Trending: African cuisine

"Africa, more than any other continent, needs to be seen by the world as both the place we all came from and where we are going" - Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown

The ingredients

Sorghum: 2017 is the year of sorghum, according to international food forecasters, who predict the gluten-free wholegrain will be cropping up in breakfast grain bowls, gluten-free bread and protein bars.

Teff: Hailed by health nuts as the new supergrain for its high protein and mineral content, teff is a grass seed that grows mainly in Ethiopia. There, it’s the main ingredient of the staple injera, a spongy, sour-tasting, pancake-like bread that’s made from fermented teff flour dough. Ethiopian Olympic gold medalist Haile Gebrselassie famously attributed his success to teff.

Plantains: Part of the banana family, but more starchy and less sugary, plantains can be enjoyed mashed, baked, deep-fried and in super-trendy chip form. They’re also becoming increasingly popular among the gluten-free and paleo set.

Baobab: The Western world is cottoning onto the fact that the fruit of this succulent tree is not only a superfood (it’s said to have twice the calcium of cow’s milk, among many other virtues), but pretty tasty, too. French chef Loïc Dablé, for example, serves it in a sweet condiment with pan-seared scallops.

The spice blend: berbere

Meaning “hot” in Amharic, Ethiopian berbere is considered the new “it” spice to add aromatic (read: not volcanic) heat to everything from stews to seared steak.

To make bebere: Roast 2 t cumin seeds, 2 1⁄2 T smoked paprika, 3⁄4 t cardamom seeds, 1⁄2 t black peppercorns, 1 t fenugreek, 1⁄4 t ground allspice, 2 t cayenne pepper, 1 t ground ginger, 1⁄2 t ground nutmeg, 1⁄4 t ground cloves and 1 t dried chilli flakes in a dry pan until fragrant, taking care not to let the spices burn. Grind to a powder using a mortar and pestle. Blend 1 chopped onion, 4 cloves crushed garlic, 2 red chillies and 4 T vegetable oil in a food processor. Add the ground spices and just enough water to make a paste. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Discover more South African favourites here.