Transcript West Africa

West Africa
ESSAY
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In recent events Nigerian oil prices have sky rocketed. It is near
the record. This unexpected jump in the market is due to a threat made
by a militant group whom in the past has made it very clear that their
threats are no joking matter.
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There have been many theories about why this group has such a
strong disliking towards the oil industry and their workers, but one
thing’s for sure; they are major suspects in several kidnappings of
people who have ties with the oil companies.
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One of the major players in oil industry, Schell, has already
tightened security in many areas and in some cases even advised
workers to leave. This may explain the spike in price as well. At this
time there is no knowing how long strict security measures will
continue.
Religion
 Muslim
 Christian
 Local Indigenous Congregations
Countries/flags
Nigeria
Ghana
Cote Di’vorie
Benin
Liberia
Sierra Leone
Togo
Burkina
Guinea
Countries/flags continued
Gambia
Senegal
Guinea-Bissau
Climate
 Guinean wet tropical
 This region has a clearly marked dry
season (November-March) and a wet
season with maxima rainfall in June and
September. The rainfall is between 1,000
and 1,250mm. Relative humidity is about 80
per cent in the morning] except in the dry
season (which lasts for four months) when
the figure drops to 70 per cent
Government
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Governments:
Nigeria: federal republic
Benin: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Togo: republic under transition to multiparty democratic rule
Ghana: constitutional democracy
Liberia: republic
Burkina: parliamentary republic
Cote D'ivoire: republic
Sierra Leone:
Guinea: republic
Gambia: republic
Guinea-Bissau: republic
Senegal: republic under multiparty democratic rule
Food!
 A typical meal in West Africa is heavy on starchy foods,
light on meat, generous on fat and commonly cooked in
one pot. the most telling characteristic of an African dish is
heat: chile peppers are used beyond what we would begin
to think of as hot. The most notorious peppers, the Scotch
Bonnets and the pilli pilli, earn respect from even the most
dedicated chile-heads. Equatorial climates all tend to
encourage the use of chiles, as these hot foods produce
the effect of "gustatory sweating" -- distinguished from
other types of bodily perspiration and resulting in an overall
cooling effect.
History
 During pre-colonialism many slaves were
traded
 Following WWII protest against European
Rule sprung out- in 1957 Ghana became
first sub-Sahara Africa to achieve
independence
 1958 referendum divided Africa into states
 Sense independence Africa’s suffered
History Continued
 Nigerian Civil War(1967-1970)
 Two Civil wars in Liberia (1989 1999)
 decade of fighting in Sierra Leone(19912002)
 Tuareg Rebellion in Niger and Mali in the
early 1990s, and an ongoing conflict in Côte
d'Ivoire that began in 2002.
Georgaphy
 Mangrove forest and many swaps (Nigerian
area)
 Niagara Delta region largest wetland in the
world
 Coastal plains on Atlantic Ocean
 Many forests and rainforests
 Composed of semi-arid terrain
 West Africa is known as Bulge of Africa
Culture
 Nigeria is made up of over 400 ethnic
nationalities
 Festivals important way to celebrate culture
 Native arts and handcrafts very important
and many people create them
 Weaving, wood carving, ceramics, pottery
making, clothing are other examples of what
they create and sell
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Palava Sauce
Recipes
250 ml (8 fl oz) palm oil
4 medium onions, finely chopped
4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and mashed
Salt and pepper to taste
2-4 red chillies (hot peppers), finely chopped (optional)
250 g (1/2 lb) diced cooked meat or leftovers
(optional, although not chicken)
and/or 250 g (1/2 lb) fish e.g. snapper, tuna, salmon or trevally
125 g (1/4 lb) smoked herring, boned (optional)
200 g (6-1/2 oz) dried prawns (shrimp)
3 bunches of spinach (sliver beet) or 750 g (1-1/2 lb) frozen spinach
(silver beet), washed and chopped
100 g (3-1/2 oz) egushi (shelled pumpkin seeds or pepitas),
ground in a coffee grinder
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onions until golden. Add the tomatoes, pepper
to taste and the chillies (hot peppers). If you are using corn oil (see Note) add
turmeric here. Cook for 10-15 minutes on low heat, stirring regularly (not
continuously). Add salt to taste with your choice of diced, cooked meat and fish.
Stir in the smoked herring with the dried prawns (shrimp). Simmer on very low heat,
stirring regularly to prevent burning. Add the spinach (silver beet) to the meat
mixture. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the spinach (silver
beet) is soft and cooked. Stir regularly, taking care not to break up the fish too
much. Add the egushi (pumpkin seeds) and stir them into the sauce. Cook for a
further 10-15 minutes on low heat.
Serve hot with boiled rice, yams, plantains, gari (coarse cassava flour), Banku
(cornmeal dumplings) or any root vegetable, roasted, boiled or grilled.
Recipe Origin: GHANA
Recipes(Cont.)
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Omanhene Orange Cheesecake
Crust:
1/3 c unblanched (skins on) whole almonds
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1-1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Butter the sides ONLY (using butter in addition to the 5 Tbsp) of an assembled 9 x 3-inch springform pan (mine
is a wonderful non-stick, made by a company called "Kaiser"). Set aside. In food processor fitted with a steel
blade, combine almonds and sugar. Process only until almonds are very finely chopped. Turn into medium bowl;
add graham crackers crumbs and mix well. Add melted butter; stir to mix thoroughly. Turn crust into prepared
pan. With fingers or back of spoon, use most of crust mixture to form a crust all the way up the pan sides.
Compact remaining crust mixture firmly and evenly on bottom of pan. (Try not to have crust too thick where pan
sides and bottom meet). Chill until needed.
Batter:
20 ingots (0.7 oz. each) Omanhene dark milk chocolate, chopped
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 c granulated sugar
2 Tbsp flour
Pinch salt
2 large eggs & 1 egg yolk
2/3 c sour cream
1-1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c orange liqueur
Grated zest of 2 large deep colored oranges
1 tsp pure vanilla
Important: this cheesecake will drip while baking -- you'll want a tray under it. To make one, use about a 15 to
18-inch length of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Fold each side in several times; you want a "tray" about one foot
square with standing sides about an inch high. The "tray" should fit on an oven rack with at least an inch or two
of empty space on all sides to allow for air circulation. Set the "tray" aside.
Adjust one rack to center of oven and one rack to position below center. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In
medium heat proof bowl, place chopped chocolate. Set over hot water on low heat; stir often until almost
melted. Remove from heat and hot water; stir until smooth. Set aside.
In large bowl of electric mixer, combine softened cream cheese, sugar, flour and salt. Beat at medium speed 1
to 2 minutes, just until perfectly smooth. Scrape bowl and beaters frequently throughout mixing process. At a
low speed, add eggs, one a t time, then yolk, beating until smooth after each addition. Still at low speed, add
sour cream, then gradually add heavy cream, beating only until combined. All at once, add chocolate, which may
be slightly warm. Again, beat only until mixed. Remove bowl from mixer.
With large spatula, gently stir in liqueur, orange zest, and vanilla, mixing only until blended. Batter should be
smooth.
Recipes (Cont.)
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Turn into chilled crust. Gently twist pan from side to side to level batter (batter will not reach top of crust -ok). With toothpick, prick any obvious air bubbles. Place foil "tray" on lower oven rack in pre-heated oven. Place
cheesecake on center rack and close oven door.
Bake 8 minutes. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes longer, only
until outer two inches or so of cheesecake appears "set". Remove to cooling rack. Cool at room temperature,
away from drafts, 2-1/2 to 3 hours.
Gently loosen cheesecake from pan sides. Carefully release sides of springform pan. Chill cheesecake at least
overnight before serving; wrap tightly when cold. Serve in small portions, accompanied, if you wish, by lightly
sweetened whipped cream and/or sectioned oranges.
Serves 16 or more.
Spicy Foods Make West Africans Cooler
A typical meal in West Africa is heavy on starchy foods, light on meat, generous on fat and commonly
cooked in one pot. the most telling characteristic of an African dish is heat: chile peppers are used beyond what
we would begin to think of as hot. The most notorious peppers, the Scotch Bonnets and the pilli pilli, earn
respect from even the most dedicated chile-heads. Equatorial climates all tend to encourage the use of chiles,
as these hot foods produce the effect of "gustatory sweating" -- distinguished from other types of bodily
perspiration and resulting in an overall cooling effect
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Recipes (Cont.)
Jollof Rice
Jollof Rice is among the best known of West African dishes not only because it is delicious and
easy to prepare, but because the ingredients are readily available in Western countries! Its origin,
however, remains a bone of contention between several West African nations. There are many
regional cooking variations — this version is my mother's!
500 g (1 lb) lean beef or chicken
Salt and ground white pepper, to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
1L (1-3/4 pt) stock or water with 3 crushed stock cubes
3 large onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 chillies (hot peppers), finely chopped
4 large tomatoes, blanched, peeled and blended or mashed
45 g (3 tablespoons) tomato paste
250 g (8 oz) each of assorted chopped vegetables, e.g. carrots, green beans,
mushrooms and capsicums (sweet or bell peppers)
500 g (1 lb) long-grain rice
Lettuce, parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro)
and hard-boiled eggs to garnish
Cut meat or chicken into 5 cm (2 in) cubes or small pieces and season with salt and pepper. Cover
and allow to stand for 1-2 hours.
Heat oil in fry-pan and fry the meat or chicken pieces until brown. Remove meat from oil and add to
the stock in a large, heavy-based saucepan. Simmer on low heat until meat begins to soften, then
remove from heat.
Drain excess oil from fry pan leaving enough oil to fry onions, garlic and chillies (hot peppers) until
golden. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, half the combined vegetables and 250 mL (8 fl oz) of stock
from the meat mixture. Stir well, adjust seasoning and simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add
this vegetable sauce to the meat mixture in the saucepan and simmer gently. Finally, stir in the
uncooked, long-grain rice. Adjust the seasoning again, cover and simmer slowly on low heat for about
15 minutes.
Arrange the remaining vegetables on top of the rice and continue to simmer until the rice absorbs
all the stock, softens and cooks, and the meat is tender. It may be necessary to sprinkle additional
water mix to help the rice cook. If so use small amounts at a time of approximately 250 mL (8 fl oz)
lightly salted water.
Serve hot, garnished with chopped lettuce, parsley or fresh coriander (cilantro) and hard-boiled
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Recipes (Cont.)
West African Kebabs
(Kyinkyinga)
Like plantain and nuts, Kyinkyinga (pronounced 'chinchinga') is 'street' food and a vendor's delight.
Because these moist, seasoned skewers of meat and capsicum (sweet or bell pepper) attract flies,
Kyinkyinga is kept in closed glass cabinets which are perched precariously on the vendors' heads.
The vendors rush into traffic stopped at red lights or up to buses and lorries parked at rest stops to try
to make a quick sale. The acrobatics involved in balancing a heavy glass case full of hot Kyinkyinga
while simultaneously counting change from a money belt defies description!
1 kg (2 lb) medium lean steak or liver
3 medium green capsicums (sweet or bell peppers),
halved, seeded and cut into 2.5 cm (1-inch) squares
30 g (1 oz) unsalted, dry-roasted groundnuts (peanuts) ground to powder
in a coffee grinder or with a mortar and pestle
Seasonings
4 medium onions, diced
10 g (2 teaspoons) grated root ginger
30 g (1 oz) plain flour
60 g (2 oz) unsalted, dry-roasted groundnuts (peanuts) ground to powder
2 large overripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled and mashed
15 g (1 tablespoon) garlic salt
15 mL (1 tablespoon) fresh Chilli Sambal Tabasco sauce
or chilli paste (e.g. Sambal Oelek)
Remove excess fat from meat, wipe with a clean damp cloth or paper towel and cut into bite-sized
cubes. Mix all ingredients for seasoning together in a bowl. Combine the meat and half the seasoning
and mix thoroughly. Stand for a minimum of 1 hour before grilling. Skewer the seasoned meat
alternately with the green capsicums (sweet or bell peppers) and grill until cooked and browned both
sides. If liver is used, be careful not to overcook and dry it out.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with the remaining 30 g (1 oz) of the groundnut (peanut) powder.
Serve with salad, rice, bread or by itself. Leftover seasoning can be made into a sauce: add 60 mL (2
fl oz) wine (Moselle or ginger wine) and heat to thicken, then pour over the kebabs. You can make the
sauce thinner by adding more wine.
Maps
Nigeria
Togo
Benin
Maps Continued
Liberia
Ghana
Burkina
Fasco
More Maps
Cote D’ivoire
Guinea
Outlined map of our Safari
Capital
Porto
Nova
Capital
Abuja
Grand Popo
Kribi