Being home to 54 countries, from Morocco and Algeria to Ethiopia and South Africa, Africa has a rich cultural, ethnic, and culinary diversity. African cuisine, a staple of the continent’s culture and history, is still quite unknown to the rest of the world. With the desire to change that, TasteAtlas supports the initiative coming from Cameroon, the country that lies at the junction of western and central Africa.
Diaspora Kitchen Project, run by the Generations Partners of Progress (GPP) in partnership with the American-based African Investment Corporation, will start promoting traditional African cuisines with a goal of preserving old recipes and traditional dishes, as well as promoting African foods and flavors internationally. They will start with Cameroon.
Streets of Douala Credits: Shuttesrtock
Women in Cameroon selling vegetables Credits: Yvanna Marina Abena
In March, the coastal town of Mouanko will host 20 local and American chefs who will come together to showcase their unique and delectable take on traditional Cameroonian foods. Cameroon, with over 250 ethnic groups, each having its local delicacy, is often called “Africa in miniature”.
Chef Christian Abégan: "Cameroon is a blessed country because of its diversity"
Popular Cameroonian chef Christian Abégan says that when it comes to food, Cameroon is a blessed country because of its diversity. "In this wonderful country, you have the sea, you have the north with the desert, then you have the center, which is like a forest. Cameroonian food is so diversified - most of the recipes and food here you can also find across the continent."
The coastal part of the country that is Douala, Kribi, Limbe is known for its fish abundance. Ndole with an accompaniment like “miondo”, fried plantain, and white yam is an amazing delicacy from the Littoral region. Khati khati, fufu with huckle berry and Achu are delicacies from the country’s northwest region, and eru and waterfufu is typical of the southwest region. The abundance of food crops like maize, cocoyam, vegetables, cassava are the main sources of variety in Cameroon cuisine.
Clams cleaning in Mouanko Credits: Tourismo Cameroun
Ndole Credits: Lebistronomy
Eru Credits: Cameroon foodies
Ekoki Credits: envoleesgourmandes
Chef Abégan says that Cameroon has one of the best pepper in the world and that edible insects are a big part of Cameroonian traditional cuisine.
"We also eat a lot of insects and insect larvae in Cameroon. You know, we couldn't always find the protein - maybe someone didn't manage to buy the beef, so we used to eat insects, larvae, and caterpillars that we find in the forest. And there is a special dish that we have; this dish is a way to honor your guests when you serve it. It's this specific kind of caterpillar in a special sauce with pepper."
Chef Abégan concludes the story about Cameroonian cuisine with an open invitation to Cameroon: "If you have the opportunity to visit Cameroon - you should do it. You can discover so many different flavors and recipes in our country."
Chef Christian Abégan Credits: The Diaspora Kitchen
The culinary event promises to be a feast of Cameroonian food, heritage, and culture. Their long-term goal is to standardize and codify Cameroonian cuisine, promote and protect the country’s legacy, and bring these age-old flavors to dinner tables across the globe.
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Discover Cameroonian Foods
