A cuisine you've probably never tried: Rwanda ๐ท๐ผ
Isombe โ cassava leaves pounded with ground peanuts
Brochettes โ charcoal-grilled meat skewers
Ubugali โ stiff porridge, torn by hand to scoop stews
Mizuzu โ deep-fried plantains, caramelized at the edges
Beans provide 30%+ of dietary protein. Rwandan coffee has earned global recognition โ bright acidity, floral notes, grown at altitude.
Simple ingredients. Deeply satisfying food.
A cuisine you've probably never tried: Benin ๐ง๐ฏ
West Africa. Former Dahomey kingdom. French colonial history.
The rule: one starch, one sauce, shared bowl, right hand only.
Dishes to know: Dahomey fish stew, Amiwo, Kuli-kuli, Akara, Wagasi cheese.
Every dish carries history.
Toronto families whatโs the ONE African/Caribbean pantry staple you canโt live without? Comment it below and weโll recommend where to find it on WhoGoBuy.
This weekโs spotlight: โPantry refreshโ essentials for quick home cooking, perfect for busy weekdays.
Tap Shop Now (or DM โSTAPLESโ) and get a link to the category that matches your comment.
Creative idea: 1 photo carousel (3โ5 items) titled โPantry Refresh (African & Caribbean)โ.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ || ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ - ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ค ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐
In this episode of The Battle for African Agriculture Podcast, Dr. Million Belay speaks with Wafik Belaid @WafikBelaid, Tunisian executive chef, trainer, and writer who reflects on how years of European gastronomic influence once pulled him away from his roots until, as he puts it, he stopped and remembered that he is from Tunisia and from Africa. Drawing on childhood memories shaped by family kitchens, military life, and community gatherings, he recalls the tastes and smells that formed him early on: Mediterranean herbs, garlic, seafood, meat, olive oil, and harissa from the north, alongside deeper African influences that emerge as one moves south.
He explains that Tunisian cuisine holds two identities at once, Mediterranean and African, and that this duality reveals Africaโs complexity rather than separating it. From dried herbs and spices in the south to shared stew making traditions stretching from Tunisia through Algeria and Morocco toward Mali, he describes a common African culinary language rooted in grains, legumes, garlic, onions, and slow cooked meals. While acknowledging historical influences from Ottoman, Roman, Jewish, Byzantine, and Berber cultures, he argues that the real danger today is not colonial influence alone but the loss of traditional knowledge, taste markers, and family food practices when children no longer grow up eating and sharing local meals.
For him, food is a battleground and chefs are no longer just cooks. They are educators, storytellers, and cultural ambassadors responsible for preserving original food before altering presentation, teaching through local products rather than foreign recipes, and naming the sources of African food when it travels globally. He frames food sovereignty as beginning with agriculture and support for farmers, warning that dependence on imports signals failure. His message to young chefs is direct: start from the soil, understand food from earth to plate, and stay rooted in culture, because once tradition is lost, it is difficult to recover.
Listen to the full conversation on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and across all our social media platforms.
Subscribe. Share. Engage.
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaiLYh0xvgg
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tgq9XiaxBBk3HUkPPXlAG?si=fkSHl57DQL2DUGl5mEFvkw
Apple Podcast
https://rss.com/podcasts/battle-for-african-agriculture-podcast/2425523/
2 DC Dishes Ranked Among The Best In The Country By The NYT
Sergey Novikov / Shutterstock Save While the D.C. food scene definitely had its ego bruised after not receiving a new Michelin Star this year for the first time since Michelin came to the Diโฆ
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Frenchcuisine #africanfood #caribbeanfood #francais #france #French #frenchfood #fusionfood #othermediterraneanfood
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2420101/2-dc-dishes-ranked-among-the-best-in-the-country-by-the-nyt/
#SaveTheDate #MarkYourCalendar
Rooted Narratives: Story Circle & Creative Jam
By #IyรฉCreativeCollective
Join us for a morning of #storytelling , #art , #food, and music as we create a #ChildrensBook about seed, migration, and friendship.
Date/time:
Saturday, September 6 ยท 10am - 12pm
Doors at 9:50am
Come meet Kofi -- a Collard Green #seed with a beautiful story to tell!
In our childrenโs book Kofi and the Seed Seekers, Froggie, Toto, and Donkey meet Kofi, who tells them about the journey of #CollardGreens from the West Coast of #Africa to #TurtleIsland , and why this plant is so important for culture and history.
We are inviting you to help us make this story come alive!
What will happen?
Meet Razan the Illustrator of this beautiful book and let's help her to refine the concept. We'll do that with the following activities:
Let's read the book together.
Share your memories about food, plants, and cooking.
Talk about what reminds you of home and what your elders or relatives taught you about land and food.
#ArtMaking
Help design Kofiโs friends -- Froggie, Toto, and Donkey.
Create drawings, paintings, and collages inspired by your food stories.
#CulturalCrops Map Wall
Place your food or spice on a big map.
Show where it comes from and how it connects to your life today.
#Food & #Music Sharing
Enjoy snacks together.
Listen to music that celebrates our cultures.
Mini Pop-Up Exhibit
See foods, recipes, and items connected to our stories and history.
Why join us?
Your stories, memories, and art will help shape the Kofi and the Seed Seekers book and our #documentary. Together, we will celebrate food, #migration , and the wisdom of our #cultures.
Language: This event will be delivered in English.
Stroller & wheelchair friendly access. Gymnasium doors will be both left wide open.
Kids must be accompanied & supervised by parent/guardian.
Photos and videos may be taken, if you wouldn't like your photos taken, please let the photographer know. We'll have some processes in place.
Food and Beverage:
Come prepared to indulge in delicious and beautifully presented dishes that evoke the flavors and memories of our homelands. Enjoy complimentary tea and refreshing drinks while you savor the experience.
Funders:
This event is made possible through the support of the Victoria Foundation and the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program (CSMARI).
#FreeEvent - Please #PreRegister to help organizers figure out food & other event supplies may be needed.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rooted-narratives-story-circle-creative-jam-tickets-1593069958129
#FamilyFriendly #BIPOC #AfricanDiaspora #AfricanFood #AfricanSeeds #AfricanFoodSecurity #CulturalConnections #AllAges #Diversity #CommunitySharing #CommunityBuilding #CommunityEvent #BlackKids #AfricanKids #BIPOCFamilies #books4kids #KidsPlay #Storytelling
#FreeEvent - this will fill up fast - register to get tickets.
CRFAIR & IYร CREATIVE PRESENT:
North #African #Cookout : Adapting Traditions, Building Community!
๐ Date: Saturday, June 21, 2025
๐ Time: 1:00 PM โ 4:00 PM
๐ Location: Fed Farm
๐ Hosted by: North African Aunties & Uncles
Join us for a vibrant afternoon of food, stories, and #cultural connection at the North African Cookout! This gathering brings together flavors and traditions from across North Africaโcelebrating how our communities adapt and thrive in new places while holding onto the tastes and practices that make us feel at home.
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/north-african-cookout-tickets-1402640548639?
#VictoriaBC #FoodSecurity #CulturalFood #AfricanFood #POCFood #TraditionalFood #GlobalSouthFood #AfricanDiaspora #FoodCulture #CulturalConnections #YYJ #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #BIPOC #Community
Watching #Eurovision tonight? Why not kick the party off with some fizz and a baris bowl from #JikoniEastAfrica? Or if you're looking for an escape from all that, pop down and grab yourself some sunny evening pints, like this refreshing pint of our Hazy Session IPA, Elvis Has Left The Building.
Yesterday was a feel good day:
Made it to a sunny Roath Market, the first time for too long. Returned with Fabrizio's Sicilian arancini & panella, Sofia's Pastries' Greek leek pies & orange cake & dinner - a family-style West African meal c/o Mami Maggie's Recipes, we paired fittingly with Ken Forrester's Sparkle Horse.
Great to catch up with you both @tnjh!
#food #vegetarian #Italianfood #Greekfood #Africanfood #wine #SouthAfricanwine #Caerdydd #Cardiff #Cymru #Wales
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