Bread from Africa Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mali

Ngome is an unleavened flatbread that is traditional to Mali. It calls for only three ingredients: millet, water and oil. It is traditionally baked in the home and the millet itself is usually ground by the baker. This type of bread is fried on both sides to give it a golden colour. The bread is described as having a more earthy flavour.

Answer: Sudan

Kisra is a popular bread in Sudan, South Sudan, and in Chad. There are two forms of this bread. The first is a flatbread that is similar to injera, an Ethiopian flatbread. The second form is a sort-of porridge called kisra aseeda. This second form is traditionally given as a side for stew, mullah. Unlike injera, kisra is made of ground sorghum.

Answer: Morocco

M'semen is a flatbread that originated in the Maghreb region of Africa. It is traditionally eaten in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. The traditional recipe calls for both flour and durum wheat semolina, and they are fermented and then rolled out as thin as possible.

The dough is then folded back upon itself creating layers in the dough which then create the very special flatbread. The semolina is used to prevent the layers from sticking to one another. The M'semen is cooked upon a hot griddle and the separate layers allow the bread to remain airy and light.

Answer: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mapa is a kind of bread that hails from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The word 'mapa' actually means 'bread' in Lingala, a Bantu language used by millions of people in DR Congo in the northern parts.

Answer: Ethiopia

A major part of the traditional Ethiopian meal, injera is a very well-known bread. It is usually made of teff flour, an ancient grain that is grown in northeastern Africa. Injera is a flat bread with a sponge-like texture. It is served as the base upon which the meal is placed, and one tears into the injera and scoops up the part of the meal that they want to eat.

Injera is prevalent in Ethiopia, Eritrea and a few parts of Sudan and South Sudan.

Answer: Libya

Bazin is a bread that is made from barley rather than wheat. It originated in Libya but can be found in several countries on the northern coast of Africa. It is an unleavened bread, meaning that it does not rise and uses no yeast. Therefore, it is a very dense bread. It is often served in tomato soup or a meat stew and with pumpkin and eggs around the side.

Answer: South Africa

The name for this bread comes from the Afrikaans word for grill, and the bread is literally grilled on the braai (barbecue) to bake it. It is a small ball of a bun, like an evening roll, and is best enjoyed right when it's made, piping hot!

Roosterkoek is a wheat bread that uses yeast as the leavening agent. It's not sweet, a bit chewy, and pairs very well with the robust taste and texture of meat, making it an excellent addition to any outdoor feast.

Answer: Tanzania

Mandazi is a bread from the Swahili Coast of Africa. It is found often in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Comoros. It can be sweetened with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, but more often than not it is served as is. It makes for an excellent dessert, similar to the New Orleans beignet as it is sweeter in taste and fluffier in texture than most breads.

It is a milk bread, and when it is made with coconut milk instead of regular milk, it is known as mahamri. Traditionally, mandazi are made in a triangular shape and deep fried to prepare.

Answer: Nigeria

Agege bread is a bread that originated in the Agege neighbourhood of Lagos, Nigeria. It is dense, but also has a sweet flavour, and it is often more popular than 'regular' bread. It's shape resembles a regular loaf and it can be stuffed before baking it.

It is sometimes associated with the unsanitary conditions in which it is made, because of the poverty-laden neighbourhoods of Lagos where the bread originated.

Answer: The Gambia

Tapalapa is a traditional African bread that originated in The Gambia and is prevalent in the countries on the western tip of Africa - The Gambia, Senegal, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. It is made mostly from regular flour and yeast is the active ingredient. Traditionally, millet flour and corn flour are also used in the making of Tapalapa.

It is similar in shape to a French baguette but is more dense on the inside.