Out of Africa

African cuisine is peppered with influences from across the globe as well as indigenous crops. The peanut, for example were transplanted into Africa by way of South America (Holloway). Arab traders introduced the banana to Africa (Wolf). Crops such as okra, rice, watermelon, sesame (also known as benne seed), kola, coffee, yams, leafy greens, etc. are indigenous to Africa. Africans utilized such methods as boiling, steaming (using leaves as a steamer), roasting, smoking, drying meats, and stewing. Basic ingredients in African cooking include African spinach or morongo (this term refers to the leaves of many edible plants), buttermilk, chilis, mealies or corn (mealie is the African word for maize), peanuts or groundnuts, pineapples, plantains and bananas, pumpkins and squashes, spices, and sweet potatoes (Stow and Baldwin).
Though seafood was often used in stews, the average African diet was largely vegetarian. They used salt as a preservative, and pepper and other spices, along with okra were used as seasoning. Research shows that most tribal Africans used basically similar simple cooking techniques. Earthenware, squashes, and gourds were used as eating and cooking utensils. Palm oil or vegetable butters were often used to fry foods. Nuts and seeds were used as thickening agents, and some ingredients were smoked for flavoring. Fritters and rice dishes were also common in African cooking (A History of Soul Food).