Africa is a wonderful and diverse continent of contrasts. More than 80% of the continent is tropical, but, surprise, the majority of it is also in the Northern hemisphere. It has areas of intense rain, but also areas of intense dryness. So, it makes sense that Africa has a wide variety of climates that produce an abundance of indigenous and non-native fruit.
Africa has a large variety of foods which contributes to the versatility and abundance of its dishes. Your body needs vitamins to function properly. Regularly eating a well-balanced diet will give you the adequate amount of vitamins you need. Always read the information on the pack before buying or taking supplements.
Here we will talk about only a few of the many fruit found in this expansive and vibrant continent. Trying the local fruit when you travel is like a fantastic voyage of sweetness. But when you really think about it, fruits are indeed the sweets nature intended for us not the sugar laden ones which are evidently not too good for us. This is true because fruits pack so much nutrients.
Many refer to Africa as though it can somehow be only one thing, but this continent is one to be experienced for the variety, diversity, and vibrancy that it offers. Join us on an amazing trip to the African âcornerâ of the Orchard and explore the wonderful and diverse edible species to be found there. Learn about their names, varieties and edibility purposes.
If you wish to know more about each of the many many different species and varieties present at the Orchard of Flavours, feel free to dive into the complete database. Or even better, come for a visit and get to know us!
Read also: Experience Fad's Fine African Cuisine
From Senegal to Brazil to Savannah, GA, a wide range of foods are found in the African heritage tradition. A splash of flavor can make water your go-to drink. All rights reserved. Food is meant to be shared; so is good health. Make your dinner table a âhealing tableâ where people come to share fresh foods and reinforce happy, healthy lives. We all have beloved foods that may fall outside nutritional guidelines.
Among the important fruits are bananas, pineapples, dates, figs, olives, and citrus; the principal vegetables include tomatoes and onions. Full of fiber and protein, dishes with rice and beans are a classic. One-pot cooking lets ïŹavors sing together! If you eat meat, have smaller amounts. Make your dinner table a âhealing tableâ where people come to share fresh foods and reinforce happy, healthy lives.
Nutritional Benefits of African Foods:
- Africa has many leafy greens rich in many nutrients, including vitamins K, C, E, A, and most B vitamins.
- Fruits have many nutrients, including a generous amount of vitamins C, A and B vitamins, except vitamin B12.
- Apart from making your meals smell and taste awesome, spices provide good amounts of Vitamins A, C, E and B vitamins except for B12.
- This group of foods are good sources of B vitamins and vitamins E.
- A good amount of B vitamins, vitamins E and K, is present in whole grains.
- Tubers are a good source of vitamins A, C and some B vitamins.
- Animal products are the only food sources of vitamin B12. Other B vitamins and vitamin A are also present in generous amounts.
- Vegetable oils, such as soya oil and groundnut oil are rich sources of vitamin E.
Let's explore some specific fruits and vegetables found across the African continent:
Fruits of Africa
Nigeria, being a tropical country, has her own share of indigenous fruits and its not uncommon to find fruit bearing trees in backyards and streets within communities where they provide shade from the sun and of course fruits for the youngsters in particular. There are some truly exotic Nigerian fruits most of which are sadly being forgotten or no longer cultivated.
Read also: The Story Behind Cachapas
Discover the Exotic Flavors of Africa: 10 Must-Try African Fruits đđ
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Date: There is arguably no other fruit with the historical, cultural, and religious importance that the date carries. Their sticky goodness is enjoyed in Africa, and you could even say they are honored, especially in Northern Africa.
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Papaya: Who doesnât love a fruit-bearing tree in their backyard? Papaya trees are probably one of the most abundant fruit trees all over the continent because they are easy to care for and produce a lot of its sweet, melony fruit that is used for breakfast, snacks and desserts, and to make drinks and jams.
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Soursop: At first glance, the soursop looks like some sort of spiky creature from a horror film. But cut it open and you will find a pure-white, dreamy fruit. It is also known as custard apple, and once you taste its sweet creaminess, you will understand why.
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Ackee: All over Western and Central Africa, you will find children stopping by ackee trees to see if the fruit is ripe yet. They know better than to try and eat one before it is ripe as parents warn about their toxicity before they are ready. So, the young ones check every day until the fruit cracks open and they can see the three black seeds, meaning they are now ripe.
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SĂŁo TomĂ© Peach: The SĂŁo TomĂ© peach is possibly the most interesting fruit on this list. It is very rare and grows only on the idyllic island of SĂŁo TomĂ© e PrĂncipe. Another unique trait is that this fruit grows on the trunk of the tree, making wild animals very happy that they can grab an easy snack. The fruit itself is beautiful - triangular, purple in color, and with a velvety skin, like a little regal pouch.
Read also: Techniques of African Jewellery
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Marula: Marula is another fruit on this list with historical and symbolic importance - it is a legally protected tree in South Africa. Indigenous to Southern Africa, it has been shown to have sustained ancient civilizations across the region. It has significant health benefits and is used for medicinal purposes. Perhaps most famous is its use in alcoholic beverages. The sweet-sour, acidic fruit is perfect for fermentation, becoming a traditional brew celebrated in several southern African countries.
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Banana: Bananas may possibly be the most common fruit around, but with anywhere up to 1,000 varieties around the world ranging in size, shapes and color (red! blue!), they canât be called ordinary. For simplicity, people usually categorize bananas into dessert bananas and cooking bananas with dessert bananas including the hundreds of sweet varieties and plantains generally used for cooking. Dessert bananas are often eaten as simple snacks and can be found all over at street markets and roadside vendors. A personal favorite is the apple banana, or banana maçã, as it is known in Portuguese-speaking countries. These gems are cute mini bananas with a lovely mild strawberry-apple taste and smell that you absolutely have to try if you get the chance! Cooking bananas are a staple in many parts of Africa and around the world, and are used as a substitute for other starchy foods such as potatoes. In East Africa, matoke is often cooked and mashed and eaten with meat and veggie stew or soup.
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African Breadfruit: The African breadfruit is a large, melon-like fruit with a sweet, starchy and, wait for it, bready flavour. You canât eat it raw, and only the seeds are eaten. They are dried and then eaten with or as a meal, roasted for a snack or ground to make flour for porridge, or even to make a boozy drink.
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Palm Fruit: The propagation and consumption of palm fruit goes back thousands of years and the oils produced from the flesh and the kernel is of significant economic and cultural importance in Central and West Africa.
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Pepper Fruit: Pepper fruit gets its name from its flavor - it is a berry with a kick. You can eat it raw, or because of its sharp flavor, it is used in all kinds of dishes.
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Baobab: Nostalgic images of Africa often picture the prehistoric baobab tree with its massive trunk and branches that look like roots, which is why it is sometimes called the upside-down tree. Found in many African countries, the tree produces leaves and flowers for very short periods during the year. The fruit is melon-shaped, but with a hard shell that is hard to crack, and, interestingly, dries while still on the tree. Crack it open and the pulp looks like little pieces of white or pink chalk, but it has a delicate citrusy flavor that can be eaten raw, made into a drink, or used in cooking.
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Star Apple: The star apple is the star of Western Africa fruit, getting its name from the arrangement of the five seeds found inside the white flesh. Often simply eaten raw by squeezing it open, sucking out the juice, then opening it up to eat the remaining pulp, it can also be used in desserts, made into jams, juices and non-alcoholic or alcoholic drinks.
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Kola Nut: Another star of West African fruit is the kola nut. It also has cultural significance, being used as a symbol of peace and in a number of traditional and religious duties. Not to be confused with the leafy bitter kola plant, the kola nut fruit is famous for having once been used for flavoring Coca-Cola.
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African Walnut: Another nutty fruit, this time found in Central African countries, is the African walnut, also known as ukpa, asala, or okwe. Similar to a chestnut in shape but with a darker brown or black shell, it is rather bitter when raw, so best to bake or roast them to get the most out of its creamy sweet nuttiness.
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African Pear: Like a mini eggplant, the African pear has purple skin and a whitish green flesh and can be found all over Western and Central Africa. Known also as bush pear, safou, or ube, it is an important fruit for its use in traditional medicine, as well as a staple food. Acidic if eaten raw, it is usually cooked to enjoy its sweet buttery flavor. During the rainy season in Nigeria, many meals of oka na ube re consumed.
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Tamarind: Last but certainly not least, the tamarind is well-known for its many edible and practical uses from West Africa and further to the northern region of the continent. Westerners might know HP or Worcestershire sauce but might not know tamarind is a key ingredient in both. The sour-sweet flesh of the velvety bean-like pod is used to add tang to many savory dishes, to make drinks, in traditional medicine, and even for industrial purposes such as metal polish and leather dyes.
Vegetables of Africa
The principal vegetables include tomatoes and onions. Large vegetables, such as cabbages and cauliflowers, are grown in the same region, from where it is possible to export some quantities to southern Europe. Important vegetables of tropical Africa include peppers, okra, eggplants, cucumbers, and watermelons. Tomatoes and onions are grown widely, but the largest-producing areas border the Mediterranean.
Cash Crops
The oil palm, producing palm oil and palm kernels, grows widely in secondary bush in the tropical forest zones. There are large plantations in Nigeria, CĂŽte dâIvoire, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Coconuts are important in the Comoros, Ghana, CĂŽte dâIvoire, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Kola nuts are grown principally in the forested regions of Nigeria, Ghana, CĂŽte dâIvoire, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The cashew tree is grown to a limited extent in East Africa and to a lesser extent in the coastal countries of western Africa.
Other Notable Edible Plants
Africa boasts a wide array of edible plants beyond the typical fruits and vegetables. Here are a few examples:
- African Baobab: The African baobabâs leaves can be used either fresh, as a cooked vegetable, or dried and powdered as a functional ingredient (thickener) of soups and sauces. The fruits, called monkey-bread, contain a white, mealy, acidic tasting nutritious flesh that can be eaten as a sweet. The seeds yield an edible and pleasant tasting oil, and oil extraction results in an oil meal.
- Aloe: Smaller leafs and less gel in the leafs but more active ingredients than in the Aloe vera. You can apply fresh aloe gel directly to your skin or follow a recipe to make a homemade beauty product. It can also be added to food, smoothies, and drinks.
- Argan: An edible oil is obtained from the argan seed. The white seeds contain up to 50% of a light brown oil. This oil is an excellent source of vitamin E, and has a high nutritional value in the human diet.
- Bulbine frutescens: Bulbine frutescens is one of natureâs finest medicinal plants. Itâs a remarkable first aid medicine chest all in one.
- Natal Plum: The Natal plum fruit is eaten raw or cooked. The flavour is sweet to subacid, and fruits are sometimes astringent. The fruit can be made into jellies, syrups, pickles, tarts etc.
- Carpobrotus: The sap from this Carpobrotusâ leaves is astringent and has been used medicinally, especially as an antiseptic to treat sore throat and problematic skin conditions, cuts and burns.
- Coffea: The Coffea dried seeds ('beans') are roasted, ground, and brewed to make one of the two most popular beverages in the world.
- Kei Apple: Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is juicy, aromatic and pleasantly acid when fully ripe. Very acid raw, they can only be eaten with much sugar. A flavour similar to apricots - they can be bletted to make them more desirable raw. Sometimes eaten out of hand, but more commonly used in jams, jellies, marmalades etc. The Kei apple pulp is rich in pectin and can be added to low-pectin fruits when making jams etc.
- Ensete: The chopped and grated pulp of the Ensete plant is fermented and made into a flour known as 'kocho'. A bread can be made using 100% kocho flour or a mixture of kocho and other cereal flours. It is said to taste like a good quality bread.
- Crossberry: Indigenous to South Africa, naturally found in a wide variety of habitats, the Crossberry is named after the shape of the berry which consists of four distinctive lobes. The berries may remain on the tree for long periods and are edible for humans and animals alike.
- Elephant Bush: In southern Africa, the leaves of the elephant bush are commonly eaten, usually as one component of a salad or a soup.
- Synsepalum dulcificum: The thin-skinned fruit has a sweet, fleshy pulp. The ripe fruit has the ability to modify the taste receptors in the mouth, causing foods to taste sweeter.
- Landolphia kirkii: The fleshy fruit is slightly acidic in flavour. The berries are also used to sometimes make an alcoholic drink. In central Africa the tree is known as a remedy for stomach ache and diarrhea.
- Vigna subterranea: Roasted seeds are eaten. Traditionally, the pods are picked green and then roasted. The seeds would have effectively been steamed inside the pods before being removed and eaten. They are low in fat and protein, but have a high carbohydrate content. The roasted seed has been used as a coffee substitute.
- Tamarind: The immature pods are used in a variety of ways, being eaten fresh mixed with spices, pickled like green mango, or added whole to soups, stews and sauces. When fully mature, the tamarind pods contain a sticky paste which can be eaten raw , used to make drinks, jellies, syrups etc, and, mixed with salt, is a favourite flavouring in the curries of India. The seed can be ground into a flour. The roasted seed is also used as a coffee substitute. Young tamarind leaves can be added to salads. Seedlings, when about 30cm tall, are used as a vegetable.
