Preserving Africa's Culinary Tapestry: A Love Letter to Our Indigenous Foods
Dear Beloved Readers,
Many of you have been curious, asking me why I am so passionate about writing on indigenous and perhaps less fashionable foods in this era of convenience. Today, I've chosen to pour my heart into this letter to share why I've taken this path.
In the heart of Africa, where the pulse of life beats in sync with the land, a culinary symphony is playing out—a celebration of heritage, a narrative of love, and a plea to preserve the soul of our indigenous foods. As we embark on this journey, our focus extends beyond Uganda, my homeland, to embrace the rich culinary tapestry that threads through the entire African continent.
Imagine the vibrant fields that stretch across Africa—fields of cereals, hearty plantains, and a rich assortment of crops and livestock that have been the lifeblood of communities for generations. These foods, once revered for their cultural significance and nutritional richness, now stand at a crossroads. The allure of processed foods threatens to overshadow the rich traditions that make African cuisine truly unique. Whether it's the predominantly one-cereal and two-legume cuisines of Teso or smoked edible rat pasted with groundnut sauce Acholi in Uganda or the famous ugali and sukuma wiki in Kenya, these dishes define who we are wherever we go.
In our shared narrative, the struggles of households resonate far beyond borders. Almost half of families in Uganda, for instance, find themselves delicately balancing the task of putting food on the table. With 9% grappling with chronic poverty and 11% teetering on the brink, the repercussions ripple through the lives of children. Stunted growth affects 24%, with 10% and 3% experiencing the challenges of being underweight and wasted, respectively. Across Eastern and Southern Africa, child wasting is highest in South Sudan, Eritrea, and Somalia, affecting 23%, 14.6%, and 14.3% of children, respectively. Children in Angola (44%), Madagascar (39%), Mozambique (36.4%), and Ethiopia (34.4%) bear the brunt of stunting. On the other extreme, South Africa has the highest proportion of overweight children (12.1%), followed by Botswana (10.1%) and Eswatini (7.9%).
This isn't just a tale of statistics; it's a plea to safeguard the very essence of Africa's identity—the diverse, nutrient-dense foods that have been a source of sustenance and joy. The battle against food insecurity is real, and many households are facing the reality of limited food and a dwindling variety of meals, contributing to the triple burden of malnutrition (stunting, wasting, and overweight).
Amidst this challenge, the beacon of hope shines through the concept of food sovereignty. It's a call to preserve the right to healthy and culturally resonant food, produced sustainably. It's a plea for active participation across society to weave together the threads of tradition and innovation, ensuring that the culinary heritage of Africa remains vibrant.
Uganda, often hailed as the food basket of East Africa, stands as a representative of the region's culinary treasures. Private-public partnerships are emerging as guardians of tradition, adding value to locally grown crops and embracing the socio-cultural dimensions that make these foods uniquely African.
The narrative extends beyond borders to encompass the women who carry the torch of culinary heritage, the generations passing on traditions, and the urban areas grappling with a shift toward refined foods. It's a tale of resilience, adaptation, and the deep-seated connection between food and identity that unites Africa.
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As we navigate this emotional landscape, let's remember the echoes of tradition—the simmering pots, the steaming leaves, and the aromas that define African kitchens. Let's celebrate the wild foods, the herbs from forests, and the medicinal plants that have been healers in our communities. For me, without my grandmother's carefully fermented malt, sour milk, and the famous chickpea with sweet potato, chances are high that I would have been too stunted, wasted, and perhaps stuck in the villages of Eastern Uganda. I might not be here working in this global agency (UNICEF), striving to ensure every child has the best start in life.
Our journey is not just a plea for preservation; it's a celebration of the nutrient-dense treasures that African cuisine offers. Let's document and cherish the rich variety of traditional and wild foods, creating a comprehensive understanding of their nutritional content to ensure that their true value is recognized.
In the face of change, let's stand together to embrace Africa's indigenous nutrient-dense and healthy foods. Let's not just preserve them; let's celebrate them, for they are the heart and soul of a region united by its culinary diversity.
Alex Mokori, Ph.D.
References
Research Officer; Public Health Nutritionist;
1 年This resonates deeply with me, we need to embrace our cultural foods , love them and restore them to our dinner and lunch plates. To be a thing of Joy to post on social media as we eat our traditional foods and not just flood our social media pages, when we visit social media pages. The only way to deal, with not just child malnutrition but the quickly rising obesity and non communicable diseases pandemic is embracing our traditional foods. Thank you Sir for sharing this message