African Spices

• Grains of Paradise are sometimes called Alligator Pepper in Africa, and are used often in cooking, but also in important cultural ceremonies. You will find them used ritually in baby naming ceremonies and some other festivities that require people to gather in celebration.


• Garlic Powder is savory and used on meat-based dishes. The flavor of garlic is sometimes compared to onion, and the two are used in conjunction with one another or interchangeably.


• Ground Allspice is used a lot with meat.


• Cinnamon is used in sweets and on plantains. This spice may also be found in vegetable-based recipes, especially root vegetables. Sweet potatoes and cinnamon are a frequent combination. Teas, both warm and cold, are often accompanied by a healthy shake of cinnamon.


• Fenugreek is common in African cooking, especially stews that require a unique flavor. There is nothing that tastes exactly like this spice, so it is crucial to use it where it is called for.


• Cloves are used to flavor meats and stews, but they can also be used to flavor some vegetarian dishes.


• Cumin is not only a frequently used spice all over Africa, it also has roots in historical traditions. Beginning in the Middle Ages, it was believed that luck and a life full of joy would come to any bride and groom who carried cumin seeds with them all throughout their wedding ceremony.


• Paprika is used frequently with meat. Goat is a popular meat in African cooking, but chicken and paprika go together nicely, too.


• Lemon is a common flavor used to enhance the taste of many dishes. Lemon often takes salt's place in brightening up a dish, especially in North Africa.


• Chiles of any kind are crucial for African cooking. There are very few foods that don't have at least a little bit of chile, and if you are trying to cook an African based dish for the first time, you'll want to include chiles in your recipe.

African Seasonings

• Berbere is used often in Ethiopian cooking. It is mostly used to flavor soups and stews, but it is delicious on cauliflower and kale, too. You can use this blend on vegetables based dishes as well.


• Ras el Hanout is used frequently in North African cooking. It is popular in rice, slow cooked stews, and on couscous or other pasta dishes.


• Dukkah is a particularly unique blend that is usually eaten on a flatbread. Sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and some variety of nut are the only universal ingredients, and other than that the ingredients are personal to the preparer or family making it. It can sometimes include sugar, but it is mostly considered a savory blend. You may find dukkah on cheese as well. This blend is most popular in Egypt.


• Mitmita is thought to be the African version of curry powder. This is a very spicy blend that is used on vegetables and meats.


• Baharat is a popular spice blend in Northern Africa. There is no true recipe for this blend, as it usually varies from family to family and from region to region, but it does usually have black pepper, paprika, and cumin in it in some amount.


• La Kama is a blend used most commonly in soups and stews, but it is especially used in Harira. This is a meat-based soup that is served as an appetizer or a small snack and is usually accompanied by a hard-boiled egg. La Kama is used on lamb or chicken as a dry rub.

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