November/December 2024 Issue
Fermented Foods: African Fermented Food Staples
By Michelle Dudash, RDN
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 26 No. 9 P. 8
Discover the Complex and Diverse World of African Dishes
When you hear the term “fermented,” foods and beverages like pickles, sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchee may immediately come to mind. A lesser-known treasure that has been a staple for centuries across Africa is gaining attention in research and on kitchen tables in the United States: African fermented foods.
If you’ve ever stepped inside an Ethiopian restaurant and scooped up stew with a piece of thin, bubbly flatbread with your bare hands, you’ve tasted injera, an African fermented food.
“African fermented foods are still a staple in Africa, as well as in the United States for African descendants,” according to Tambra Ray Stevenson, founder of WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture, and a PhD candidate at American University School of Communication.
“African fermented foods have been a cornerstone of our diets for centuries, serving not just as nourishment but as a vital part of our cultural identity and community practices,” Stevenson explains. Since the base ingredients of African fermented foods are whole foods like vegetables, grains, and dairy, they are inherently nutritious, contributing a wide variety of nutrients, which may include B vitamins, amino acids, and beta carotene.1 Beyond injera, discover the world of African fermented foods, from dairy to legumes to tubers.
African Fermented Foods as Functional Foods
In addition to improving the shelf life of foods, the process of fermentation introduces beneficial components, like microorganisms that nourish the gut.
“Fermented foods are packed with beneficial bacteria and nutrients that support gut health, which are increasingly recognized as essential for overall well-being,” Stevenson says.
The fermentation of traditional African foods may produce strains from the genera of Lactobacillus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc, and Pediococcus, among others.
Fermentation also helps remove antinutritional compounds, like phytates, tannins, lectins, saponins, and oxalate, and even toxins, like hydrogen cyanide. Some fermented foods contain prebiotics, as well.
It’s important to note that researchers use the word “probiotics” cautiously since the microorganisms in these fermented foods don’t necessarily match the criteria used to define probiotics. More research needs to be done. In the meantime, “Potential health-promoting microorganisms” may be a more careful way to explain these benefits.
Traditional African Fermented Foods
Stevenson, who is a fifth-generation Oklahoman with roots in Nigeria, now lives in Washington, D.C., and shares her favorite fermented foods that are also important African food staples:
• Injera: Stevenson loves this sourdough flatbread for its unique tangy flavor and versatility. Injera is made from teff flour, an ancient grain originating from Ethiopia and Eritrea.2 Teff is naturally gluten-free and contains protein, fiber, iron, calcium, and magnesium. At restaurants, however, Stevenson says it’s important for gluten-avoiding guests to ask if the injera is made from teff or wheat. “I love the way these foods connect me to my roots and keep me grounded in my heritage,” Stevenson says, who loves to pair injera with chickpea stew (shira). Stevenson says that she has prepared injera at home because she enjoys the process and it’s a staple in her household. She also appreciates how injera can be found prepackaged at many international or African markets, plus some specialty stores in the United States. “Making injera is a three-day process, where teff flour is allowed to rise and then poured onto a hot plate in a circular motion,” Stevenson explains.
• Gari (fermented cassava root tuber): “Gari reminds me of home,” Stevenson recalls, “where you can pick it up with a green leaf or swallow with stew or soup.” This West African staple can be eaten as a porridge or used as a base in dishes like eba.
• Ogi (also called pap, from maize, sorghum, or millet): This fermented cereal pudding is common in Nigeria. “It’s often eaten for breakfast and pairs well with akara (bean cakes) or moi moi (steamed, flan-like bean pudding),” Stevenson says.
• Uji (fermented millet or sorghum): This breakfast porridge has East African roots and may be paired with fruits or nuts for added nutrition.
Additionally, according to Stevenson, “In many African households, foods like fermented maize, millet, and cassava are still prepared using traditional methods passed down through generations.” Stevenson points out that some major supermarkets are beginning to stock these foods, especially in areas with a larger African diaspora, which is defined as the voluntary and involuntary movement of Africans and their descendants to various parts of the world during the modern and premodern periods.3
Additional African Fermented Food Mainstays
• Fermented Legumes: These important sources of protein become more bioavailable after fermentation, helping battle malnutrition. Oftentimes these foods are produced as condiments and specific varieties include iru, tempeh, soumbala, ugba, ogiri, and siljo, from fava bean flour.
• Fermented Dairy Products: Fermenting milk produces a variety of products, including nunu, wara, fene, suusac, and pendidam. Leben (or iben or leban) is a liquid or semisolid food made from curdled milk and enjoyed as a beverage in North Africa. Typically, new batches of these foods are produced using a starter culture from a previous batch. The result is a food containing a plethora of nutritionally beneficial strains of bacteria with a longer shelf life. Other fermented dairy beverages include mabisi (amasi), amabere amaruranu, and fura de nono (millet and milk).4 Furthermore, Oldways’ African Heritage Diet includes buttermilk and yogurt in the dairy group.5
• Fermented Tubers: In addition to gari made from cassava (also known as yuca or manioc), other commonly fermented tubers include yams and sweet potatoes.
• Grain-Based Fermented Beverages: Bushera, shamita, munkoyo, and mahewu.6
• Alcoholic Beverages: Enjoyed in Southern Africa, burukutu is brewed from the grains of Guinean corn (sorghum biocolor) and millet. Beers include chibuku and umqombothi.
Commercial African Fermented Foods in the United States
In Africa, the majority of traditional fermented foods are made by women and locally, since an extended shelf life of these foods can be challenging. Some entrepreneurs in the United States, however, are getting creative in the African food space.
For instance, “Pikliz is probably the most quintessential representation of any food brought to the US from Africa,” claims Alexandra Baker, cofounder of In the Kitchen with Alexandra (@mypikliz). “Even if they don’t call it pikliz in West Africa, it’s pikliz.” After Baker handed out jars of her homemade pikliz to colleagues at the Home Shopping Network, people asked how they could buy more. That’s when she realized it was really hard to find pikliz at stores. If they did find pikliz, the taste didn’t come close to hers. Traditionally, pikliz is a fermented and pickled slaw composed largely of sweet and hot peppers, carrots, and cabbage. Pikliz in Haiti is a product of the African diaspora.
Baker explains, “West African slaves were brought to Haiti and were given the name of their owners, who were sugar cane farmers.” Since 1713, her family has carried the name Rumain, being 59% West African, of which the majority is of Nigerian descent. Baker brought the product to market in 2022, selling it online and on television, and now has plans to bring it to retail chains. Different from traditional pikliz, Baker’s pikliz is a relish containing finely diced vegetables, rather than kraut-style shapes, and contains no added sugar. Vinegar, lime, garlic, and salt are added to the fresh vegetables, which are then lightly pasteurized for one minute. “As soon as the jar is sealed, the fermentation process begins,” Baker explains. “Within five days to two to three weeks, the pikliz ferments and the microorganisms appear and start to do their job.”
Other commercially available African fermented foods include gari and fufu. According to Stevenson, gari is widely available premade in grocery stores. While fufu (fermented cassava or plantain mash) is available in Ghanaian restaurants, like in Washington, D.C., and in the freezer section in some grocery stores.
Getting Acquainted With African Fermented Foods
If you or your clients are trying African fermented foods for the first time, you can begin by keeping it straightforward.
“Start with a dish that’s simple yet authentic,” Stevenson suggests. “For example, trying injera with a mild lentil stew is a great way to ease into the flavors.” RDs or their clients can also try visiting African restaurants and international grocery markets.
Stevenson recommends experimenting further by adding gari to smoothies or sprinkling it over salads as a crunchy topping.
Baker shares that she loves spooning her Alexandra’s Pikliz onto eggs and sandwiches, using it to tenderize and marinate steaks, and mixing it with olive oil and lime juice for dressing salads.
Dietitians may have a range of clientele. “Think about that grandma who enjoys eating her soup and fufu,” Stevenson advises. “Incorporating these foods helps with patient compliance and dietitians can be better equipped to help their patients accomplish health care outcomes.”
Adding just one or two new foods to your list of favorites may open your eyes to a whole new-to-you world of delicious and nutritious foods to enjoy!
— Michelle Dudash, RDN, is a Cordon Bleu–certified chef; author of Clean Eating Kitchen: The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook (Fair Winds Press, 2021), and creator of Spicekick® Seasoning Mix, a line of gluten-free, no-added-sugar seasoning mixes. Follow her at @michelledudash.
References
1. Obafemi YD, Oranusi SU, Ajanaku KO, Akinduti PA, Leech J, Cotter PD. African fermented foods: overview, emerging benefits, and novel approaches to microbiome profiling. NPJ Sci Food. 2022;6(1):15.
2. What is teff? The Teff Company website. https://teffco.com/what-is-teff/. Accessed August 26, 2024.
3. Defining diaspora. DePaul University website. https://las.depaul.edu/centers-and-institutes/center-for-black-diaspora/about/Pages/defining-diaspora.aspx. Accessed August 26, 2024.
4. Cuamatzin-García L, Rodríguez-Rugarcía P, El-Kassis EG, et al. Traditional fermented foods and beverages from around the world and their health benefits. Microorganisms. 2022;10(6):1151.
5. African Heritage Diet. Oldways website. https://oldwayspt.org/traditional-diets/african-heritage-diet. Accessed August 24, 2024.