African proverbs related to eating and food
African Proverbs
The Congo Cookbook features African proverbs (borrowed from other sources) on many of its pages. This page contains a list of all the proverbs found in The Congo Cookbook, with a link to the page on which they appear. In many cases, there is more information about the proverb on the page where it is featured.
These proverbs have been borrowed from:
On the Ashanti Chicken page:
- Ohun ti atejumo ki ijona.
If you attend to what is roasting, it will not be burnt.
On the Chicken in Cumin Sauce page:
- Enkyienne nse nehu nse ; miye de.
The salt will not say of itself, "I have a pleasant taste."
On the Chicken with Egusi page:
- Awodi nra ino aladire baje.
When the hawk hoovers (over the yard), the owner of the fowls feels uneasy.
On the Kedjenou page:
- Li oju awodi ki ako adire re apatta.
No one would expose fowls on the top of a rock in the sight of a hawk.
On the Poulet Yassa page:
- Anka berre ko, enya de.
A lemon that grows in ripening, is not agreeable (i.e., does not taste well).
On the Fish & Seafood Recipes page:
- Man kuku ake Tsile.
With a piece of herring they catch the Tsile.
- Kokote wonu ekpa efie si : si masro sika Dsosru?
The Kokote soup is poured out -- should I regard the sovereign ?
- Nea vode enkokonte se vobedi semmina, wongye n'akingye.
If the eaters of enkokonte say they eat soap, you do not doubt it.
On the Fish & Seafood Recipes page:
- Man kuku ake Tsile.
With a piece of herring they catch the Tsile.
- Kokote wonu ekpa efie si : si masro sika Dsosru?
The Kokote soup is poured out -- should I regard the sovereign ?
- Nea vode enkokonte se vobedi semmina, wongye n'akingye.
If the eaters of enkokonte say they eat soap, you do not doubt it.
On the Dahomey Fish Stew page:
- Opitri memenne-a, omemenne ma oura.
When the Pitri absorbs (the soup), he does it for his master.
- Iyak ebe inyan.
The fish has been kept over one tide.
On the Dongo-Dongo page:
- O le bi oju eja ti ehin ko le iwe.
It is as hard as the eye of a (smoked) fish, which the teeth cannot break.
On the Mchuzi wa Samaki page:
- Mgeni njoo, mwenyeji apone.
Let the guest come so that the host or hostess may benefit.
On the Beef in Cumin Sauce page:
- Sou noppe done rathia laje, guou woa mbame.
If ears could stir boiled meat, one would call the pig.
- Obu ko to iyo.
Obu (or salt earth) is not to be compared with real salt.
On the Ndizi na Nyama page:
- Amaaso agamyuka omutezi, ge gamyuka n'akasolo.
The eyes of the trapper are as subject to reddening as those of the small animal (that he pursues).
On the Sukuma Wiki page:
- Mbiti yi mwana ndiisaa ikamina.
The hyena with a cub does not eat up all the available food.
On the Wild Boar in Groundnut Sauce page:
- Ogan imado ko se iko li oju.
The great wild boar is not easy to encounter.
On the Calalu page:
- Mofere ipa eiye na. Aki ofere li obbe.
"I almost killed the bird!" (said the sportsman). "No one can eat 'almost' in a stew" (i.e., "almost" never made a stew -- was the reply.)
On the Elephant Soup page:
- Oku ajannaku li ayo ogbo si, ta li oje yo oju agada si eran, alabo owo.
It is easy to cut to pieces a dead elephant ; but no one dares attack a live one.
- Wapiganapo tembo nyasi huumia.
When elephants fight the grass (reeds) gets hurt.
On the Groundnut Stew page:
- Angba ommo adire lowo iku o li ako je ki on ki o re atan lo ije.
A chicken having been preserved (by being shut up) from death (i.e., the hawk), complained that it was not permitted to feed openly on the dunghill.
- Anyeminu ni le kusum le, ledzi moni ke onukpai yeo nii.
The brother or sister who does not respect the traditions of the elders will not be allowed to eat with the elders.
On the Ndolé Soup page:
- Odmoirifa ye noko ni eyeo dsikule etsan ka.
Had Odmoirifa aught to eat, he would not dig for crabs.
On the Palm-Oil Chop page:
- Wo ni wo agya akoa tya abe-a, ofre wo ave.
When you cut down a palm-tree with the slave of your father, he will call you friend.
- Obea tenten so' abe-a, onwam di.
When a tall woman carries palm-nuts, the birds will eat them.
- Ke osi nme le, eko ya omama mli.
If thou pound palm nuts, some will stain thy cloth.
- Ke otao nme le, ya Tutu.
If thou wish for palm-nuts, go to Tutu.
- A ki iwa alaso ala ni iso elekpo.
We do not look for a man clad in white cloth in the quarters of the palm-oil maker.
On the Pepper Soup page:
- Opo Iru ko ba obbe je.
Plenty of Iru does not spoil the stew.
- Ntuk n ayat ke usun iton, ererimbut ama mi ke eyen-nsek.
Pepper bites the throat ; the world loved me when I was a child.
- Ika okono mfan.
The deliverance (or sentence delivered) hangs up the pepper.
On the African Hot Sauce & Pili-Pili Sauce page:
- Okwankyen mako se : wobebu mia-a, bu, na meyaw mi.
The roadside pepper-bush (i.e., the pepper-bush by the roadside) says, "If you will break me, break ; but do not abuse me."
On the Moambé Sauce / Nyembwe Sauce page:
- Abe berre-a, woso fa miso fa.
When the palm-nuts are ripe, you carry half, I carry half.
On the Sauce aux Champignons et Citron page:
- Obi ntu mere ensie siw so.
Nobody gathering mushrooms replaces them on the ant-hill.
On the Staple Dish Recipes page:
- Man kuku ake Tsile.
With a piece of herring they catch the Tsile.
- Kokote wonu ekpa efie si : si masro sika Dsosru?
The Kokote soup is poured out -- should I regard the sovereign ?
- Nea vode enkokonte se vobedi semmina, wongye n'akingye.
If the eaters of enkokonte say they eat soap, you do not doubt it.
On the Banku & Kenkey page:
- Igba dodo li agbado igbani.
Indian corn is the true support of the people.
- Akasu babba ekko.
Akashu is the father of other loaves.
- Igbako sanno, eleko ko sanno, igbako iba si, awamu eleko ko je.
The spoon is liberal, the pap-seller is not : the spoon would have given plenty. the stingy pap-seller would not let it.
On the Cassava Tuber page:
- Kokonte taoo hulu.
Dried cassava wants sun.
- Ogegge ko li ewa sa li o fi ara we isu.
The (poisonous) cassada [cassava] has no good qualities ; in vain does it appear like the yam.
On the Fufu page:
- Ibaje isu ni ibaje obbe : enniti o se ibaje enia, o se ibaje enia, o se ibaje ara re.
The badness of the yam is (laid to) the badness of the knife : (but it is soon found out that the yam is in fault; so) he who injures another injures himself.
- Iya odo on ommo re ko ni ija, agbe li o dija sille fun won : ommo odo ki ina iya re lassan.
The pestle and the mortar had no quarrel between them, it was the farmer that caused the quarrel (by supplying the yam for pounding) : the child of the mortar (i.e., the pestle) does not beat its mother for nothing.
On the Maize page:
- Onile ndze eso gbingbindo ; aledzo ni ki a se on li owo kan ewa.
(Though) the host may be living on wild beans, the guest expects a handful of boiled corn.
- Ni igba ti agbe ba ndi abo oka, ino re a don ; nikpa abo oka ni yangidi owo iti wah.
When the farmer is tying up corn-sheaves he rejoices ; from bundles of corn come bundles of money.
On the Plantains page:
- Tim tim dsu amada teomo, si ehe saomo mli yo.
To brag is not to plant bananas : in clearing the ground about them, it (the work) consists.
- Mfanko ukom imana ukom, erikpuk arata imana arata.
One plantain pulled off the bunch does not finish the plantain [tree] ; biting off a little of the Arata (plantain or koko prepared for preservation) does not finish the Arata.
On the Tô page:
- Sagore beugua na dougoup, wandey dou baya.
The sparrow loves millet, but he labors not.
- Bary dougoup faikey dewanne a kp guenna.
Much millet is good, but it is better to find next year.
- Odokonno bodam-a, onenam senm.
When the bread runs round, it dances it in the pot.
- Denge tutu lehin ino re gbona bi arifi.
Though the pap is cold on the back (i.e., surface), yet the inside is very hot.
On the Ugali page:
- Kupyanja iti kulumanga.
To dip ugali in a little gravy is better than to be completely without gravy.
- Omoonto umwi nkirunguuri, ababere nitoonge rebukima.
One person is thin porridge or gruel; two or three people are a lump (handful) of ugali.
On the Yam page:
- Wokusa ode bebrebe-a, eprim.
If you roast the yam too much, it will be burnt.
- Anye Koko enmore dsikule aaye yekose.
If people would eat Koko raw, they would eat it so behind the bush (i.e., in the country, not in the town).
- Gudugudu ko se ibe elubo.
The Gudugudu (a poisonous wild yam) is very acid at the root.
- Elubo se ogbodo ri, eru se ommo ni ille babba re.
(As) the Elubo was once a soft unripe yam, (so) the slave was once a child in his father's house.
- Gudugudu ko se ibe elubo.
The Gudugudu (a poisonous wild yam) will not do to be made into flour.
- Igun iyan ko jo ti elubo, mimu ni iyan imu kiku li elubo iku.
The pounding of Iyan is not like the pounding of Elubo : Iyan becomes more adhesive, Elubo separates into powder.
- Afu adia nkpo nte Ebe.
You eat like an Ebe (a grub which burrows in the yam).
On the Futari page:
- Agbeje ko koro ni ille nla.
The squash is never bitter in a large family.
On the Moroko page:
- Ukapanda mano usamaswe phale.
If you have no teeth, do not break the clay cooking pot.
On the Okra & Greens page:
- Etigi okup idok onwum idem ; okuo ndaeyu akpa etak.
The Etigi or Okro (Hibiscus esculentus) hears the time of harvest and bears fruit, reproducing itself ; it hears the dry season and perishes.
- Okro tik nor de grow pas en master.
The okra tree does not grow taller than its master.
On the Akara page:
- Ase ofon bi alakara.
He is as persuasive as a seller of cakes.
On the Fruit Salad page:
- Broferr'a nnya 'mmerre sorro, na nnya nye de.
A paw-paw fruit that has not yet ripened on high (i.e., on the tree) is not yet sweet.
- O ha mora be ibepe.
He encumbers himself like the papaw (when laden with fruit).
- Nka ke ura, nwap uyo ; uyo usun urua obaha enem mi.
I went to the market and turned aside to eat Uyo (a cake of fruit like mango) ; Uyo of the market took me unwittingly with its sweetness.
On the Pombe, Tembo, and Máwá page:
- Abe baakon na sei ensa.
One [bad] palm tree spoils the palm wine.
- Abe baakon na sei ensa.
One (bad) nut spoils all.
- Onwon min mfanifa.
He drinks palm wine like the Mfanifa (as we say, like a fish).
On the Water page:
- Amaadhi amasabe tigamala ndigho.
Water that has been begged for does not quench the thirst.
On the Cane Rat page:
- Eku edue mfine, mfine ata eku ; miduehe mfine, mfine itaha.
The rat enters the trap, the trap catches it ; if it did not go into the trap, the trap would not do so.
On the Insects page:
- A ki iru eran erin li ori ki a ma fi ese tan ire ni ile.
One never carries elephant's flesh on his head that he may dig in the ground with his foot for crickets.
- Iyan mu, ire ya ; iyan ro, ire ru.
When famine is sharp, the cricket is fat ; when famine is relieved, the cricket is poor.
- Iyan mu ire yo; iyan ro ire ru.
"When there is famine the cricket is fat" (that is, is considered good enough to eat); "when the famine is over the cricket is lean" (i.e., is rejected).
On the Monkey page:
- Wodi soa ensa, fye wo ensa.
When you eat a monkey's hand, look at your (own) hand.
- Ebi ko kpa Imale, o li on ki idze aya.
When the Imale (Yoruban proselyte to El Islam) is not hungry, he says, "I never eat monkey -flesh."
On the Fufu, et cetera page:
- Obi bema wo aduan adi-a na, ode ampesi di wo adanse.
When anybody prepares food for you, he testifies to you by Ampesi (i.e., he gives you some Ampesi to try it by).
- Agbara odo ko jo agbara ikoko, bi agbe odo ka ina ajo, bi asi gun iyan ni ikoko alu.
The strength of a wooden mortar is not like the strength of an earthen pot. Place a mortar on the fire, and it will burn ; pound a yam in a pot, and it will break through (the bottom).
On the Greens in Africa page:
- Ota mkpon oyum mba.
The planter of koko (Colocasia esculenta) wishes but a seedling.
- Nyamwirimira kubhibhi, risambu bhandogera.
A person who does not cultivate well his or her farm always says that it has
been bewitched.
On the How to have an African Dinner Party page:
- Bala nga togua ama rande.
Before cooking, one must have provisions.
On the About The Congo Cookbook page:
- Turina keessatt killen millaan adeemti.
By persevering the egg walks on legs.
Note: the proverbs from Burton's book were collected over a century ago; the spelling and grammar of the African languages often do not conform with modern usage.
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