is. Guinness Nigeria for instance had an opera�ng profit of N26.5 billion on a turnover of N123.6 billion for its 2011 financial year, which was far be�er than the previous year. In its 2010 financial year, it had an opera�ng profit of N20.7 billion on a turnover of N109 billion. NB fared be�er. Its turnover and its opera�ng profit for 2011 financial year are N226 billion and N57 billion, respec�vely. In 2010, it had an opera�ng profit of N44.9 billion on a turnover of N185.8 billion.

However since 2007, a period in which many companies had either shut down or relocated to other countries, Guinness Nigeria’s turnover grew by 99 per cent, while its opera�ng profit has grown

by 87 per cent. NB on the other hand experienced a turnover growth of 102 per cent, while its opera�ng profit grew by 109 per cent for the same period. The implica�on of this is that both Guinness Nigeria and NB have almost doubled their sales since 2007.

But what could be driving the spectacular growth of the sector? Experts point to the return of democracy in 1999. If the return of democracy made the Nigerian brewery sector a�rac�ve to foreign investors, the growth of the middle class increased the demand for premium brands. Brands like Star, Gulder, Harp and Guinness Stout became the drink of choice for the growing middle class. Realising the cash cow in this demography, both NB and Guinness Nigeria poured millions into adver�sing, all in the aim of ge�ng a share of the wallet of the middle class. Not content with adver�sing, Guinness Nigeria employed entertainment but focused largely on football to get to the middle class. The company at a point became one of the sponsors of the Nigerian Super Eagles and also sponsored some local football teams. The high point of this strategy was the friendly match it sponsored between

the Super Eagles and the Argen�ne na�onal football team, tagged “Guinness the Match.” This strategy proved successful as it created more brand loyalty. “Leveraging on football, Guinness the Match successfully took place crea�ng more consumer loyalty to the brand,” Babatunde Savage, the company’s chairman noted while giving his address at its 61st annual general mee�ng, AGM, last November at the MUSON Centre, Marina, Lagos State.

NB also opted for the entertainment route to get into the wallet of the middle class. The company came up with the Gulder Ul�mate Search reality show and Star Quest, a talent hunt show, among others. It also organised concerts featuring top Nigerian ar�stes and foreign ones to promote its brand.

The ba�le for the middle class also led to the produc�on of beer in cans as both companies started canning their premium brands. This further aided the penetra�on of their products and intensified the compe��on in the lager and the stout market as well as the malt market. According to industry research, NB controls almost two thirds

DRINK AND BEVERAGE REPORT

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of the lager market in the country; Guinness places second with about 25 per cent of the market. But in the stout market, Guinness Nigeria is the clear leader controlling about 91 per cent of the stout market.

In a bid to carve a market segment for itself, SABMiller’s has, however, shaken up the low end of the beer market with its low-priced beer. The company, which is listed both on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges, has been luring those who consume home brewed drinks such as burukutu and pito, into taking its affordable commercially brewed beer. This has heightened the compe��on in that segment of the market, which was hitherto dominated by Consolidated Breweries, one of the two Nigerian subsidiaries of Heineken. “The presence of SABMiller has made the market more compe��ve because it has the ability to produce cheap beers from local materials,” says Oladapo Loto, a brewery consultant with over 20 years experience in the sector.

But it appears that both Guinness Nigeria and NB are not willing to let go of the low end of the market. Guinness Nigeria

recently entered that segment of the market when it launched Dubic lager beer earlier this year. In the same vein, NB through the three breweries it acquired from Heineken has also entered the market with products like Goldberg lager and Life Con�nental lager. “All this compe��on will only benefit the consumers as they will have more variety of products at affordable prices,” says Oyegun.

But beyond consumers having the power of choice, the consolida�on and the compe��on in the industry has been good for the na�onal economy. Aside from the fact that it has a�racted foreign investments into the country, it has also been very beneficial to farmers. Farmers of sorghum, cassava and maize have profited a lot from the brewery sector especially with the entry of SABMiller, which makes its beer largely from sorghum.

Jobs have also been created due to the expansion in the industry. For instance, the expansion of Guinness Nigeria’s two breweries was es�mated to have created over 2000 indirect jobs and 200 permanent jobs. SABMiller’s new brewery in Onitsha is expected to employ 450 people when

it comes on stream and works at full capacity.

Guinness Nigeria’s total emolument for its directors and employees was over N7 billion, as indicated in its 2011 financial report, while NB remunera�on for its workers was about N17 billion for the same period. “The brewery sector is one of the largest employers of labour in the manufacturing sector while it also pays well,” says Oyegun. Loto foresees that job crea�on in the sector would con�nue due to increase in investment in the sector. “Right now, there seems to be capacity issues with some of these breweries and so I expect that there will s�ll be more investment in the sector especially as the migra�on to can con�nues,” he says.

This could be the reason why Devlin Hainsworth, managing director, Guinness Nigeria, during the opening of the company’s new brew house in Lagos recently, hinted that the company was s�ll eager to invest more in the Nigerian industry. “Nigeria is an exci�ng and vibrant place to do business, and the increased demand for our iconic brands such as Guinness and Harp requires us to invest in our breweries and infrastructure. Guinness

Nigeria is a significant contributor to economic growth through paying taxes to government, genera�ng capital growth and distribu�ng dividends to our many shareholders and crea�ng broad-based wealth through our extensive value chain. We are delighted that we will create a significant number of jobs for Nigerians upon comple�on of the project,” he said.

Kolawole Jamodu, chairman, NB, while addressing the shareholders at the company’s last AGM, expressed op�mism that the company’s acquisi�on of three addi�onal breweries would put the company on the right stead to capitalise on the growth opportuni�es in the sector. “Compe��on has become very intense and is expected to remain so into the year. We are prepared and ready for the exci�ng �mes ahead. We have not relented in inves�ng in human and capital assets to enable us compete at the highest level,” he said.

It is not surprising that breweries in Nigeria are making a kill in the face of the downturn in the global economy, when the brewery industry in most countries around the world has taken a tumble as beer

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An Overbearing Ba�le?



21

is expected to remain so into the year. We are prepared and ready for the exci�ng �mes ahead. We have not relented in inves�ng in human and capital assets to enable us compete at the highest level,” he said.

A report by Ve�va Capital, an investment and research firm, predicts that the volume of beer produced in Nigeria per year would grow from 15 million hectolitres (1.5 billion litres) in 2009 to 23 million hectolitres (2.3 billion litres) in 2015 “based on our es�mate, the Nigerian beer market currently sits on an unrealised volume poten�al of 40 million hectolitres, (four billion litres), represen�ng 170 per cent growth over the current level of 15 million hectolitres. While this poten�al may not be realised in the short-term, we highlight that gross domes�c product, GDP, per capita growth and popula�on build-up are proven fundamentals that we are convinced will drive beer demand to 23 million hectolitres by 2015, represen�ng 54 per cent growth over 2009,” the report says.

With its huge and rapidly growing popula�on, a growing middle class with

preference for premium beer, and expanding consumer base, the Nigerian market has become perhaps the most promising beer market on the con�nent. A research by Renaissance Capital, a leading emerging markets investment bank, named Nigeria as one of the few African markets with a promising beer market. Li�le wonder the industry has become a great a�rac�on for global players in the brewery sector. Their entry has s�mulated a robust compe��on as each strives to dominate the sector. The good performance of the brewery giants is sweet music to shareholders of the companies, who have since been enjoying good returns on their investments. Savvy investors like Sunny Nwosu, chairman, Nigerian Independent Shareholders Associa�on, have been reaping boun�fully from the stocks of companies in the brewery sector. This investment choice has yielded a pot of gold for him. This is because while the share prices of many companies ranked in the same category with the Nigerian capital market in 2009, that of the brewery sector rebounded quickly and has been growing at a staggering pace.

Consequently, investors like him and all those who hold stocks of NB and Guinness Nigeria, have been smiling to the bank.

Though Nwosu was coy about the amount of shares he has in both companies, he, however, concedes that his investment in both companies have been the ace of his por�olio. “The brewery sector is one of the best sectors of the stock exchange. My investment in both companies has given be�er return than the other ones,” he says. This is no exaggera�on. Since 2009 the share prices of NB and Guinness Nigeria have both outperformed the market by a staggering ra�o. NB for instance rose from N38 in January 2009 to N107 at the end of May this year, which translates to a growth rate of 182 per cent. This means that a million naira-investment in the company in 2009 would be worth N2.8 million now. In the same vein, Guinness Nigeria also rose from N99 to N224 in the review period. This translates to a growth rate of 126 per cent. Hence, N1 million investment in Guinness in 2009 would be worth N2.3 million. This scenario is what some experts have called money-doubling stocks.

However, if the same amount had been invested in the average company in the stock market, which fell by 29.8 per cent in the review period, the value would have fallen to about N700,000, that is a loss of N300,000. Despite the robust performances of the brewery companies, the sector is faced with some challenges. For instance, Jamodu is not oblivious of the threat that the increasing insecurity in the northern part of the country poses to the brewery sector. He worries that the increasing bomb a�acks, which have also targeted beer parlours may affect the bo�om line of the brewery sector and the economy as a whole. “No economy can grow and businesses will not flourish in an atmosphere of insecurity,” he said. This might be the reason why Loto submits, “The only thing that can limit growth in the beer industry is if the security challenges con�nue in the northern part of the country because people will be afraid to go out, let alone go to a beer parlour,” he says.

If the insecurity persists in the northern region breweries and businesses would indeed be affected but the government might

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22

end up being the biggest loser. The tax revenue that the government realises from the brewery alone is in no way negligible. Guinness Nigeria and NB contributed N8.2 billion and N18.7 billion, respec�vely, in taxes last year.

The security challenge, notwithstanding, the sector, it appears, will con�nue to be a�rac�ve to local and foreign investors, even as the various breweries intensify their race for market leadership.

Culled from Bloomberg report

2012


CUISINECelebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora


Electric Lane, Brixton, south London, England, once the hub of Black shopping is now at the centre of a local campaign against gentrifica�on

LOCATION


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THE BEST AFRICAN BEER IN THE DIASPORA?



24

You always believed African food is best for you and your family or you have just decided to feed your family with

more African cuisine given latest food development Have you factored in the Kids?

Diaspora kids with African parents can be a challenge to cook for. Outside the home they eat mainly food common to their adop�ve community. If this is a western country it is usually non spicy and quite o�en their favourite will contain considerable amount of sugar, fat and addi�ves.

Contribu�ng to the challenge is the appearance of some African cuisine. Some dishes can appear messy, mushy and have unappe�sing colour to a child.

Lecturing children about the goodness in their food doesn’t have much impact but ge�ng them involved in the prepara�on and presenta�on of the food can help.

as soon as they can hold a spoon, young children always want to help in the kitchen. Keep this interest alive by le�ng them have a go at simple task. Be warned it could get messy but that is the fun of it all for them. They can help �dy up a�erwards too!

As they get older they can help with cu�ng, peeling, gra�ng blending as appropriate to their age.

This could mirror the �me spent in the kitchen with our mothers in Africa. And If they can cook it they will eat it.

Remember that presenta�on is key. Make African Dishes as beau�ful as you can. Mould into shapes starchy foods like Rice, Fufu etc.. Use vegetables of different colours. Cook variety so they can have favourites. If a dish is not received well try something else for a while and try again later.As for spicy food start gradually and add a li�le more as they get older. They will soon get used to the taste.

And always let them know

that cooking is a life skill that will serve them throughout their life in different situa�ons.Though they may not realise now, it is also cheaper than takeaways the source of which ingredients are uncertain especially with the recent Horse meat scandal

Have fun in the kitchen!

Ge�ng children on boardThe joys and anxie�es of teaching your children how to cook African food in the Diaspora

By Megan Worola

What will your kids make of these food items?



25

Kitchen PracticalsLET’S COOK THE FOOD

Guinea Fowl...as bought in Sainsbury’s, pre-pared in an African kitchen and served! It was a pleasant surprise to find the African bird, Guinea fowl on display in the poultry section at the local Sains-bury’s superstore. Memories of the escapades with the bird many years ago as a child rushed into mind.Quick and flighty, the guinea fowl used to be brought down south from Northern Nigeria and so had an exotic progeny in comparison to duck and chicken which were relatively commoner.

Cooking it!The first thing to do once you get it out home is to discard the wrapping. If you had read it, you would have been told to take a brush and smear the bird with oil and roast in the oven for 65 minutes. Hey? What? Not quite. Don’t do that. Here’s what we did... Approximate Prep time is 15 minutes.

1. Set the oven at 200 C. Set for 80 minutes.2. Wash the bird [They didn’t say that!] and place it on a flat plate or platter.2. Stuff it with your preferences - in our case, garlic cloves, chillies...3. Use a small knife to prick the skin in places and open small holes. Place the stuffing into them. 4. When you are satisfied with

this, place the bird on a baking tray and cover in foil paper. Place in the oven [approximately 15 minutes Preparation time] and cook for 65 minutes. [Ok - 75 minutes for the African kitchen!]5. After 30 minutes, check and brush with olive oil. Cover again and cook till alarm says 80 minutes are up.6. Remove and share! [It’s not a big bird so don’t tell the neighbours].

an adventure with Guinea Fowl



26

An AfropolitanPerspective on African Cuisine

By Peter Banjo

LAST WORD

When one gets the opportunity to travel, the idea of “local” takes on a new

meaning. We are forced to reorient ourselves to a new environment while holding on to a piece of ourselves. Nothing says where you are from like what you eat which is why I think it is one of the more difficult adjustments to make - right up there with driving on a different side of the road or coun�ng with new currency. You know you are having a tough �me when, at the sight of food you say -

“I’ll eat anything as long as it is chicken” “Is this cooked? Why didn’t you cook it?” “What colour is that?”

I have had to reorient myself several �mes.

My holidays in Tanzania have been very rewarding to my appe�te, from an educa�on in the various varie�es of rice to drinking fresh milk on a farm. My mum’s older sister whom we affec�onately call “Mama Kubwa”, literally “Big mother”, spoiled us. We would wake up in the morning to freshly made chappa�s - a flat pancake made from flour, water and salt with some oil. She knew how to make them so they were as flexible as crepes but as strong as nachos. In Tanzania a mark of a woman’s readiness to be married is her ability to make rice:

the rice most be so� but not s�ck �ghtly together and it is a ma�er of pride. Can I say that the best rice I have ever had was made in Mama Kubwa’s kitchen? It wasn’t just delicately textured or it would be just Bible paper nor was it only fragrant like Davidoff Cool Water perfume, the flavour, the texture and the smell would set the dining table into a silence of sa�sfac�on. And the coconut stew, cooked bananas ... ah. But what I can say about meat without imagining myself back in Nigeria under west African skies. The day can be any party or public holiday especially Christmas and New Year. I am standing about three steps behind some men wrestling a large goat to the ground before a crimson ribbon flows into hole in the ground. Being the inquisi�ve type I would watch as they would inflate the body like a balloon, bathe it hot water and skin it like a man shaving in the morning. Standing there was like being in a trance - I was at the centre of the circle of life that Moofasa tried to explain to Simba before he started ea�ng grasshoppers and cockroaches. Your sensibili�es might be offended but fresh meat boiled or deep fried does not need any cer�fica�on or clever marke�ng to validate your consumer rights. Organic? I am not sure what that means but this meal is all real. Speaking of real, when I was in America I stuck to a strict diet of chicken when I was living on my own because I couldn’t afford the top brands of beef. Only the top

brands would do because I did not want to start growing extra body parts because of some hormones or steroids they had put in the animals. Chicken was required to be hormone free and I s�ll keep to that prac�ce even here in the UK.

That is what I will always love about ea�ng in Africa. The spices change, the flavours take on new meanings and the colours embrace different hues but you can feel the earth in your plate. You feel closer to nature with every mouthful because the goat meat smells like that annoying goat that ate the flowers in your garden, the texture of the chicken reminds you how hard it is to catch those birds etc.. I have no�ced certain similari�es in the cuisines on the con�nent. A meal is usually a one course affair consis�ng of a large carbohydrate por�on complemented by a variety of sauces. I have to say that in my limited experience West African food has been the spiciest. I remember once I cooked for a house mate of mine, when I was studying in Australia, who is from Zimbabwe. He enjoyed the meal but he had to hold on to his glass of water during the process. It was a simple chicken stew with a tomato base, onions and bell peppers but I think I put a li�le bit too much cayenne pepper for his taste buds.

When I was in Australia going through a supermarket - one of those white, match-box galleries



27

that looks like your neighbourhood Tesco - I passed by the meat sec�on and no�ced a packet of kangaroo meat. It was unusually deep, red like beetroot but in the clear plas�c packaging I had become quite familiar with; I paused for a moment, checked the price and moved on. I regret not trying it to this day. My sampling of Australian cuisine had so far been limited to the 3 course meal at Hungry Jacks, the re-branded image of Burger King, in Australia. First course - fries, next burger - various varie�es, finally - dessert ice-cream. I hope you will not judge me too harshly for my �midity but I was on a student budget.

But we can’t talk about the Australian a la carte menu and not talking about the Asian invasion. Australia has a strong Asian popula�on ranging from Chinese to Malaysian, Indonesian to Honk Kongese (sic) ancestry and many others and because of the friends I had I soon developed a taste for dim sum, tandori chicken and other authen�c Asian cooking. There were a few of my friends who were really par�cular about their food and would try their hardest to get the best meal at the best price and every sweet and sour mouthful has been judged by those warm night outs.

You’ve got to try some real Chinese cooking if you say you love the stuff. Not the fast food vinegar and ketchup variety but a real restaurant where they don’t give you wooden chops�cks. I can recommend the honey, lemon chicken. Have you heard of pearl ice tea? The first one I had was called ‘First kiss’. It looked

like a pink milk shake with a floa�ng red centre and dark starch balls at the bo�om of a tall glass. The consistency was lighter than ice-cream and it was served with a big straw. I was hooked. One day I will go hun�ng for it in a China Town near me.

Let’s not dwell on the past. Today I had the best chicken salad I have had in a long �me. The loca�on was “The Stag” a medium sized pub in High Wycombe on Heath End Road. It has a pa�o facing an open field and rolling hills - gorgeous - and a�en�ve and quick staff. I o�en like to order salads when I eat out because it is something which I don’t o�en make for myself. Recently though I have had a string of misadventures with salads but not today. The grilled chicken was so good as soon as I took a bite I offered some to a colleague who is a vegetarian and had to apologize for my forge�ulness. I was only trying to share my happiness. The

chicken was dry and tender and well seasoned with some mild chillies and herbs. I think I tasted some rosemary in there - I like rosemary. A�er I finished the lunch with a chocolate fudge cake and strawberry ice-cream I was on a natural high.

It’s a shame that I didn’t learn how to cook more African dishes from my mother because I do miss it. But it has forced me to be more out going with my preferences since I have to make the best with what I find around me. I o�en like to try something new at my local fruit market even though it ends up being another variety of peach. Did you know that you can break open the nut in a peach and eat it? Someone at work showed us this week. You learn something new everyday when you are brave enough to try.

Peter Dayo Banjo (dayosuperstar) on Twi�erh�ps://twi�er.com/dayosuperstarThe latest from Peter Dayo Banjo (@dayosuperstar).

LAST WORD

LAST WORD is a Guest Column for people with unique perspectives on African cuisine. We welcome contributions from our read-ers and we also commission special commentaries to reflect the full flavour of the experience that people have of African’s culinary offerings.

If you’ve got something refreshing to say, send us your words and they could be the Last Word of an edition of African Cuisine Magazine.

Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport - gateway to Francophone African cuisine



28

Random Recipe is a reader recipe interac�on that everyone can enjoy and which gives a kick to your crea�ve culinary talents.

Here’s how it goes:Our Random Recipe Chef supplies a list of randomly-selected food items fond in the African larder.

And what do you do with them?Create your own unique recipe, send it to us and we choose the most exci�ng one to cook at an YOU COOK IT, WE RATE IT! African restaurant near you. It’s that simple.

In this issue, the African Cuisine Random Chef has put up the following food items:1. Yam2. One hot chilli pepper3. One large sweet pepper4. Fresh spinach5. Onion6. Cherry tomatoes7. Garlic8. Seasoning9. Palm oil

Please send all your random recipes to Random Recipes at [email protected] to reach us by 20th March 2013.The Editor’s decision on the choice of Random Recipe is final.

Random RecipeYou cook it, we rate it!

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