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Sierra Leonean Cuisine
Sierra Leonean cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices from Sierra Leone. It follows the traditions of other West African cuisines. The country has 16 tribal ethnic groups. Overview The most commonly eaten food in Sierra Leone is rice, which is typically served as part of every meal eaten, and is considered so ubiquitous that many Sierra Leoneans consider that a meal is not complete without it. Another popular staple food is cassava, which is pounded to make ''fufu''; the leaves of the cassava are formed into a green stew. Palm oil and peanuts are also widely eaten, and while yams are found in Sierra Leone, they are not a mainstay of the diet as they are in other parts of West Africa. Other staples in the Sierra Leonean diet are bananas, cinnamon, coconut, ginger, okra, plantains and tamarind. Commonly eaten meats include goat, chicken and beef, and there are also a number of dishes using pork as an added ingredient. Oranges, bananas, papayas, lemons, av ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cooking
Cooking, cookery, or culinary arts is the art, science and craft of using heat to Outline of food preparation, prepare food for consumption. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in various types of ovens, reflecting local conditions. Types of cooking also depend on the skill levels and training of the Cook (profession), cooks. Cooking is done both by people in their own dwellings and by professional cooks and chefs in restaurants and other food establishments. Preparing food with heat or fire is an activity unique to humans. Archeological evidence of cooking fires from at least 300,000 years ago exists, but some estimate that humans started cooking up to 2 million years ago. The expansion of agriculture, commerce, trade, and transportation between civilizations in different regions offered cooks many new ingredients. New inventions and technologies, such as the invention of pottery for holding ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tamarind
Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae. The tamarind tree produces brown, pod-like fruits that contain a sweet, tangy pulp, which is used in cuisines around the world. The pulp is also used in traditional medicine and as a metal polish. The tree's wood can be used for woodworking and Tamarind#Tamarind seed oil and kernel powder, tamarind seed oil can be extracted from the seeds. Tamarind's tender young leaves are used in Indian cuisine, Indian and Filipino cuisine. Because tamarind has multiple uses, it is cultivated around the world in Tropical zone, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical zones. Description The tamarind is a long-lived, medium-growth tree, which attains a maximum crown (botany), crown height of . The crown has an irregular, vase-shaped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Garri
In West Africa, ''garri (also known as gari, galli'', or ''gali)'' is the flour of the fresh starchy cassava root. In the Hausa language, ''garri'' can also refer to the flour of guinea corn, maize, rice, yam, plantain and millet. For example, ''garin dawa'' is processed from guinea corn, ''garin masara'' and ''garin alkama'' originate from maize and wheat respectively, while ''garin magani'' is a powdery medicine. Starchy flours mixed with cold or boiled water form a major part of the diet in Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Guinea, Cameroon and Liberia. Cassava, the root from which ''garri'' is produced, is rich in fiber, copper and magnesium. Garri is similar to farofa of Brazil, used in many food preparations and recipes, particularly in the state of Bahia. Preparation To make ''garri'' flour, cassava tubers are peeled, washed and grated or crushed to produce a mash. The mash can be mixed with palm oil and placed in a porous bag, which is then placed in an adjustab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acheke
Acheke ( Ebrié: , bm, acɛkɛ), also spelled attiéké (Ivory Coast), "attcheke" or akyeke (Ghana), is a side dish made from cassava that is popular and traditional in West Africa. The dish is prepared from fermented cassava pulp that has been grated or granulated. Dried attiéké is also prepared, which is similar in texture to couscous. Attcheke is an Ivorian specialty which is prepared by the Ivorian people and more particularly the people from the southeast part of the country. It is made from grated cassava that is fermented, and is flavorful when eaten with fried fish with ground pepper garnished with chopped pepper and onion with a little seasoning for taste added with palm oil to give it a yellowish look and different taste. One can also eat ''akyeke'' with smoked fish and stew. It can be served with soup as well. Preparation method The cassava is peeled, grated and mixed with a small amount of cassava that was previously fermented which is the starter. (The starter ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pineapples
The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuries. The introduction of the pineapple to Europe in the 17th century made it a significant cultural icon of luxury. Since the 1820s, pineapple has been commercially grown in greenhouses and many tropical plantations. Pineapples grow as a small shrub; the individual flowers of the unpollinated plant fuse to form a multiple fruit. The plant is normally propagated from the offset produced at the top of the fruit, or from a side shoot, and typically matures within a year. Botany The pineapple is a herbaceous perennial, which grows to tall, although sometimes it can be taller. The plant has a short, stocky stem with tough, waxy leaves. When creating its fruit, it usually produces up to 200 flowers, although some large-fruited cultivars can exc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mangoes
A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times resulting in two types of modern mango cultivars: the "Indian type" and the "Southeast Asian type". Other species in the genus ''Mangifera'' also produce edible fruits that are also called "mangoes", the majority of which are found in the Malesian ecoregion. Worldwide, there are several hundred cultivars of mango. Depending on the cultivar, mango fruit varies in size, shape, sweetness, skin color, and flesh color which may be pale yellow, gold, green, or orange. Mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines, while the mango tree is the national tree of Bangladesh. Etymology The English word ''mango'' (plural "mangoes" or "mangos") originated in the 16th century from the Port ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Watermelons
Watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a flowering plant species of the Cucurbitaceae family and the name of its edible fruit. A scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, it is a highly cultivated fruit worldwide, with more than 1,000 varieties. Watermelon is grown in favorable climates from tropical to temperate regions worldwide for its large edible fruit, which is a berry with a hard rind and no internal divisions, and is botanically called a ''pepo''. The sweet, juicy flesh is usually deep red to pink, with many black seeds, although seedless varieties exist. The fruit can be eaten raw or pickled, and the rind is edible after cooking. It may also be consumed as a juice or an ingredient in mixed beverages. Kordofan melons from Sudan are the closest relatives and may be progenitors of modern, cultivated watermelons. Wild watermelon seeds were found in Uan Muhuggiag, a prehistoric site in Libya that dates to approximately 3500. Watermelons were domesticated in north-east Af ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guava
Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. The name guava is also given to some other species in the genus ''Psidium'' such as strawberry guava (''Psidium cattleyanum'') and to the pineapple guava, '' Feijoa sellowiana''. In 2019, 55 million tonnes of guavas were produced worldwide, led by India with 45% of the total. Botanically, guavas are berries. Types The most frequently eaten species, and the one often simply referred to as "the guava", is the apple guava ('' Psidium guayava''). Guavas are typical Myrtoideae, with tough dark heavy leaves that are opposite, simple, elliptic to ovate, and long. The flowers are white, with five petals and numerous stamens. The fruits are many-seeded berries. Etymology The term ''guava'' appears ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avocados
The avocado (''Persea americana'') is a medium-sized, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae). It is native to the Americas and was first domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes more than 5,000 years ago. Then as now it was prized for its large and unusually oily fruit. The tree likely originated in the highlands bridging south-central Mexico and Guatemala. Its fruit, sometimes also referred to as an alligator or avocado pear, is botanically a large berry containing a single large seed. Avocado trees are partially self-pollinating, and are often propagated through grafting to maintain consistent fruit output. Avocados are presently cultivated in the tropical and Mediterranean climates of many countries. Mexico is the world's leading producer of avocados as of 2020, supplying nearly 30% of the global harvest in that year. The fruit of domestic varieties have smooth, buttery, golden-green flesh when ripe. Depending on the cultivar, avocados have green, brown, purplish, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lemons
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China. The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world, primarily for its juice, which has both culinary and cleaning uses. The pulp and rind are also used in cooking and baking. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, with a pH of around 2.2, giving it a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods such as lemonade and lemon meringue pie. History The origin of the lemon is unknown, though lemons are thought to have first grown in Assam (a region in northeast India), northern Myanmar or China. A genomic study of the lemon indicated it was a hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron. Lemons are supposed to have entered Europe near southern Italy no later than ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Papayas
The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and Central America. In 2020, India produced 43% of the world supply of papayas. Etymology The word ''papaya'' comes from Arawak via Spanish, this is also where ''papaw'' and ''pawpaw'' come from. Description The papaya is a small, sparsely branched tree, usually with a single stem growing from tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, in diameter, deeply palmately lobed, with seven lobes. All parts of the plant contain latex in articulated laticifers. Flowers Papayas are dioecious. The flowers are five-parted and highly dimorphic; the male flowers have the stamens fused to the petals. The female flowers have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oranges
An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × aurantium'', referred to as bitter orange. The sweet orange reproduces asexually (apomixis through nucellar embryony); varieties of sweet orange arise through mutations. The orange is a hybrid between pomelo (''Citrus maxima'') and mandarin (''Citrus reticulata''). The chloroplast genome, and therefore the maternal line, is that of pomelo. The sweet orange has had its full genome sequenced. The orange originated in a region encompassing Southern China, Northeast India, and Myanmar, and the earliest mention of the sweet orange was in Chinese literature in 314 BC. , orange trees were found to be the most cultivated fruit tree in the world. Orange trees are widely grown in tropical and subtropical climates for their sweet fruit. The frui ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
