Referring to Africa, people often refer to the dynamic city of Cape Town, its unique culture, rich animal sanctuaries, and many other unique destinations.
But a special feature that visitors, as well as everyone, should not ignore is African cuisine with unique traditional dishes. A trip to Africa is sometimes not easy to do, but bringing their food into your family kitchen is easy.
In this article, we want you to explore the 10 best African cookbooks for the best African culinary experiences.
In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean
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“Bibi’s Kitchen is a well-written book full of delicious-looking recipes and stories that should belong on everyone’s bookshelf.”-Shams
In this series, the author will present 75 recipes and stories from eight African countries: South Africa, Comoros, Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, Somalia, and Eritrea.
The stories included in the book make the recipes come alive. In particular, the book also includes many illustrations of places as well as dishes, which will give you a sense of excitement and authenticity.
“In Bibi’s Kitchen” will be a book that uses food to teach us about families, migration, war, loss, refugees, and holy places.
About the author: Hawa Hassan is the author, founder, and CEO of Basbaas Sauce. Her branding has been featured in Forbes, the New York Times, the Observer, Grub Street, Vogue, The Cut, Eater, and more.
Julia Turshen is the author of many bestsellers. She has contributed to the Washington Post, Bon Appétit, Wall Street Journal, Vogue, New York Times, Food & Wine, and Saveur.
In addition, she is the founder of Equity At The Table (EATT), a digital directory that includes women and non-binary food individuals.
Flavors of Africa: Discover Authentic Family Recipes from All Over the Continent
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“The directions are clear and most recipes are perfectly suitable for weeknight cooking.”- M. Hooper
The recipes in this book are featured dishes from all over the continent as well as the author’s traditional local dishes.
You will have access to a wide variety of cuisines from different regions of Africa, including dishes from Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and more. Generated staples are something you shouldn’t miss, like Nigerian Red Stew, Jollof Rice, Moroccan Seasoned Lamb, and Eritrean Red Lentils with Berbere Spice Mix.
About the author: Evi Aki is the author, founder of Ev’s Eats, and also a travel collaborator for Daily Meals. Her recipes have been featured on many websites, including BuzzFeed, Brit + Co and Yahoo, MSN.com, among others. The author lives in Los Angeles, California.
Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking: A Cookbook
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“I love to cook, and I love history; having the stories of these favorite foods to share with my family and guests is such a pleasure.”- Laura Allen
In the Jubilee cookbook, you can realize masterful cooking in your kitchen. The book is not only simple to provide recipes but also gives you exciting stories about culinary history.
You’ll find over 100 recipes, from classics like Seafood Gumbo, Sweet Potato Biscuits, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Pecan Pie with Bourbon to lesser-known or even more decadent dishes like Spoon Bread, Bourbon & Apple Hot Toddies, and Baked Ham Glazed with Champagne.
In addition, you will be advised to select ingredients as well as providing the best cooking techniques.
About the author: Toni Tipton-Martin is a renowned African American culinary historian. Besides, she also works as a culinary journalist and community activist.
She is also a founding member of Southern Foodways Alliance and Foodways Texas. Tipton-Martin is the author of the James Beard Award-winning The Jemima Code.
She owns a collection of more than three hundred African-American cookbooks, exhibited at the James Beard House.
The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent
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“Interesting read, an overview of cooking on the African continent. The recipes are well described and easy to follow. Recommended reading for all who are interested in international cooking”- Kristien Wynants
The book is full of more than 200 recipes of various nations in Africa from Senegal to Kenya and Mauritius.
This book is the result of many years of experiencing and traveling from the nation to know more about the amazing recipes of many countries all over the world of the author. All the recipes in the book are illustrated with vivid pictures and clear instructions that help readers to follow the book easier.
About the author: Jessica Harris is a cookbook author. She has published six books about African cuisine under her name. She also often writes articles on African-American food.
Ethiopia: Recipes and traditions from the horn of Africa
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“This book is beautifully illustrated and full of fascinating information about Ethiopia.”- M.A. H.
The author will take you on a journey to discover magical tales about the local communities and customs as well as all the essential dishes of this country, including the traditional Injera synonymous with an Ethiopia feast.
Besides, you will also find pictures of stunning landscapes and vivid artisans of the country.
The book will bring you outstanding delicacies including Yeassa Alichia, curried fish stew, Siga Tibs, flash-fried beef cubes, Doro Wat, chicken slowly stewed with berbere spice, as well as a wealth of vegetarian dishes such as Azifa, green lentil salad, and Gomen, minced collard greens with ginger and garlic.
About the author: Before returning to Addis Ababa to set up Antica, Yohanis worked as a chef in California and Lyon.
He hosts a weekly food program on EBS, the national television network of Ethiopia. Fluent in French, English, and Amharic, Yohanis was featured in The Guardian, Le Monde, and Forbes as well as on CNN. He owns a Facebook page with more than 52,000 followers.
Jeff Koehler is the author of 6 books and has won an IACP award for literary food writing. He has written for Food & Wine, NPR, the Washington Post, Saveur, and Los Angeles Times.
East African Cookbook
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“This book is highly recommended. Tasty, delicious recipes with ingredients easily available.”- Beobachter
In this special book, you will find many implementation instructions for dishes such as tasty soups, salads, main meals, and desserts.
Bursting with the spices and flavors of East Africa and India, home to a large portion of the population, these recipes will inspire people to cook delicious meals for their family and friends.
About the author: Shereen Jog was born and raised in Tanga, Tanzania. Her husband had a profound effect on her cooking career. Cooking using natural and organic foods is Shereen’s strength.
Afro-Vegan: Farm-Fresh African, Caribbean, and Southern Flavors Remixed [A Cookbook]
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“This was great, the recipes are delicious, the pictures are good, and I was very pleased with it.”- AMY
The book takes you on an international culinary journey with over 100 delicious and modern dishes recorded from Terry’s memories, as well as the food history that has traveled from the African continent.
If you are particularly interested in improving your health, Afro-Vegan Vegan’s groundbreaking recipes will meet these criteria. It will provide innovative, healthy, plant-based global dishes and create a new direction in vegan cooking.
About the author: Bryant Terry is a national leader in the movement to promote healthy eating and the author of The Inspired Vegan and Vegan Soul Kitchen. Bryant Terry is also the host of Urban Organic, a multi-episode web series he co-created.
Bryantien’s work has been published in the New York Times, Gourmet, Essence, Yoga Magazine Food & Wine, O: The Oprah Magazine, and Veg Times, among others. He lives in Oakland, California. The author’s book “Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine” will also be introduced shortly.
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine
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“A must-have for every vegan or plant-based food library.”- Groovykismet
The recipes in this book will focus on using healthy, whole, fresh ingredients, and seasonal cooking methods. “Vegan Soul Kitchen” can recreate the cuisine of African and Southern Americans by taking advantage of the intricate flavors of the tradition, free from animal products.
You will learn how to cook dishes like Double Mustard Greens & Roasted Yam Soup; Cajun-Creole-Tempeh Spices with Grits Cream; Caramel grapefruit, avocado, and watercress salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette; and Sweet Corn-Butter Coconut Biscuits and more.
Sweet Home Café Cookbook: A Celebration of African American Cooking
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“The recipes are easy to follow and the book also teaches you about the history and origin of our food”-Kimberly
This book features recipes served by the cafe itself and dishes inspired by dishes from African American culture.
The author will provide you with more than 100 recipes for dishes: salads, ribs, soups, snacks, sauces, main courses, sandwiches, and sweets. Some of the more prominent specific recipes you’ll find in this book are:
Pea salad, fried green tomato, Hoppin ‘John, Sénégalaise peanut soup, Maryland crab cake, Jamaican grilled chicken, shrimp & meat, fried chicken and waffle, grilled salmon, Hickory smoked pork shoulder, Chow Chow, Banana Pudding, Chess Pie Chocolate Cake, and more.
About the author: Jessica B. Harris is an award-winning author, historian, and culinary journalist. She has published 12 cookbooks including 6 books on African cuisine.
The African American Heritage Cookbook: Traditional Recipes and Fond Remembrances from Alabama’s Renowned Tuskegee Institute
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“The recipes are easy to follow and take you back to the “good-old-days.” I would highly recommend this book…”- CHERIWMS
Coming to this cookbook, you will immerse yourself in the memories and spirit of Tuskegee. In particular, the author will reveal to you more than two hundred traditional recipes that can satisfy every member of your family at the dining table. The illustrations, personal motifs, and poetry are the highlights that make this cookbook so impressive.
About the author: Carolyn Quick Tillery is the author of numerous cookbooks. She has been known as the attorney general, prosecutor attorney, and US Air Force Officer.
Ms. Tillery is the author of The African-American History Cookbook”, “A Taste of Freedom”, and “Southern Homecoming Traditions”, each of the finalists for the prestigious NAACP Image Award.
We hope you like this post and finally find out your favorite African cookbooks. Meanwhile, we welcome you to explore our site and discover more cookbook recommendations from the same cuisine below.
