AFRICAN CUISINE MAGAZINE by Africas Cuisine Magazine

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

APRIL 2013 Vol. 1 No. 2

Magazine Celebra�ng the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

The Rise and Rise of Fast Food in Africa

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Red Stew, That rescues the limp cuisine Raises the game and is Comfort in inclement days Add your grace to my plate, Red stew, red stew

CONTENTS APRIL 2013 FOOD ON WORDS Don’t be in a hurry to swallow when chewing is pleasant.

WINE & BEVERAGE REPORT

(Malawi- Nyanja)

Recommends Blogs, Events, Books

RESTAURANTS

CUISINEOFTHENATIONS Senegal is the furthest country west of West Africa. Learn about their cuisine as the Francophone country marks its 53rd Independence Day this year

The Rise and Rise of Fast Food in Africa COVER

An indepth look at the explosion of US-style fast food in all parts of Africa. What’s going on?

We discover a Kenyan restaurant in America

The Biography of Food Why is Yam such a deligh�ul plant?

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Michael O Banjo Founder/Publisher contributors Megan Worola - Associate Writer Debola Ayoade - Associate Writer Meg Banjo - Commercial Resources Babs Ajayi Jnr - North America Editor Dr Bukky Ogunbiyi - Health & Wellness Adviser Diarra Ba - Francophone Correspondent Segun Fatuase - Adviser WRITE TO US Email africancuisinemagazine@gmail.com Twiter @african_cuisine Facebook AfricanCuisineMagazine a gnitavoni enterprise©

OUT&ABOUT

african cuisine

Celebra�ng two events in the social calendar where Africans enjoy their food in good company.

In Virgina, USA, a matrimonial feast of African and Asian ﬂavours and in London, a controversial book is launched at top-class restaurant, Mama Calabar.

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

MAGAZINE

Celebra�ng the Best of African Cuisine in the Diaspora

RECOGNISING THE BEST, RAISING THE STANDARD

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

NEWS African Food and Beverage Market Exploding At AB7 Africa’s Big Seven 2013 (AB7) is set to be the con�nent’s biggest food and beverage trade show ever, and the most spectacular, with a record number of interna�onal exhibitors buying out all available space at Gallagher Conven�on Centre in Midrand, Gauteng. More than 10 000 interna�onal trade visitors are expected, eclipsing the nearly 9 000 people who ﬂocked to the expo last year. That edi�on of AB7 saw 304 companies from 42 countries around the world showcasing thousands of products in several hundred categories. AB7 takes place from 30 June to 2 July 2013. Thriving Middle Class Driving African Markets Six of the world’s 10 fastest growing economies

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

organisers of the show. “Africa has barely begun its growth phase and it’s already outperforming the whole of Asia. AB7 is the ﬁrst step in tapping this huge market.” Africa’s Big Seven encompasses seven dis�nct sectors that span the en�re food and beverage value chain, including AgriFood, the Pan Africa Retail Trade Exhibi�on, FoodTech Africa, DrinkTech Africa, InterBake Africa, Retail Solu�ons Africa and FoodBiz Africa.

vending machine innova�ons.”

“AB7 gives food and beverage manufacturers access to new technologies and innova�ons as well as the opportunity to keep up with interna�onal trends and innova�ons,” adds Thomson. “One of the highlights at this year’s AB7 is mul�func�onality; consumers now want more than one

South African Union Asks for EU, Brazil Chicken-Import Tariﬀs

African middle class incomes are rising are in Africa, and this will grow to seven in 2015. “Africa’s rapidly expanding middle class has an ever-increasing disposable income and is very keen to spend it on ‘wants’ as well as ‘needs’,” says John Thomson, Managing Director of Exhibi�on Management Services (EMS),

beneﬁt from one product; they also want healthier foods and fast, easy-tocook prepared meals with high nutri�onal value. Visitors can also see more organic and natural food selec�ons and the trend towards balancing healthy ea�ng and working, and some radical kiosk and

Addi�onal a�rac�ons at this year’s AB7 include Import and Export Workshops, a Future of Trade Africa Conference, and a Breakfast Seminar hosted by the Consumer Goods Council on the theme: ‘Taking Retail into Africa’. “The world has started to take no�ce of Africa as a con�nent full of business opportuni�es,” adds John Thomson.

Members of South Africa’s Food and Allied Workers

Union staged a march today and asked the country’s Trade and Industry Ministry to impose tariﬀs on chicken imports from the European Union and Brazil. About 400 people par�cipated in the march in Pretoria, the capital, to hand in a memorandum about the fees, Ka�shi Masemola, the union’s general secretary, said by phone. “The point we are making is for more, faster ac�on to be taken,” Masemola said. “We are crea�ng

more of a sense of urgency. Our industry is threatened.” South Africa imposed addi�onal an�-dumping du�es of 6 percent to 63 percent from February to August last year on some chicken cuts imported from Brazil. The La�n American country ﬁled a complaint with the World Trade Organiza�on. Trade Minister Rob Davies in December decided not to impose an�-dumping du�es on whole birds and boneless cuts from Brazil and instead said there was scope to raise general tariﬀs for shipments, Business Day reported on Dec. 27. The South African Poultry

Associa�on has applied to the country’s Interna�onal Trade Administra�on Commission to impose a general tariﬀ and has asked for an�-dumping protec�on from EU shipments under World Trade Organisa�on rules, the Johannesburg-based newspaper reported today, ci�ng the associa�on’s chief execu�ve oﬃcer, Kevin Lovell. Industry stakeholders met about three weeks ago and will follow up soon, Masemola said.

frican AAfrican C SINE All The Goodness of Africa All The Goodness of Africa

The Biography of Food No.2 : Yam

Yam

is the common name for some plant species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) that form edible tubers. These are perennial herbaceous vines cul�vated for the consump�on of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, La�n America, the Caribbean and Oceania. The true yam is a versa�le vegetable. It can be barbecued; roasted; fried; grilled; boiled; baked; smoked and when grated it is processed into a dessert recipe. Yams are the staple crop of the Igbo people of Nigeria, in their language it is known as ji, and they commemorate it by having yam fes�vals known as Iri-ji or Iwa-Ji depending on the dialect. Yams are a primary agricultural and culturally important commodity in West Africa, where over 95 percent of the world’s yam crop is harvested. Yams are s�ll

important for survival in these regions. Some varie�es of these tubers can be stored up to six months

ble is composed of a much so�er substance known as the “meat”. This substance ranges in color from white or yellow to purple or pink in mature yams. Because of their abundance and importance to survival, yams were highly regarded in Jamaican ceremonies and cons�tute part of many West African ceremonies.

without refrigera�on, which makes them a valuable resource for the yearly period of food scarcity at the beginning of the wet season. Yam cul�vars are also cropped in other humid tropical countries. Yam tubers can grow up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and weigh up to 70 kilograms (154 lb) and 3 to 6 inches high. The vegetable has a rough skin which is diﬃcult to peel, but which so�ens a�er hea�ng. The skins vary in color from dark brown to light pink. The majority of the vegeta-

Certain species of yams are a compe�ng phytochemical source. Yams are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Palpifer sordida. Major cul�vated species [Dioscorea rotundata and D. cayenensis] Dioscorea rotundata, the “white yam”, and Dioscorea cayenensis, the “yellow yam”, are na�ve to Africa. They are the most important cul�vated yams. In Africa most are pounded into a paste to make the tradi�onal dish of “pounded yam” In the past they were considered two separate species but most taxonomists now regard them as the same

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

species. There are over 200 cul�vated varie�es between them. White yam’s tuber is roughly cylindrical in shape, the skin is smooth and brown and the flesh usually white and firm. Yellow yam is named a�er its yellow flesh, a color caused by the presence of carotenoids. It looks similar to the white yam in outer appearance; its tuber skin is usually a bit firmer and less extensively grooved. The yellow yam has a longer period of vegeta�on and a shorter dormancy than white yam. The Kokoro variety is important in making dried yam chips. They are large plants; the vines can be as long as 10 to 12 meters (33 to 39 �). The tubers most o�en weigh about 2.5 to 5 kilograms (5.5 to 11 lb) each but can weigh as much as 25 kilograms (55 lb). A�er 7 to 12 months growth the tubers are harvested. In Africa most are pounded into a paste to make the tradi�onal dish of “pounded yam”

Yam Recipe suggestions Afrolems is a blog about African food and presents a variety of cuisine from several cooks and chefs in the Diaspora. Visit their site, www.afrolems.com for the following Yam recipes and many more. Efo-Riro Nigerian Soup Recipe with Pounded Yam

Top 20 Producers of Yams - 2011 (million metric ton) Nigeria Ghana Ivory Coast Benin Togo Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Papua New Guinea Cuba Colombia Ethiopia Hai� Brazil Gabon Japan Jamaica Venezuela Burkina Faso

37.1 6.2 5.5 2.3 0.7 0.5 0.45 0.4 0.39 .349 .346 0.33 0.32 0.24 0.20 0.17 0.13 0.10 .099

DRC World Total

.093 50.0

Dundun and Shrimp Sauce

Source: UN Food & Agriculture Organisa�on (FAO)

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

Recommends

EVENTS Indiana State to host African Global Night on April 13 By: Aus�n Arceo, Communica�ons Marke�ng Staﬀ April 3, 2013

ISU and

Writer: Aus�n Arceo, assistant director of media rela�ons, Oﬃce of Communica�ons and Marke�ng, Indiana State University, 812-2373790 or aus�n.arceonegrich@indstate.edu

EVENTS.BOOKS.BLOGS.THOUGHTS.WORDS

educa�on, protec�on and medical support for orphans aﬀected by HIV. Join in the celebra�ons – there will be dancing!

BOOKS

Have you ever wondered what

People can learn more about cultural tradi�ons of several African countries during an African Global Night at Indiana State University on April 13. The African Student Union at Indiana State will host the event, which will be at 6 p.m. in the University Hall Theatre and will feature stories, songs and dances. The theme for African Global Night is Sankofa, which means “going back to your roots,” said Kirk Moore, an Indiana State sophomore from Ghana and African Student Union member who is helping organize the event. “Africans used to have tradi�ons that western ways have found their ways into,” Moore said. “It’s a culture that we shouldn’t get rid of for the reason that we are so caught up with the western culture. We need to remember it.” A�er the performances, a�endees will then go to the Charles E. Brown African American Cultural Center, where they can sample food from several African countries, including Congo, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya, among others. Tickets cost $5 for Indiana State students, faculty and staﬀ, and $10 for the general public. For more informa�on, including to purchase �ckets, contact Obed Tompieu at otompieu@sycamores. indstate.edu or Kirk Moore at kmoore50@sycamores. indstate.edu Contact: Kirk Moore, African Student Union, Indiana State University, kmoore50@sycamores. indstate.edu

Join Starfish and Shebeen Queen for a Freedom Day celebra�on! On 26 and 27 April fans of South African food will be heading to London pop up restaurant Shebeen Queen to honour our unique heritage and Freedom Day, by feas�ng on a homemade braai. At 7pm on 26 and 27 April fans of South African cooking, celebra�ons and supperclubs will be heading to east London pop up restaurant Shebeen Queen to honour our unique heritage and Freedom Day, feas�ng on an authen�c, homemade South African braai. The three-course braai menu includes favourites such as boerewors, pap en sous and Peppermint Crisp tart, to transport tastebuds on a culinary voyage back to the homeland. Profits will go to Starfish Greathearts Founda�on, who care for more than 22,000 children across South Africa. The Founda�on works with very best community-based organisa�ons to ensure the highest quality care, from daily meals to access to

happens a�er someone buys a food item, just before they consume it? I do. In fact, I thought about this, and some of my thoughts formed the basis for this e-book. h�p://sharonsalu.wordpress. com/2012/11/04/threem a n g o e s - a - s h o r t- s t o r y by-sharon-abimbola-salufreeebook/

BLOG

AFROLEMS h�p://afrolems.com/

Afrolems is an African food blog with a specializa�on in Nigerian Food. Our main focus is to stylize African food so it can be interna�onalized. Afrolems aims to educate its followers with kitchen �ps, Cooking Know-hows and interes�ng recipes from all over Africa and just modiﬁca�ons of recipes from other cultures. Afrolems is also a catering service that is located in the Greater Toronto Area and caters to small events and small weddings.

The minimum size for catering is 20 people and maximum is 150 people. For Prices, Check the Prices and Packages Page. You can ﬁll out the form on the Prices and Packages page or email your order to afrolems@gmail.com . Afrolems only accepts orders a week in advance for par�es and 50% of the deposit must be paid at this �me to conﬁrm the order.

CTED and Africa House Conference: People, Food & Globaliza�on: Perspec�ves on the Produc�on, Trade and Consump�on of Food i in Africa & Beyond Thursday April 11, 2013 6:00pm – 7:30 pm Panel Discussion 14A Washington Mews, New York, NY 10003 7:30pm – 8:30 pm Recep�on @ NYU Africa House 44 Washington Mews New York, NY 10003 Free & Public Event RSVP is required

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Have You Been Called to the African Bar?

In the Beginning was Palm Wine

frica may not have the reputa�on for an abundance of beers, lagers, and every ale inbetween but it sure has a palate that needs sa�sfying. From �me immemorial, Africans had discovered that fermen�on and dis�lla�on worked wonders for the body and spirit.

Congo, nsafufuo in Ghana, matango in Cameroon,

Palm wine. Palm wine is now also bo�led

In Nigeria, the popular urban legend of ‘Paraga’ refers to bo�led ‘herbs’ soaked in ogogoro and casually consumed by motor park a�endants and minibus drivers regardless of safety or sobriety behind the wheels.

Most socie�es have produced -or encountered - alcoholic beverages in various forms. In Africa, alcholic nirvana is no be�er that the juice made from the sap of the palm tree. In many countries, the fermented alcoholic juice is made from palm trees, cocconut palm trees and date palm trees. The sap is collected by a wine-tapper. Typically the sap is collected from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap. The white liquid that ini�ally collects tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. An alternate method is the felling of the en�re tree. Where this is prac�ced, a fire is some�mes lit at the cut end to facilitate the collec�on of sap. Palm wine tapping is men�oned in the novel Things Fall Apart by the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe and is central to the plot of the groundbreaking novel The Palm Wine Drinkard by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola. Different names are given to this drink such as emu and oguro in Nigeria, nsamba in Democra�c Republic of the

Akpeteshi and Ogogoro in Nigeria. This clear spirit can be your vodka or your gin. It is the choice of hard-drinking men [and women] and is also used by local herbalists to mix medicines used for a limitless range of ailments.

Whichever way you like at it, palm wine is a hearty drink with a democra�c spirit for everyone in society to enjoy. Nigeria’s Na�onal Ins�tute for Oil Palm Research, NIFOR based in Benin City, is a major player in the resreach into palm product and has produced its own range of bo�led plam wine.

mnazi in Mijikenda, Kenya. Palm wine is a socal drink and very popular in tradi�onal society for celebra�ons and consecra�ons. In some parts of the Eastern Nigeria, Palm wine is called “Nkwu Elu” or “Mmanya Ocha” (white drink). It is a key feature used for tradi�onal wedding feasts. A young man going for the ﬁrst introduc�on at his in-laws is required to come with speciﬁed amounts of

for urban, recrea�onal consump�on. It is alleged that these bo�led oﬀerings are less potent and not authen�c than the original brew due to overdilu�on and use of ar��ﬁcal sweeteners. Palm wine has a more potent cousin from the same palm-tree ancestor. This gin-like drink is the product of dis�lla�on of the palm sap. It has several names. In parts of Ghana, it is called

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

Senegal

CUISINEOFTHENATIONS

WHAT’SCeON THE TABLE? qui est sur la table?

National Day April 4th Independence Day 1960

ask most Senegalese and they’ll quickly tell you that they are also French! ‘Most Senegalese food is simple. Normally, it consists of fish and rice. The food is prepared by the women. Breakfast is eaten between 6 and 9 a.m. While, dinner is eaten between 8 and 9:30 p.m. Senegal people love fish. They eat it at almost every meal. Senegalese meals are o�en available at roadside market. They drink many different drinks including ones made out of flowers and nectars and also enjoy tea. Peanuts are the main crop grown in Senegal, so most of Senegal smells of roasted peanuts. Although Senegal has a lot of its own dishes, it is also greatly influenced by the French and this enriches Senegalese cuisine in a very exo�c way.

http://globaltableadventure.com/2013/01/09/recipe-

senegalese-black-eyed-pea-salad-saladunebbe/

Senegalese Cuisine in the Diaspora Paris

Le Pe�t Dakar 6 Rue Ezévir Métro: St-Paul And the icing on the cake is 01-44-59-34-74 that Senegalese food is never Open Tues. to Sunday complete without dessert. So 11-3 and 7-11

ﬁnd a place to sit down and tuck into the delights of probably the most alluring cuisine in west Africa.

27 MAR 2013 0 COMENTÁRIOS PUBLICADO EM: CONFERÊNCIAS

***Conference announcement:

GAPSYM7:

Africa and Food: challenges, risks and opportunities*** Gent, 6 December 2013

Dear scholars Please find attached the call for papers of the 7th annual symposium of the Africa Platform of Ghent University Association, entitled “Africa and Food: challenges, risks and opportunities”. Food and Africa often seem to be closely linked, though only on a very superficial level: Africa is either associated with a lack of food and famine, or with gastronomy and the cultivation of exotic fruits. By organizing an international conference on Africa and Food, the Africa Platform of Ghent University Association will look beyond such superficial connotations. Its aim is to contribute to the scholarly debate in which food is not only seen in terms of problematic situations in Africa, but also and primarily in terms of new challenges and opportunities that have emerged in the area. At this conference we propose twelve different panels, that will address the theme of food in Africa from a wide variety of different research domains. Food will be seen as one of Africa’s richest resources, be it on a cultural, linguistic, historical or biological level. Food will be conceptualized as an element of psychosocial well-being, of political stability and of basic human rights. Finally, food will be understood as the key component of Africa’s urban and rural development, and of the way in which Africa is finding its place in a globalized world. Paper proposals (abstract of maximum 300 words) can be submitted until the 1st of June 2013. More details can be found at http://www.gap.ugent.be/GAPSYM7_en May we ask you to distribute this announcement through email, newsletters, websites, etc. Thanks a lot. Sincerely The Scientific Committee ———————————— Dominique Godfroid (Mrs) Secretariat Afrika Platform Ghent University – ICRH – 6K4 – room 645 De Pintelaan 185 B-9000 Gent (Belgium) Mobile: + 32 0 471 85 01 19 e-mail: GAP@UGent.be http://www.Gap.UGent.be

——————————

African CUISINE All The Goodness of Africa

COVER

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

The Rise and Rise of Fast Food in Africa In 2003, Nigerian Musician, Bembe Aladisa recorded a song ‘Visa’, in which he lamented the state of the country and asked an imaginary Consular oﬃcial for permit to leave the country so he can go and eat hamburgers in America. It was a song that illustrated the African aspira�on for American-style fast food. Also in 2003, the BBC did an online report about the colonising of Africa through an invasion of American-style fast food. 1n 2013, American-style fried chicken and hamburger has brought itself to Africa and it is spreading like wildﬁre. We examine the rate of growth in the African fast-food sector and point out the key fundamentals driving this rise in consump�on.

n the same year, a BBC report characterised the growth of fast food in Africa as a form of cultural imperialism with dire consequences on culinary culture and lifestyle. The background to this is that since the late 1990s, American-style fast food outlets

have exploded onto the African con�nent at an unexpected rate. The faces of ci�es like Accra in Ghana, Lagos in Nigeria and Nairobi are now do�ed with the global icons like KFC, Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza and Subway. These well-known global food brands are plan�ng across the urban terrain 14

of Africa’s growing urban centres at a rate that appears to even outstrip growth in their home countries. In 2010, KFC owner Yum Brands Inc. said it planned to open 1,200 KFCs in Africa by 2014. It opened its ﬁrst Nairobi outlet in 2011. The Subway sandwich chain, which is owned by Doctor’s

Associates Inc., has almost 30 restaurants on the con�nent and plans to open 20 in Kenya over the six next years, plus others in Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. Domino’s Pizza Inc. opened two restaurants in Nigeria last August, adding to its more than two dozen outlets in Egypt and Morocco, and says it is exploring opportuni�es to expand into Kenya and South Africa. The reasons for expansion are clear: an emerging middle class on a con�nent where the total economy is set to grow at least 5% a year through 2017, according to the Interna�onal Monetary Fund. The World Bank has es�mated that food demand across Africa would double between 2012 and 2020. What are the factors responsible for this rise of fast food in Africa in recent years? Expanding middle class Over the past 15 years, many parts of Africa have a�racted the eye of many foreign investors, largely because of the enlarging middle class who now have increased spending power. Today, we have more home and car owners and more internet and mobile phone users than ever before. Researchers es�mate that one in three Africans is considered middle class. And with their dispensable cash, people tend to spend more on items and experiences that were once considered luxuries, like dining out and fast food. Poor work-life balance for working mothers Females now form a signiﬁcant por�on of the SA work force. Today’s modern mom is juggling parenthood, a career, rela�onships

survey, 65% believed healthy food was more expensive than unhealthy food. With a lot of people surviving from pay day to pay day, unhealthy foods are the cheap alterna�ve, especially since they are both ﬁlling and packed with energy (although with devasta�ng health implica�ons). Alluring adver�sing and marke�ng Aside from encountering numerous outlets everywhere you go, people are also bombarded with adver�sements promo�ng not only the food itself, but the lifestyle that comes with it. Relentless oﬀers and deals for a li�le extra charge tempts consumers to eat more than they need.

and much more. As a result of �me constraints, slaving over the stove is no longer a priority, forcing working women to opt for quick takeaways to put meals on the table. Unfortunately these foods are energy rich but lack the micronutrients we need for a Street Food, Fast Food, Global healthy, balanced diet. and Local But the growth of fast food in Easily available When fast food became a part of Africa is not just about the invasion South Africans’ lives in the 1960s of the con�nent by foreign brands. (with the launch of Wimpy), it The defini�on of fast food is not was restricted to those who could all about the Big Foreign Beasts. afford the luxury, as well as those In examining this phenomenon, it who lived close to a franchise. is to be noted that Street Food is Today, fast food is affordable, an allied facet of Fast Food. Street accessible and o�en cheaper and food has always been a feature more convenient than other food of Africa’s culinary tradi�ons. The sources. It is easy to order online age-old image of food vendors is as original an expression of African and deliver to homes. cuisine as it is indica�ve of a culture Percep�ons that healthy food is recep�ve to an advanced form of street food in a different format. expensive Of the people surveyed in the GSK The key difference is that street food vending s�ll holds to the tradi�onal food types served in a portable form in prescribed units for ease of service. Such meals as Ugali, Eba, Pounded Yam, Mealy meals and other tradi�onal foods such as Akara [fried bean cakes], Moinmoin [Steamed bean cakes], including seasonal

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Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

fruit and plant snacks are hawked and served with tradi�onal soups and stews by men and women in urban and rural contexts to meet the needs of a myriad of consumers. In the advent of modernisa�on following colonialism and the introduc�on of foreign food, snack items like meat pies, fish pies, Puffpuff, Scotch Eggs and other flourbased were also introduced into the mobile culinary experience. This was the earliest instance of ‘fast food local’ where mainly urban dwellers in African towns and ci�es chose to eat foods that were supplementary to their main meals. This snack-culture was, and remains a visible part of everyday life. In offices and non-office worksites, by the roadside, at motor parks, on trains, and at places of religious worship, Africans ate readily available food either made in the tradi�onal form or snacks made from modern sources such as flour. The key difference was that the economies of scale prevented purveyors of African local fast food from being able to offer por�ons of food at a level that would consistently lead to a burdensome intake of calories. It was not commercially viable. The big brands have that capacity. The progression of some of the street food into the imported fast food model is not unexpected. In parts of west Africa, the eponymous Mama Put cafeteria served tradi�onal meals in se�ngs that reflected the social

Debonairs, KFC, King Pie, McDonald’s, Nando’s, Pie City, Spur, Steers and Wimpy. Others players in the South African fast food sector are Barceló’s, Bimbo’s, BJ’s, Black Steer, Captain Dorego, Fishaways, Fontana, Hungry Lion, Kauai, London Pie, Li�le Caesar’s, Maxi’s, class of the majority of patrons Mimmos, Mochachos, Ocean – the poor urban class of office Basket, Panaro�s, Perfect Pizza, workers, ar�sans and adventurous Pizza Hut, Scooters, Something middle class execu�ves whose Fishy, St Elmo’s, Roman’s Pizza, westernised wives could not cook Whistle Stop. meals ‘the way mama used to’. The upgrading of this ‘Mama Put’ The explosion of fast food in Africa experience manifested in efforts by is aligned to the end of apartheid the middle classes to give access to in 1990 and the enthronement of ‘home-style’ cooking in a cleaner, majority Black rule. What this has more refreshing loca�ons. done is to unleash the energy of South African entrepreneurs into Mama Cass, a restaurant chain the rest of Africa, a feat impossible in Nigeria, pioneered this due to economic and poli�cal effort in the 1980s. There were pariah status before 1994. fledgling a�empts to introduce MacDonald’s-type Fast food Due to its advanced economic opera�ons in parts of sub-Saharan and financial power, South African Africa at the same �me. This failed businesses in all sectors ranging to catch on due to a mul�plicity from Energy, Telecoms, Large of factors primarily related to Equipment and Agric-Food have acceptability and market share as spread out to other parts of Africa well as factors rela�ng to cost of to extend their brand-reach. opera�ons. However, in other parts of Africa, fast food on the American model had been established. In South Africa, the westernised economic model had spawned a culinary model similar to western European and North American type of public offering. As a result, South Africa has among the most established local fast food brands in Africa.

Furthermore, interna�onal business seeking a foothold in Africa, dip their feet in ﬁrst in South Africa and o�en piggy-back on South African companies via stock investments to enter strategic markets like Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Senegal.

Nando’s, a South African chickenbased restaurant chain has spread its tentacles to many parts of Africa. Some of these are Chicken Licken, Part of this quest for market share 16

The Rise and Rise of Fast Food in Africa by global chains through South Africa is the way in which ideas of food retailing is being shi�ed by South Africa-owned Shoprite shopping malls. Notably, these malls also host fast food outlets of local and foreign brands. Apart from the strong fast food market in South Africa, other countries have grown their own version of fast food. In Nigeria, such chains as Tantalizers, Mama Cass, Mr Bigg’s, Tastee Fried Chicken, Sweet Sensa�on are the big home-grown players with hundreds of outlets between them all over Nigeria and also in other ci�es such as Accra and Dakar. Smaller players such as Chicken Lovers have between ﬁve and ten units usually in a local catchment area.

food consump�on. And it is what is causing execu�ves in the towers of ‘Fast Food Inc’ across the world to come and sniﬀ the African market.

The major players in the current spurt of growth are the wellknown ones – KFC, Burger King, MacDonald’s, Pizza Hut from the USA and Nando’s of South Africa. The key player is YUM! Brands, the New York Stock Exchangelisted brand-owner of KFC and Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. Yum has opened outlets in Nairobi, Kenya says it is working on as many as 15 restaurants in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda over the next few years as part of its global expansion plan.

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Nairobi loca�on has scheduled two more openings elsewhere in the city, and YUM Economic Impacts and Challenges The spurt in growth in the fast food sector met with some challenges as can be expected for forays into any emerging market. For any business in Africa, the twin problems of power and infrastructure are correlated by signiﬁcant human capacity issues.

One of the key issues is the availability of suitable proper�es to use for the new fast food outlets. According to KFC’s general manager of new African markets, Bruce Layzell, a lack of suitable retail space is holding back growth. He cites the case of Lagos a city with 16 million people that has only three world-class malls. Of the local brands, the big beast Layzell they have to approach in West Africa is Mr Bigg’s, an private individuals who own opera�on that was formed by the The supply chain logis�cs alone proper�es and persuade them to ubiquitous UAC group. Mr. Bigg’s would be considered deterrence develop it into a KFC outlet. operates about 170 outlets in to many Western restaurants from Nigeria and Ghana. The inspira�on opening up shop, and it remains Coupled with the local for fast food outlets in Nigeria unclear how reliable the KFC requirements, this op�on offers comes from McDonald’s, the network is in the area. cost, accessibility as well as American fast food giant. Mr. Bigg’s regulatory implica�ons. However, pioneered fast-food franchising in According to a USA TODAY report, this lack of ready-made retail Nigeria. KFC’s chicken supplier had to space has thrown up opportuni�es essen�ally overhaul policy and for many interna�onal property Mr. Bigg’s claims that one hundred procedures to meet with corporate developers to begin prospec�ng thousand Nigerians visit its outlets needs — things that are taken for retail property development every day, selling 25,000 pieces of for granted like tracing the meat in Africa and thereby lay down chicken in its restaurants across in the event of a recall or food formal retail loca�ons. the country daily. Mr.Bigg’s also poisoning. What’s more, poli�cal says that since 1986, it has sold and economic unrest are an In the interim, investors are 635 million meat pies and 148 unfortunate reality of East Africa devising unique ways of dealing million doughnuts. and could create big liabili�es for with the problem of suitable a Western company located here. space. It is this kind of profitable scale of opera�ons that has spurred One thing is for certain, however: The story of how Burger King came copycat businesses that are More KFCs are coming to East to Africa – South Africa is a sound creaming off an explosion in fast Africa soon. The owner of the first illustra�on. 17

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Through an alliance with Grand Parade Investments (GPI), a Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed ﬁrm that makes its money from casinos, slot machines and hotels, Fast-food chain Burger King recently announced that the ﬁrst Burger King will open its doors in Cape Town by mid-2013.

The Rise and Rise of Fast Food in Africa month nego�a�on process. Adams says the choice of bringing Burger King into the very compe��ve South African Fast Food market was on the premise that to be compe��ve you need to pitch a top brand with an established reputa�on. Crucial to his strategy for entry is to plug Burger King into GPI’s exis�ng slot machine business. The company owns over 450 slot machine outlets, which are essen�ally dedicated gambling areas in exis�ng pubs. He said the idea of stand-alone outlets was s�ll not a prac�cal op�on for the majority of South Africans. Accordingly, GPI will establish ‘hole-in-the-wall’ Burger Kings at these outlets and of course it provides an ini�al surge of entry into the market through the established network of slot outlets.

and this protec�onism presents a supply-chain challenge for fast food operators. Nigeria does not allow chicken imports and it’s the same in Kenya. In trying to circumvent this situa�on, investors are trying many different things. A good example is Ghana where Ashok Mohican and his Mohican Group are confron�ng the problem of short supply of chickens to feed its KFC franchise opera�ons. Planning to open twenty-four outlets in the next two years, he has set his mind on building a chicken farm because Ghana’s chicken farmers cannot meet the demand to power his KFC requirement. This is an expensive op�on as he also has to consider the import costs of feed and other inputs. Kofi Appenteng, financial adviser to West Coast Foods Limited is leading the building of a $25m chicken processing plant.

Nigeria’s fast food operators have also defined appropriate strategies to expose their products South Africa’s first Burger King is planned to as wide a market as possible. to open by the middle of 2013 For instance, In 2006, Tastee Fried Chicken launched a partnership Over a two year span of nego�a�on with Oando, a petroleum and prepara�on, GPI execu�ve company to begin loca�ng Tastee chairman Hassen Adams, also a Fried Chicken restaurants inside prominent figure in horse racing Oando’s service sta�ons. As part circles was invited by Dubai’s ruler of the partnership, TFC will open Sheikh Mohammed to a�end a a restaurant in every Oando filling horse racing event. Adams already sta�on. had strong business links with the emirate and was familiar with the Chicken Drought? scale and tempo of investment Chicken is Africa’s main source interests that abound there. of protein. The fast food industry German businessman Andreas needs loads of chicken and this Jacobs suggested to Adams the enormous demand is pu�ng huge idea of bringing Burger King to pressure on the produc�on of South Africa. chickens in Africa. Many African countries do not allow importa�on Jacobs connected Adams with of chickens into their territories Burger King and resul�ng in an 18

Recent developments have now shown that the chicken problem has escalated to a deluge of importa�on of chicken from the AEuropean Union and Other countries like Brazil. In March 2013, members of South Africa’s

Food and Allied Workers Union staged a march today and asked the country’s Trade and Industry Ministry to impose tariﬀs on chicken imports from the European Union and Brazil. This incident has already forced the South African to impose tariﬀs on some chicken imports causing Brizil to lodge a protest to the WTO in response. Quite clearly, the last has not been heard of the chicken headache for the fast food industry.

Fast Food Bad for Africa? If there is any other major issue of concern at the heart of the fast food boom it is the campaign

The Rise and Rise of Fast Food in Africa about the health implica�ons of consuming processed food at the rate it is happening in Africa’s urban hubs. The fear of expanded waistlines and the resultant scourge of Obesity has become an issue fed by the sprou�ng of chicken-and-chips restaurants. It has been es�mated in some circles that a quarter of adults in subSaharan Africa will be overweight by 2030. This is a stunning outlook. Propelled by rapid urbanisa�on and its a�endant side effects, the health impacts are poten�ally serious. This is significant because the projected migra�on from rural to urban areas where fast food is an alluring a�rac�on enlarges the pool of likely vic�ms. The main point of concern revolves round the belief that Fast food chains deliberately offer large por�ons at low prices to appeal to the consumer’s desire for value-for-money. The easy access and efficient service delivery of Fast Food chains play a vital role in the success and growth in consump�on of Fast Food as people value convenience and efficiency. In terms of impact on health, fast foods are mainly high energy dense foods which have been linked to weight gain and obesity in the West. A 1998 study of 13,089 men and women in South Africa classified 29.2% of the men and 56.6% of the women as either overweight or obese. Notably, Urban women were found to have the highest rates of obesity. It is not difficult to project that figures in 2018 a�er two decades of fast food consump�on are likely to be much worse across the con�nent as the trend expands to other emerging markets.

The threat of Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, and high c h o l e s t e r o l complica�ons on a massive

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Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

quan�ty. A more robust approach has been to communicate with customers about reduc�on in salt, fat and sugar propor�on of meals. Regulatory agencies such as Nigeria’s NAFDAC have had to wield the big s�ck to scale check the behaviour of Fast in years food operators. In 2010, the to come Na�onal Agency for Food has fuelled and Drug Administra�on allega�ons of and Control (NAFDAC) sanc�oned more than irresponsibility 20 Quick Service by concerned Restaurants (QSR) in groups against the country due to public authori�es. issues ranging from Processed food food contamina�on in and addi�ves have fast foods outlets to excessive also raised concerns use of salt and seasoning in food about the cancer-link to fast prepara�on, and in at least 2 food. These are very important cases, fatali�es traced to pes�cide public health issues. There are residues in the foods. accusa�ons of trading public health for dollar investments especially As more and more fast food when taking into considera�on restaurants open up in Africa, the paucity of medical services to there is growing evidence that handle the outcome of migra�on the regulators are slowly coming to a diet of processed food and to terms with the issues that go meals loaded with huge amounts alongside their type of business. of sugar and salt as well as other addi�ves. On a systemic level, the operators themselves do not ﬁt into one straightjacket and so have diﬀerent Most governments are in a ma�ers to deal with. The problem dilemma between encouraging they all do not have is lack of foreign direct investment through patronage. Whether it is local fast these global fast food brands and food operator selling local cuisine showing that they care about in a Quick service format or an public health. While they are in interna�onal brand introducing this uncomfortable place, the fast foreign tastes, the market is an food industry has not le� ma�ers elixir of fortune wai�ng for anyone lying down. In defence they make with enough grit and deep pockets the well-worn argument about to give Africans fast food without individual choice and freedom having to queue at the embassy to eat what one wishes to eat. for a visa to America. They also make the claim that their foods are not necessarily unhealthy if eaten in the right 19

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GR I P E Dafe Otite’s

What’s the Fuss?

Do we have to westernise the African dish to make it acceptable?

like food and I have friends who like to “experiment” (I call it) or play with food presenta�on. I favour tradi�onal presenta�on styles over modern fads. The proof is always in the taste and quality of prepara�on. I don’t

get this wan�ng it to appeal to a “Western (or westernised) Eye. Our foods will predominantly be eaten by us, so should be presented in a way that we recognise. Most people want to recognise what they have on their plate. Not only for peace of mind – is it horse meat or is it beef? 20

But also because most people have an idea what the food they are ea�ng should look like if it is cooked properly. Just like you can tell if a meat is cooked rare or well done, so can one tell if the vegetables are cooked or not. Now if modern technology advances the prepara�on method ﬁne, or new tools make it easier

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Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

to cook, but balancing a piece of meat precariously on a leaf whilst pu�ng the pounded yam in a miniscule ramekin will just turn me oﬀ the food. Whenever, I dine (in or out) the things I look out for are: 1. Quality of food (Taste and prepara�on) 2. Quan�ty (will it ﬁll my belly) 3. Environment (food is good, is the environment s�mula�ng?) 4. Presenta�on (is the meat on

the right or le� hand side of the plate? - only joking!!!!!!!!!) To put it into some context, it should look and smell familiar and it should be of an adequate quan�ty. If the taste of the food is not up to scratch or the prepara�on seems suspect (food is not hot or the cutlery or crockery are not clean), then I am sorry, I will probably not have a full belly nor take into considera�on the environment

ON THE THEME of

nor the way it was plated up, because some of my senses will be unfulﬁlled. Once the basics are taken care of, then one can play with how to present it in a way that not only sa�sﬁes the ocular sense but also the other ones at the same �me.

presentation

Food presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging, or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal. The arrangement and overall styling of food upon bringing it to the plate is termed plating. A basic rule of thumb upon plating, and even in some cases prepping, is to make sure you have the 5 components to a dish; protein, traditionally at a 6 o’clock position, vegetable, at a 2 o’clock position, starch at an 11 o’clock position, sauce and garnish.

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RESTAURANTS

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

From Bradford to Chelmsford and east London, African entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom used February and March to announce three new restaurant openings. African Cuisine Magazine was at the Lekki Restaurant opening on Friday March 2013.

ebruary and March saw the entrance of three new African restaurants into the United Kingdom sector of the Diaspora. The ﬁrst was the auspicious opening of Lekki Restaurant in the Essex town of Chelmsford, south east England. Owned by Peter Alegeh and his wife, Amaka, the Lekki restaurant opening was overseen by the Mayor of Chelmsford and the MP for Chelmsaford, Simon Burns and other dignitaries such as past Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr Mike Mackrory. The formal opening was also a Taster Event for guests with a range of African dishes on display. Peter and Amaka were on hand to welcome and explain the range of dishes to everyone. Here are a few of the images captured at the event.

Peter and Amaka with Mayor of Chelmsford

Peter with guests

Peter and Amaka with Borough oﬃcers

Peter and Amaka with Barrister Alegeh SAN and daughter

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Peter with former Mayor Mayor, Cllr Mike Mackrory

Moinmoin and Dodo, a Lekki specialty

LEKKI

Restaurant & Bar Railway street Entrance via Railway street, CM1 1QS Chelmsford, Essex Tel 01245 690307 www.lekkirestaurant.co.uk

ALSO OPENED

Bradford, United Kingdom

LONDON, United Kingdom

ARIYA Restaurant and Bar 34 Great Horton Road , BD7 1AL City of Bradford Tel 07506 697112

OJ’s Soul, 885 High Road, Leytonstone. London E11 1HR

Friday March 1 2013

Friday 8 March 2013

Where Do you

RESTAURANT REVIEW

The first point of reference when African cuisine is discussed is often restaurants.

FRESH OUT OF AFRICA imports that make sense

STAY WITH THE TRADITION

OUT&ABOUT

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events around african cuisine

Friends and associates of Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former Minister of Nigeroia’s Federal Capital Terrotory presided at the London Presentation of his book, ‘An Accidental Public Servant’ on Wednesday 6 March 2013 at Mama Calabar Restaurant, Empire Way, London, United Kingdom. The well-attended event was organised by UK associates of Malam El-Rufai. The very ebullient and csompolitan Malam addressed the audience with passion and common sense. He urged his listeners to return to join in the task of nation-building.

Malam El-Rufai speaking at the event

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events around african cuisine Faces at the London launch event of The Accidental Public Servant

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May we use the facilities, please?

the aroma of food and is clearly a bad thing. In other places, the problem is size. In one east London, England, restaurant, the Gent’s toliet was so small you coiuld barely turn round to sit down! In the same place, inside the female cubilce-sized toliet, there was no provision for disposal of sanitary items. In yet another place, the

However, it must be said that generally speaking, the standard has improved since the past ten years with a clear drive for quality by key players in the African restaurant business. The increase in muli�-loca�on restaurants has contributed to the need for diﬀeren�a�on by brand and standardised service across branches. This is a good

African Cuisine Magazine use to rate such esdtablishments is the standard of the toilets. And we’ve been to many places where the oddity of the facili�es are plainly indxescribable. The worst are the restaurants with tollets that lead directly into the sea�ng area. Apart from the obvious issue of privacy, the smells compete with

toilet was a unisex facility with no sanitary disposal unit and so small it was prac�cally a cell.

development and will go a long way in making sure that next �me you visit, paying a penny is a pleasant experience..

of the re g u l a r worries of diners using the entry llevel evel African eatery is having to answer the call of nature. Thus, one of the quality issues we at

Unfortunately, it is at busy periods, especially during weekends that the poor service stands out with inadequate supervision of segregated toilets and ina�en�on to cleaning.

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Happy Married Life

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MARTIN BANJO & STEPHANIE CHEN Virginia, United States

The Couple Mar�n Banjo, of Nigerian and Tanzanian parentage and Taiwanese-American Stephanie Chen got married in Virgina, USA in March 2013. Here is a montage of faces at the very tasteful wedding ceremony at Capital Church, Vienna, VA and recep�on and a�erparty at classy venue Top of the Town in Arlington, VA.

Meet the parents L-R Aichi Banjo, Aus�n Chen, Jenny Chen, George Banjo

Groom’s with her sisters

Tobiloba Odugbemi, Flower Girl

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Zack Chen

The Groom’s Men

Dr Sina Odugbemi

Groom’s mum and Friend

Bride’s parents dance with the couple

Groom’s parents with the couple

Aus�n Chen with Aichi Banjo

Groom’s parents with The Thindwas

Dayo, Mum, Mar�n, Dad, Solomon Nyasha and friends

Friends and family hit the ﬂoor

Milimo Thindwa and guests

...from East Africa

Bride’s uncle Wei with Maik Banjo

African CUISINE

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events around african cuisine

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Finding Finding

an African restaurant in Maryland, USA was not diﬃcult. Google lists a number of them do�ed in Maryland, Washington D.C and environs. Picking the one for a taste of the American taste of African cuisine was less appealing due to the huge number apparent by Google search and also needing to consider the driving distances to these purveyors of African food in the Diaspora. We se�led for Swahili Bar and Restaurant in Beltville partly because

we were staying with our TanzanianNigerian hosts and had had enough of Nigerian food! Actually. It was because Swahili conveyed a strong sense of African iden�ty in comparison to another African food place called The Ranch which did not evoke the nostalgia of African Cuisine in the Diaspora. With a 30 minute drive on the Beltway to Beltville from our base in Upper Marlboro, we were certain to be famished on arrival. It was a busy Friday night and the place was full. There was a party of birthday revellers making the most of a hearty celebra�on.

KENYAN APPETISER Chicken Wings Grilled wings served with hot sauce

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Mbuzi au Nyama Mchuzi We got a warm welcome from the staff who showed us to a table for two. The bar was busy with a number of gentlemen seated on stools sipping their beers. We took our table and started to find what to order from the menu. It was a Kenyan offering. Quickly we were locked into the Chicken Wings with Hot Sauce. And was it hot! But in a way that its flavoursome ferocity did not overpower the taste of the grilled wings. Graciously, we tempered this with the bucket of Stella Artois beers that cost $15!

Next we went for our main meal. The choice was Mbuzi au Nyama Mchuzi [Beef or Goat Stew Stew of beef or goat cooked in delicate Kenyan spices] at $14.50 served with Ugali [Cornmeal mash /cornmeal fufu], Ndizi Kaanga [Fried Plantain], garnished with Fresh spinach sauteed with onions. A hearty choice! It was a relish to enjoy the Ugali and the very tender and juicy goat meat. It was a sumptuous meal. And the test of our enjoyment was the empty plate and exhausted bucket of beer that had sent the dish on its way.

THE MENU Chicken Wings Grilled wings served with hot sauce Mbuzi au Nyama Mchuzi [Beef or Goat Stew Stew of beef or goat cooked in delicate Kenyan spices] Ugali [Cornmeal mash/cornmeal fufu] Ndizi Kaanga [Fried Plantain], garnished with Fresh spinach sauteed with onions.

Swahili Village Address: 10606 Bal�more Ave., Ste A Beltsville, MD 20705

Open Monday: Closed Tuesday-Sunday: 11:30am - 12:00am

Contacts: Tel: 240.965.7651 Email: info@swahilivillage.net

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NEW PRODUCT

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Varo’s Moinmoin Arrives in ‘Owambe’ Style

t was indeed a grand ‘Owambe’ party when Varo Foods, based in Rainham, Essex, England launched thir ﬂagship Moinmoin at the Wes�ield Shopping Centre in Olympic hub, Stra�ord, east London over the weekend of 22 - 24 March 2013.

Packaged in cans and made to high quality recipe, Varo’s Moinmoin hits the palate with its succulent texture. The overlaid flavours gently tease you to savour it for as long as possible. Moimmoin is one of the most difficult of African foods to make. It seems that Varo Foods have found a way to turn this delicacy into a meal that is easily within the reach of many families and individuals who crave the special taste of Africa’s deligh�ul offerings. Varo Foods are pushing the new product and every day the number of stockists increases.

Company informa�on: Varo Limited , CEME Innova�on Centre Marsh Way, Rainham Essex, United Kingdom RM13 8EU Email - info@varofoods.com T: 20 8596 5126 M: 07800 512740

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LOCATION

Magazine Celebrating the Best of Africa’s Food & Drink in the Diaspora

WASHINGTON D.C Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, “the District”, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the Residence Act approved the crea�on of a capital district located along the Potomac River on the country’s East Coast. As permi�ed by the U.S. Cons�tu�on, the District is under the exclusive jurisdic�on of the United States Congress and is therefore not a part of any U.S. state.

D.C POPULATION FACTS

Zion Kitchen 1336 14th St NW Washington (202) 387-3845

Dukem www.dukemrestaurant.com/ 1201 28th St NW Washington (202) 333-4710

Ghana Cafe www.ghanacafe.com/ 2442 18th St NW Washington (202) 265-4600

Das Ethiopian Cuisine www.dasethiopian.com/ 1771 U St NW Washington

Bukom Cafe www.bukom.com/ 2434 18th St NW Washington (202) 462-4100

Dahlak Restaurant 1942 9th St NW Washington (202) 232-7600

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant meskeremethiopianrestaurantdc.com/ 1114-1118 U St NW Washington (202) 667-8735

De’RANCH RESTAURANT & CARRY OUT 3511 Maryland Avenue Landover, MD 20785 (Next to Giant store Landover Rd & Rt. 50) Phone: 301-773-5444 Fax: 301-7735522

African American

50.7%

White

38.5%

Hispanic

9.1%

Asian

3.5%

Other

4.1%

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