16 Most Famous African Foods That Will Get You Addicted

What is travel without food, or food without travel? The two adventures go hand in hand, and the most famous African foods can make your safari holiday a memorable one. Africa boasts of an outstanding diet in the world. Whether it’s a national dish, a traditional meal, or the daily meals, African food has a taste in every aspect. Further, the cooking style is full of surprises, with enchanting flavours.

African food has something for everyone. From simple maize/grain porridges and root vegetables to magnificent feasting feasts such as tagines, stews, and aromatic curries. This article focuses on regional dishes that you might enjoy during your visit. Without much ado, below are 16 of the most popular African foods.

Which are the Most Famous African Foods?

Here are 16 extremely popular African dishes spread out in every corner of the continent.

1. Fufu (Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone)

Fufu definitely is among the most famous African foods. West Africa cannot survive without this dish rocking Ghana and Nigeria. This starch-based dish is prepared from cassava or yams and served with soup or stew of your choice.

2. Nyama Choma (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)

Nyama Choma is a popular East African meal. It is grilled mutton or beef often served with a ugali.

3. Injera

Injera . Photo/the dozen.Injera is among the most popular African foods. It’s a popular sourdough flatbread in Ethiopia and Eritrea. They make it out of teff flour, water, and yeast, and it has a spongy texture. Injera is usually served with stews or curries on top, and it is also used to scoop up food.

4. Ful

Ful is a dish that originates from Egypt, made out of fava beans. The beans are cooked and then mashed and served with bread, vegetables, and a variety of spices.

5. Muamba

Muamba is a dish from Angola that is made of chicken and vegetables. The chicken is first cooked in palm oil and garlic sauce, then stewed with vegetables until it is very tender. They often serve Muamba with rice or bread.

6. Chicken Yassa

Chicken Yassa is a popular dish from Senegal that is made with chicken, onions, and lemon sauce. Chicken is marinated in the sauce for several hours or even overnight before it is cooked. They serve this dish with rice or couscous.

7. Biltong

Biltong is a popular South African snack that is made from dried and cured meat. It is jerky and is prepared from beef or game meat.

8. Peri Peri Chicken (Mozambique)

Peri Peri chicken is a mouth-watering meal served with big bowls of crispy salads and hot chips or Portuguese bread. It is one of the most popular African foods, especially in Mozambique. This dish is by far one of the juiciest, beautifully browned roast chickens you’d ever taste. They also make Peru peri chicken with a scintillating, smokey spicy, creamy coconut sauce. 

9. Githeri 

Githeri is among the most famous African foods, especially in East Africa. This dish is prepared with boiled beans and fresh or dry maize. In Tanzania, we call it Makande. It is a staple food for many ethnic groups of Kenya, such as Kikuyu, Meru, Kamba, Mbeere, and Embu tribes. 

10. Koshari (Egypt)

Koshari is a popular street food in Egypt and is one of the most famous African foods. It is served in almost every Egyptian home and corner. It is a bowl made by mixing boiled lentils, rice, spicy tomato sauces, garlic, and spices. They can serve this Egyptian beloved food with a sprinkling of garlic juice or vinegar and hot sauce. 

11. Matapa |Cassava Leaf Stew

This is a Mozambican meal. Matapa’s recipes include cassava leaves, cashew nuts, and coconut milk. It can contain other constituents like seafood—shrimp, crab, and so forth. Matapa is a rich source of animal protein. It may present allergic reactions in people who have allergies to seafood and nuts.

12. Chambo (Malawi)

Chambo is a species of the tilapia family found on the lake shores of Malawi. Tilapia is sometimes dried in the sun, then roasted, cooked, or fried. It can be served with a side of soup and is usually eaten with rice or Nsima, a starch staple thickened porridge made from maize. Chambo is delicious and is so popular that even the most famous hotels in Malawi have it on their menu.

13. Pastilla au pigeon (Morocco)

Also known as B’stilla, this many-faceted feast dish is sweet and savoury; substantial and delicate. Pastilla au pigeon is a pie made from shredded cooked squab thickened with egg sauce and interspersed with paper-thin pastry and layers of nutty, spicy filling. Pastilla au pigeon is a labour-intensive dish to make, but it is a must-have for any grand celebration and feast.

14. Nsaka Madesu – Congo

This is a popular dish in the Congo, with a terrific flavour. Nsaka Madesu is one of the famous African foods that is simple to prepare. They make it out of cassava leaves and beans, which are seasoned with onions, garlic, and pepper.

15. Tanjia—Morocco

Tanjia is a traditional Moroccan dish. This is sheep meat cooked in a clay urn with spices, such as saffron, cumin, garlic, lemons, and olive oil. This is among the famous African foods, notably popular in Marrakech. They fill the urns with a variety of ingredients and cook them slowly overnight in the coals of a public bath (hammam) until the meat falls off the bone tender.

16. Chapati

Another meal among the famous African foods is chapati. This delicious food is popular mostly in East Africa. Chapati is an unleavened flat bread, made of wheat flour, warm water, sugar, table salt, margarine and oil.

In Uganda, it is very common in restaurants and on the streets. They usually serve it with chicken soup, banana, beef stew, cold nutrition, spicy tea or bean stew. Although this African food originated from India, it has become very common amongst East African people.