Designated days or weeks like African Heritage & Health Week sponsored by Oldways can be an opportunity to learn something new about a culture and explore new tastes.
I follow Oldways on Twitter and was happy to see them exploring the heritage foods of Africa during Black History Month.
My Introduction to African Foodways
In 2002, I attended a Boston University Seminar on the African Diaspora and how it impacted new world food. Featured speaker Doctor Jessica B. Harris inspired me to learn more about African culinary culture.
My copy of Iron Pots and Wooden Spoons: Africa's Gifts to New World Cooking has an older cover than the one for sale today. (And, I had to remove a bunch of page markers before I photographed it.) But, the fact that it was redesigned and is still currently available as a new book speaks highly of the value cooks like me place on great resources like this.
If you would like to be inspired as I was, I recommend sampling Dr. Harris' podcast, My Welcome Table.
Oldways Resources
As a part of African Heritage & Health Week, Oldways has created an African Heritage Dine-Around-Town webpage where you can find places to try African food. They have a few in the Boston area, but I'm sure our readers know of more and might add their favorites in the comments. (Or, send them to @BostonZest on Twitter and I'll add them.)
The food above is from Lucy Ethiopian Cafe which we enjoy. We love sharing the communal tray of food on Injera bread and learning more about this culture from the people there.
Related Posts:
Lucy Ethiopian Cafe Inspires Cultural Curiosity
What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!
Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2011-2015 Penny Cherubino