From gumbo in the American South to couscous in Parisian cafés, African culinary traditions have quietly influenced plates around the world. Through migration, trade, and the transatlantic slave trade, flavors from West Africa, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa traveled far and evolved — often uncredited. For instance, American jambalaya has ties to Senegal’s jollof rice, Brazil’s acarajé draws from Nigeria’s akara, and injera, increasingly found in diaspora restaurants, originates in Ethiopia. Even ingredients like okra, black-eyed peas, and fonio trace their roots to the continent. Today, chefs and food lovers are rediscovering this delicious legacy, recognizing Africa’s global culinary footprint — bold, ancient, and still shaping taste buds from New Orleans to Naples.
GETAWAY
