BY JAMES OJO
One of the best ways to learn about other cultures is through food. It brings people together and can teach us a lot about the heritage that has passed ingredients and dishes down from generation to generation.
Africa offers a variety of culinary experiences. What better way to open up our minds and discover the delights that the continent has to offer than through food? Here’s a round-up of some of the best YouTube channels to check out for a culinary journey of the African continent.
1. Taste Southern Africa
Based in the cosmopolitan city of Johannesburg, Lorna Maseko is South Africa’s homegrown ballet dancer turned celebrity chef. Lorna With A Pinch Of Salt, her YouTube channel, features her take on international and local foodie favs. Fancy chicken wings? Ribs? And Kota? Lorna’s got you, peppering classics with a little bit of good old street food. In celebration of Africa Day, Lorna has also given us her take on the classic West African dish of jollof rice, giving it a uniquely South African signature.
2. Taste West Africa
Want to delve into the flavourful world of West African cooking? Nigeria’s Winnifred Emmanuel is the right person to turn to. On her Zeelicious Foods channel on YouTube, she gets you familiar with Nigerian favourites like puff-puff (vetkoek’s West African cousin), dodo (sweet, ripe, fried plantain) and Nigerian meat pies so that you can also make them in the comfort of your home.
3. Taste East Africa
Kenya’s Chef Ali Mandhry showcases the best of Swahili cuisine for the world to see. Combining the tastiest parts of Arab, Indian and Portuguese influencers, Chef Ali’s dishes are often accompanied by African staples like maize, plantain, cassava and sorghum. Try the easy Matoke ya rojo (plantains in tomato sauce) or the hearty Swahili coconut chicken with eggs for a culinary sojourn to East Africa.
4. Taste North Africa
Traveling North of the content, Alia opens her wonderful Maghrebi culinary world up to us on her YouTube Channel, Cooking with Alia. Here you will find a repository of both sweet and savoury mouthwatering dishes like Ghriba (traditional Moroccan cookies), steamed lamb head Zaalouk (eggplant dip).
