Tag Archives: Zambezi

Cuisines and Crops of Africa – The Lotus Eaters of Central Africa

Posted on 07/12/2011 by

Lotus plants of the species  Nymphaea lotus L. were an important ingredient in African traditional cuisine.   Found throughout tropical Africa and in the Nile Valley, their collection and processing for the table is reported by various colonial writers. The frustration, though, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-General, Agriculture, Colonialism, Cuisine, Egypt-Ancient, European explorers, Explorers & exploration, Food, History-General, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Livingstone Discovers South Carolina Rice in Southern Africa, c.1860

Posted on 06/11/2011 by

[First posted Nov. 2010,  Revised 06 November 2011] The Portuguese had been trading in and marginally colonizing east-southern Africa since the 15th Century.  When, two centuries later, the English decided to explore the region, small settlements of Portuguese and their Catholic … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Southern, African rice, Agriculture, Colonialism, Explorers & exploration, Food | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Clay-Eating (Geophagy) in the 19th Century

Posted on 20/10/2011 by

“Dirt is matter out-of-place.”  This quote, by the anthropologist Mary Douglas, points to the cultural relativity of the term ‘dirt’; of dirt being culturally defined.   It is in reference to diseases that ‘dirt’ takes on a non-culturally and more universally … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-General, Colonialism, Cuisine, Dark Continent, European colonizers, European explorers, Explorers & exploration, Food, Health | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cuisines and Crops of Africa, 19th Century – Zambezi River Watershed in Southern Africa

Posted on 14/10/2011 by

Follow-up Blog: Cuisines and Crops of Africa, 19th Century – Zambezi River Watershed in Southern Africa. Playing the marimba on the banks of the Zambezi River Related articles 19th Century Lozi Kingdom of Africa (egrejeen.wordpress.com) Slavery on the 19th-Century Swahili … Continue reading →

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Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Fasting and Feasting in Africa – Reasoned Responses to Radical Changes in Climate and Crops

Posted on 10/11/2009 by

“The quantities of meat our men devour is quite astounding. They boil as much as their pots will hold, and eat till it becomes physically impossible for them to stow away any more…” In a previous post – ‘Cuisines and … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-General, Agriculture, Colonialism, Cuisine, European explorers, Explorers & exploration, Food, Food Aid, Humanitarian Assistance, John Hanning Speke, Nomadic lifestyle, Somali, Somalia, Third World | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Cuisines and Crops of Africa, 19th Century – Zambezi River Watershed in Southern Africa

Posted on 19/10/2009 by

Between 1858 and 1864 Dr. David Livingstone and his brother, together with several other persons, explored  the Zambezi River and its tributaries in south-central Africa. Although this was one of the most difficult of the colonial ventures into the interior … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Southern, Agriculture, Colonialism, Cuisine, David Livingstone, Food | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Roast African Bullfrog, from D. Livingston’s ‘Missionary Travels & Researaches…’ 1857.

Posted on 08/09/2009 by

The missionary-explorer David Livingston was an exceptionally prolific writer, detailing during his travels in Africa – among myriad other things – all manner of animal and vegetable products either grown or collected, the characteristics of  these items, and how they were … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-General, Colonialism, Cuisine, Explorers & exploration, Food, History, Uncategorized, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments