Greens in Africa

Greens are edible leaves that are usually cooked before being eaten. An ethno-botanist-gastronomist could write a book on the subject of Greens in Africa, where an amazing variety of greens are consumed. Indeed, one of the distinguishing characteristics of African cuisine is the use of greens in soups, stews, and side dishes. Greens are eaten in other cuisines (in Europe and Asia for example) but it is safe to say that Sub-Saharan African cuisine features more greens than any other. Africa possesses not only an amazing variety of greens, but also a stunning variety of names for them (due to the large number of African languages.). It is not clear that the same name always refers to the same plant or leaf, or whether the same leaf is referred to by different names. Efo means greens in parts of Western Africa, and in French-speaking Africa, greens are often called by the French word feuilles (leaves). Greens not only taste good, they are also a good and readily available source of vitamins and iron.

The Greens family (in Africa and the Americas) includes leaves of bitterleaf, calalu, cassava (feuilles de manioc), collards, Gnetum africanum (a.k.a. afang, koko, mfumbwa, okazi, ukazi; an increasingly important "NTFP" - non-timber forest product), kale, kontomire, mustard, njamma-jamma, pumpkin, sorrel, sweet potato, swiss chard, taro, and turnip, to name a few. If you can't find one type, substitute another. Greens are often pounded with a mortar and pestle before cooking.

Some Greens recipes from Africa:

Fish & Greens
Fish with Sorrel
Sardines & Greens Stew
Beef & Greens in Peanut Sauce
Moambé Stew
Sukuma Wiki
Afang Soup
Calalu
Egusi Soup
Molokhia
Ndolé Soup
Ogbono Soup
Palaver 'Sauce'
Plasas
Feuilles de Manioc
Greens in Peanut Sauce
Greens with Green Pepper
Ifisashi
Irio
Koko na Nyama
Kpwem
Mfumbwa
Moroko
Njamma-jamma
Okra & Greens
Saka-Madesu
Saka-Saka
Sweet Potato Greens with Fish and Shrimp
Insects

Also see the recipes for Greens in The Official Peace Corps C.A.R. Cookbook.

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Congo Cookbook recipes using Greens

Also see: Recipes by Ingredient

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African Proverbs

Ota mkpon oyum mba. (Efik) : The planter of koko (Colocasia esculenta) wishes but a seedling. N.B. -- Meaning, having a nest-egg, or something to begin with, he will multiply.
(from: Wit and Wisdom from West Africa, Richard Francis Burton)

Nyamwirimira kubhibhi, risambu bhandogera. (Kwaya, Tanzania) : A person who does not cultivate well his or her farm always says that it has been bewitched. People look for and blame a witch whenever things do not go well, even if they know the cause of the problems that they are experiencing. (Also: "Anayelima vibaya husema shamba lake limerogwa." in Swahili.)
(from: African Proverbs, Sayings and Stories Website, www.afriprov.org)

Other African proverbs

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