Regional Delicacies of Africa Quiz

Answer: Fufu

Fufu, also spelt foofoo and fou fou (among others) is a staple in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several other West and Central African countries. Pre-boiled cassava is pounded and mixed together with plantain or cocoyam and water over heat until it forms a sticky dough. To eat, a small piece is broken off, rolled into a small ball and dipped into soups or stews. Semolina or maize flour is sometimes substituted for the cassava.
Phoenix Rising's leith90 was reminded her of the beef stew and dumplings of her childhood when writing this question.

Answer: Spinach

Eru, or okok, is often called "wild spinach" in English. It is a leaf that grows on a vine - despite its appearance it is a gymnosperm and thus more closely related to pine than to other leafy species. The leaves were generally harvested from the forest, but there have been efforts to cultivate the plant for agricultural use.

The soup includes crayfish and palm oil as well as other meats and vegetables. The soup hails from the Bayangi people of southwestern Cameroon. It is often served with fufu, specifically "water fufu" which is a soft, cassava dough pinched off and dipped in the soup. Player pusdoc of Phoenix Rising has tried fufu that she suspects isn't anything like the real thing.

Answer: Bananas and meat

This dish is a soup dish based on cooked mashed bananas (or plantains) and boiled meat (usually beef but can be goat) that originated in the Chagga land of the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. In this region, plantains are the main form of starch in the diet.
Meat is boiled until tender. Chopped green banana is added to another pot with grated carrot, onion, potato, and peppers, covered with water, and boiled. Add milk and butter when tender and strained meat. It is served with limes and pepper.
While the dish is popular with everyone, it is almost indispensable in the new mother's diet because of its high nutritional value.
This question was prepared by Phoenix Rising's 1nn1 who ate this dish, in all places in a small restaurant near the I-95 overpass in Wilmington Delaware.

Answer: Red palm

Considered the national dish of Gabon, although variations can be found in neighbouring countries with variant spellings. It consists of small pieces of chicken, sometimes smoked, in a sauce prepared with the oil produced from the fruits of the African Red palm with the addition of onion and garlic, to make a simple stew. Other ingredients can be added such as okra, tomatoes and the addition of hot, black or cayenne peppers for heat. It can be served with rice or fufu- a cassava based dough.
Gabon is located on the west coast of Central Africa, it borders Equitorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo. Gabon has large, forested areas and large plantations of red palm trees have been approved as countrywide investment, hopefully in a sustainable way. Due to being a previous colony of France, much of the food of Gabon has a French influence.
Red Crew's smpdit is starting to feel hungry.

Answer: Mauritania

"Thieboudienne" is the Frenchified name of "cheb-u-jin" (Wolof for "rice-fish"), a dish of fish and rice with tomato paste, garlic, onions, and other vegetables and seasonings. It is believed to have originated from the coastal city of Saint-Louis, in northern Senegal, but it is widely enjoyed in neighbouring countries such as Mauritania, The Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. It is considered the national dish of Senegal and Mauritania, both former French colonies.
Like North African couscous, which it resembles, thieboudienne is served in a large communal dish, with the rice at the bottom, and the fish and vegetables in the centre. People serve themselves from the dish with a spoon or a piece of bread, or even with their right hand. As a dish meant to be shared, thieboudienne is also a symbol of Senegalese and Mauritanian hospitality.
Rice-based dishes from West Africa, such as Senegalese jollof rice, are believed to have influenced similar dishes from the Southern US, such as Savannah red rice and Cajun jambalaya.
LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew wrote this question, hoping to be able to try this delicious dish one day.

Answer: Egg custard

With suggested Dutch-origins from the 17th century Cape Town area, bobotie is an South African staple. Its base is ground meat, typically beef but some variations call for lamb or pork, spiced with curry and other herbs depending on the cook's preference. The beef is mixed with onions and dried fruit such as raisins or apricots and sometimes fruit chutney to keep it moist. Although the spices and fruit additions may vary, the egg and milk custard topping are always included.
The dish can be made in one pan, the versatile, cast-iron skillet, and is served with rice.
PR's Red Crew member Jaknginger considers bobotie a comfort food.

Answer: Sorghum

A pancake-like flatbread raised with sourdough starter, canjeero is the Somali equivalent of Ethiopian injera; lahoh (Arabic for "flat") is the name given to this bread in Yemen, where it is also a staple. Injera, however, is usually made with teff flour (teff being an ancient cereal crop from the Ethiopian Highlands), while canjeero is traditionally made with sorghum flour mixed with white cornmeal. Sorghum is a variety of millet that is widely used as food in Africa, where it has been grown for thousands of years.
To make canjeero, the batter is usually left to ferment for a few hours, or overnight; the starter imparts a slightly sour taste to the flatbread, and also causes the batter to form distinctive holes while baking. Different forms of canjeero exist in Somalia, including one spiced with cumin, nigella, and fennel seeds. This flatbread is traditionally eaten for breakfast with butter, sugar, and a cup of tea, or to accompany soups or stews.
LadyNym of Phoenix Rising's Red Crew, who loves bread in all its shapes and forms, wrote this question with mouth watering.

Answer: One pot

Benachin is a combination of meat, rice and vegetables cooked in one pot. It is emblematic of West African food, being synonymous with jollof rice, which gets its name from the Wolof peoples. Sixteen percent of the Gambian population is Wolof. The dish is a derivative of thieboudienne, but the Benachin version is specific to The Gambia and Senegal and is thought to be the progenitor of other countries' types. Jollof rice is such a symbol of pride for many, that there is a rivalry between Nigeria and Ghana about which variety is best called the "jollof rice wars." This is a fairly tame war, which has been likened to the gentle teasing seen between siblings. One particularly Gambian twist on benachin is the occasional addition of smoked snails - the country envelops the Gambian River and faces the Atlantic Ocean, so seafood/fish are commonly eaten.

Some blogs label benachin as the "national food of The Gambia," but others list domoda, which is a groundnut stew. Player pusdoc of Phoenix Rising learned about the "jollof rice wars" from watching "Ted Lasso" and is now hoping to find a nearby West African restaurant.

Answer: Dumboy

Dumboy is the national dish of Liberia. The star of the dish is the dough ball made from cassava. Cassava is a tuber that is peeled and boiled then pounded with a pestle and shaped into dough balls. The balls are put into a stock or a spicy pepper soup, with a protein such as chicken, goat, or shrimp. Okra is often added to the stew.
Cassava has both bitter and sweet tuber varieties. The bitter ones are sometimes planted to deter pests and rodents and have larger amounts of toxins. Cassava must be correctly prepared so as not to cause cyanide poisoning. It is native to South America and was introduced by the Portuguese during trade times.
Jaknginger rolled this question into the Red Crew's quiz for Phoenix Rising.

Answer: Zebu

Traditionally served with rice, the Madagascan national dish of Romazava is a type of stew, or Laoka, commonly made with zebu meat, although as zebu is a kind of cattle, beef can make a fine substitute. As well as meat the stew consists of green leaves. In Madagascar paracress, anamamy and mustard greens are used alongside onions and tomatoes. As these are not commonly found outside Madagascar, spinach or rocket (aragula) can be used instead. Paracress (Acmella oleracea) has a slightly numbing affect on the mouth and is also known as the toothache plant or electric daisy. Anamamy is part of the nightshade family.
Malagasy food takes inspiration from many other cuisines such as Southeast Asian, Indian, Chinese and European, caused by Its position as an island hub connecting many trading routes in the Indian Ocean. Zebu, cattle displaying long horns and a distinctive hump, were introduced to the Island by Tamil merchants in the 11th century.
Red Crew's smpdit seems to have remained hungry throughout this quiz.