International Cuisine

  • Home
  • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Journey by Country
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • My Cookbook
  • Exploring the world through food
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Journey by Country
  • Recipes
  • Travel
  • My Cookbook
  • Exploring the world through food
  • Connect with us

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
      • Privacy Policy
    • Journey by Country
    • Recipes
    • Travel
    • My Cookbook
    • Exploring the world through food
  • Connect with us

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Featured

    Our Journey to Central African Republic

    December 18, 2014 By Darlene at International Cuisine

    348 shares
    • Facebook2
    • Twitter
    Pictures of food for Central African Republic

    Central African Republic

    Central African Republic is located in the heart of Africa. It is a landlocked country surrounded by Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo. Colonized by the French in 1894, Central African Republic along with Chad was known as the colony of Ubangi-Shari, named for the largest of many rivers in the area. In 1910, Gabon and Middle Congo, along with Ubangi-Shari, became the French Equatorial Africa. After World War II and a rebellion, the French granted self-government and on August 13, 1960, Central African Republic gained full independence from France.

    The official language is French, however most speak a pidgin language called Sango that emerged after colonization. With over 80 ethnic groups in Central African Republic, many also speak their indigenous languages. The country’s topography is mostly rolling plateaus with numerous rivers. Flooding is common during the rainy season and savannas cover most of the land. In the northeast, it is arid and in the southwest, it is covered in tropical rainforest. The climate is tropical; hot with dry winters and hot with wet summers. It is also home to the Bangui magnetic anomaly, which is a local variation in the Earth’s magnetic field, centered at Bangui, the capital. It is one of the most intense crustal magnetic anomalies on the African continent.

    This country, blessed with water for hydropower and natural resources like diamonds, uranium, timber and gold, has struggled and continues to struggle. There has been coup after coup. The country today is completely unstable and in a brutal civil war. You don’t hear much about Central African Republic in the news, but the world needs to take a closer look.

    The civil war began two years ago, on December 10, 2012. The rebel coalition, called Séléka, accused the government of President Bozizé of failing to abide by peace agreements signed in 2007 and 2011. Many of the rebels were previously involved in the Central African Republic Bush War. The rebel coalition, mostly made up of Muslim minorities, managed to take control of many towns and villages and then ultimately, the capital city, Bengui. President Bozizé fled and the leader of Séléka declared himself president. According to Amnesty International, the Christian anti-Balaka coalition committed several massacres against Muslim civilians, forcing thousands of Muslims to flee the country. Kids who used to go to school and play together are now literally killing each other. The population of the Central African Republic was around 4,500,000 but today nearly 1,000,000 are displaced because of the civil war. The hatred that has brewed in this country is reminiscent of the horrific tragedies in Bosnia. A new interim president, a woman named Catherine Samba-Panza, elected by the national transitional council back in January of 2014, has tried to get other countries involved to bring stability to hers and bring the offenders to justice. She remains in power until new elections are held in January 2015, but she will not run. The country remains extremely dangerous and volatile. We can only hope that with the new elections and outside help, Central African Republic will find peace.

    A great many citizens relied on subsistence farming; growing cassava, sorghum, peanuts, sesame, corn and squash. Today with the ongoing civil war, they are going hungry, in need of medical care and are forced to either live deep in the bush or in make-shift villages. There, at least some humanitarian efforts are being made to help feed the displaced.

    As we look to make our meal for Central African Republic we do so with a heavy heart and a prayer for peace. I need to remind myself that even with all the tragedy going on there, the people still lovingly share a meal and give thanks for what they have. We make this meal with that in mind.

    So let’s eat:

    The Menu
    Starter
    Ngukassa Soup (Plantain soup)

    Central African Republic Plantain Soup
    Served with
    Fufu (Cornmeal porridge)

    Central African Republic Fufu
    Main Dish
    Maboke de Capitaine (Steamed Fish in Banana Leaf)

    Central African Republic Steamed Fish
    Dessert
    Beignets de Bananes (Banana fritters)

    Central African Repubic Banana Fritter

    We set the communal cloth with the colors of the flag. Red is for the blood shed by the people of the nation to achieve independence. Blue is for hope and faith. Yellow represents tolerance and the hospitality of the people. We wish that somehow these icons of hope, faith, tolerance and hospitality will serve to unite them as a nation once more.

    It is customary to eat with your right hand and sit on the floor for your Central African Republic meal. We began with a delicious plantain soup. It was thick and hearty and was eaten with what is called fufu. You may remember, I tried making it in the past without success. This time I made it with cornmeal and it turned out just fine. Fufu is a rather bland type, thick porridge, which is used to sop up the soup, stew or sauce. A piece is taken from the ball of fufu and an indentation is made with the right thumb, creating a scoop that is dipped into the soup. It certainly helps to fill the belly. I imagine this may be all that one in Central African Republic may eat in a given day.

    For our entree, I included a fish dish, as fish are found in the many rivers there and are a great source of protein, when they can get it. We loved the fish, tilapia cooked in the banana leaf, as it gave a subtle hint of banana flavoring. The onion paste and tomatoes were the perfect complement. I served the fish in the banana leaf along with some plain, steamed white rice and fried plantains, which is how it would traditionally be served. It was a fabulous combination of flavors.

    For dessert, we had an amazing fried banana fritter. It is simply, banana, fried in an egg batter, with a hint of lime. This served as the perfect ending to our Central African Republic meal. Our beverage, enjoyed throughout the meal, was a refreshing, hibiscus and ginger tea.

    As we leave this week’s journey, I can’t help but ponder this country’s situation. It has wonderful natural resources, (I actually think the fighting is more likely over the resources than a true religious war, but that is just my gut feeling). Whatever is the cause of her extreme volatility and chaos, we pray they sort it out, sooner, rather than later.

    I offer you a few Central African Republic proverbs to reflect upon:
    The powerful should mind their own power.
    No man rules forever on the throne of time.
    The elders of the village are the boundaries.
    In the moment of crisis, the wise build bridges and the foolish build dams.

    Until next week
    Warmest regards,
    Darlene

    More Featured

    • Symbols of Turkmenistan including wheat, a rose, cotton and a tea pot.
      Our Journey to Turkmenistan
    • Symbols of Turkey, the flag, cotton, tulips, whirling dervish, evil eye, and Turkish coffee cups.
      Our Journey to Türkiye
    • Symbols of Tunisa, the flag, citrus, dates, jasmine, camels
      Our Journey to Tunisia
    • Items representing Trinidad and Tobago, their flag, ships, shells, a little drummer.
      Our Journey to Trinidad and Tobago
    348 shares
    • Facebook2
    • Twitter

    Filed Under: Featured

    Welcome to Internationalcuisine.com! thank you for stopping by!

    I'm thrilled to share my passion for food, travel, and cultural exploration with you. My name is Darlene Longacre and I am a culinary enthusiast turned global nomad.

    Imagine a journey where your taste buds can travel the world, experiencing new flavors and aromas of every country on earth.

    More about me →


    My Mission

    At Internationalcuisine.com, my mission is to bring the world to your kitchen and inspire a global culinary adventure. I believe that food is a powerful bridge that connects people, cultures, and traditions. My mission is to celebrate this unity and diversity by sharing authentic recipes, engaging stories, and immersive travel experiences.

    Come join the journey, explore new countries and embark on a fantastic culinary adventure.

    Join the Journey It's Free!

    Sign up for my culinary, travel and cultural adventure delivered right to your inbox so you won't miss a thing.

    Categories

    Genesis Theme Framework for WordPress

    Archives

    • November 2024
    • April 2024
    • August 2023
    • June 2023
    • May 2023
    • October 2022
    • May 2022
    • February 2022
    • January 2022
    • December 2021
    • September 2021
    • May 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • March 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    Genesis Theme Framework for WordPress

    Meta

    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.org

    Featured Posts

    A colorful bowl of Turkmenistan Fried Eggplant Salad

    Turkmenistan Fried Eggplant Salad Recipe

    Slices of Ichlekli- a thin meat pie.

    Ichlekli Recipe - The National Dish of Turkmenistan

    a plateful of Chak-chak fried dough pieces smothered in a honey syrup

    Chak-Chak Honey Cake Recipe

    Get to know Darlene at International Cuisine

    Darlene holding a dish made with Mama Naz and her daughter in law, in Arusha, Tanzania

    Welcome to International Cuisine

    Hello my name is Darlene and thank you for stopping by!

    I am cooking a meal from every country in the world. I do extensive research and choose a menu that I feel best represents the country and their cuisine. Of course that also includes the authentic, delicious recipes. Simply click on the link or the photo in the journey by country posts to get them. I also share important information about the country as well.

    I love to cook, photograph, and especially travel. I hope you enjoy this culinary and cultural adventure around the world. Be sure to join the journey so you don't miss a thing. It's free!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2024 International Cuisine All rights Reserved

    • 2
    348 shares