A sampler of African cuisine

Eating food from another continent—one that feels worlds away to most Americans—is a way to learn about that culture. That’s Executive Chef Tracey MacRae’s point of view, and she carries it through when delving into African cooking at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Food connects us to the past, to our memories and families, but also to unknown people…it can connect us to faraway lands we’ve never visited,” MacRae says. “It enables us to experience and share the beauties of this life.”

MacRae and the UW culinary team recently created the following African dishes, ideas that would be great to start your own journey into undiscovered flavor:

What is African BBQ?

Barbecue brings the world together in its fundamentals: fire and slow-cooked meat. From there, paths diverge—regionally within the U.S. there are many barbecue styles—with different seasonings, sauces, types of meat and methodology. In Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi, barbecue is a strong social custom, and it’s called braai (meaning barbecue or grill).

Braais (plural form of the word) are casual potluck-style parties in which families and friends gather at a picnic spot or someone’s garden for kebabs and side dishes galore.

Dax Schaefer, executive chef of Asenzya, a research and development-focused spice and seasoning company, offers a bit more background on what barbecue means in Africa.

“It’s a pretty big deal, similar to our barbecue here; they have parties and even a national barbecue day,” Schaefer says. “Lamb is super popular, and also chicken, beef and sausage. You’ll see sauces with Portuguese flavor profiles: a peri peri glaze with tomato and vinegar.”

The sausage features traditional seasonings of spices, including cloves, coriander and nutmeg, and fruit chutneys are popular side dishes. Just as you’ll find mesquite wood used to smoke brisket in Texas, African barbecue relies on the types of wood that’s native to the area. Also, more marinating takes place in African barbecue than in the U.S.

“Our barbecues here, it takes a long time to roast a pig…20 hours to roast a brisket,” Schaefer says. “But in Africa, they marinate it so the meat gets more tender beforehand, and they can do it faster over higher heat.”

Speaking of higher heat—spice-wise, that is—chakalaka is a South African veggie relish worth getting to know, with a unique combo of beans, tomatoes, onions and fiery curry paste.

Spicy Senegalese sweet potato and peanut soup.

African peanut soup

As the cozy autumn soup months come up on us, it’s only a matter of time before tomato soup and chicken noodle soup get a little boring. The antidote is African peanut soup, a delicious savory-spicy-sweet-peanut buttery bowl that appeals to the adventurous eater who also loves comfort food. Check out this recipe from the National Peanut Board for a take on the soup with sweet potatoes and jalapenos.