garlic. Okra is indigenous to Africa and was used both fresh and dried, appeared in soups and stews, and was used to thicken sauces.


Other native plants that were part of the African diet included coffee, olives, wild lemons and oranges,


dates, figs, grapes, pomegranates, melons and watermelons (cultivated in Egypt), tamarind, many tropical fruits, and sugar cane (5). The Dutch India Company planted watermelons, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, radishes, and citrus trees such as lemon and orange to prevent scurvy and other vitamin deficiencies among ships’ crews (8). African cooking incorporated many spices and seasonings to add flavor to the flavorless staple grains and legumes. The spices also helped keep food safe by discouraging bacterial growth in the tropical climate.


Other, more unusual foods included ackee (Blighia sapida), a red-orange fruit that turns up in Jamaican


dishes, and the fruit of the baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), which is eaten as a vegetable. Ackee originated in West Africa, where it was used medicinally and is still considered a sacred plant. The seeds are ground into a powder and used to thicken sauces. For cooking, there was the oil of the palm tree (Elaeis guineensis), which also provides palm wine. Sesame oil was also used for cooking, as were butters like shea butter. Beverages were made from tree barks or flowers of a bush of the hibiscus family and also included millet beer. Milk products were available, with goat’s and sheep’s milk being the most common. Cheese was also eaten. Ancient Egyptians also sweetened and thickened their sauces with fruit purees and syrups (6).


Meat was used sparingly, mainly for seasoning. At times of feasting, meat was important. In the coastal


regions of Africa, the bounty of the sea, river, and lagoons was enjoyed. The dishes tended to be soupy stews served over or alongside a starch. To spice things up, there were native peppers that went under the names of grains of paradise or melegueta (Afronum melegueta), and ashanti or guinea pepper (Piper guineense). These were so prized that they were traded with Europe, competing with pepper from the East (Piper nigrum) (6). Salt was used to cure meat into a form of jerky and to preserve fish. It was highly prized and was used mainly as a preservative. Salt was mined in great blocks from salt mines in northern Mali.


The cooking methods of the people of Africa included boiling in water, steaming in leaves, frying in


deep oil, toasting beside the fire, roasting in the fire, and baking in ashes. Cooking and eating utensils were made from earthenware, wood, and metal, and many of the dishes and food-storage vessels were prepared from calabashes and other gourds (6). African cooks prepared meats over a hot fire, simmering them into slow-cooked mixtures that allowed the flavors in the stockpot to mingle (3). Palm oil was squeezed from the berries of palm trees for deep-frying. The Portuguese introduced peanut oil, which Africans used to fry food. Many plants were introduced that originally came from South America and traveled to Africa with the Portuguese (5). These included chilies, peppers, tomatoes, peanuts, and corn.


African foods ranged from bland to highly seasoned. Seasonings included cardamom, cumin, cloves,


coriander, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, mint, saffron, and sesame. The vitamin and nutrient-rich greens—okra, beans, peas, squash, and melons—also contributed to soul food cooking (7).


Hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers are more prevalent in African


Americans today. There are many contributing factors to consider for the African American women. Research indicates the following considerations should be taken into account (8):


 African American Women often have a slower metabolism than Caucasian women.  Larger-framed body is more accepted in the African American community


 African American women often have less time or desire for physical fitness and less access to parks and facilities.


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