Help-African girl keeps feeding me this, what is it?

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CoderGal
CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I have a new African friend who just moved here and she doesn't speak English. She finds it entertaining giving people African food and grins in anticipation of their faces. Well, she tried this on me and expected a flamethrower face but got a yum face instead. So now I have this girl who keeps cooking me things and I have no idea how to log it. I'm looking for help on the name of the dish or a recipe so I know the ingredients:

Thick dark red oily based liquid with small cubes of beef, full chicken legs (bone and all) and a boiled egg. She always has those 3 things in it as if it's a common dish. I think the chicken might be battered but I can't tell. She passes it to me and says "Africa" and points to the dish.
It also comes with some kind of homemade round wet flat bread with little holes in it which I'm assuming is used to eat the above.

...I know this sounds like an awful description and if someone knows what it is I'm sure they're laughing at me :P I just finished another batch of it and I gotta say it's pretty yum but I could pass on the random floating slippery boiled egg in goo situation :tongue:
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Replies

  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    what country is she from? Africa is a continent so trying pinpoint an "African" dish is like asking someone to pinpoint an "Asian" dish by saying there's beef, chicken and egg in it
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    The best I can do is the bread is probably Chipati. It's Indian in origin but widely used on the African continent, especially East Africa. The other dish I've has but don't know the name.
  • victorious27
    victorious27 Posts: 250 Member
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    Not quite sure... Hmm..

    (Bump, 'cause I'm curious)
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    The bread is probably injera. Not sure about the rest.
  • Amberonamission
    Amberonamission Posts: 836 Member
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    Is the bread moist and kind of spongy? It could be ethiopian bread called injera. And the chicken could be berbere. Look it up and see if that's it.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    I bet the bread is injera: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera - there is a picture of it in this entry.

    The stew sounds a little like some variation of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_(food)

    Could she be from Ethiopia or maybe Somalia?

    Edited to add: http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/recipes.html This has recipes for various Ethiopian foods, maybe check those out.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,702 Member
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    This sounds like an Ethiopian or Somali dish. The sourdough pancakes are called Enjira, which you can google. The Enjira is typically served with braised beef, braised chicken, stir fried beef, braised lentils or salad. If you try googling Ethiopian food, you will probably find your result.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    ask your friend which part of Africa she is from...it might help narrow down the options. it dosn't sound Kenyan..but then again, I'm vegetarian ( and a proud kenyan)
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    im jealous!

    so many countries in Africa are severely underrated for their food. i love when i am given authentic homemade food from Nigeria, Ethiopia etc...

    maybe return the favor and make her something?
  • kaajay
    kaajay Posts: 62 Member
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    Doro wat

    Injera

    Very cool that you got to try her native foods!
  • xHelloQuincyx
    xHelloQuincyx Posts: 884 Member
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    aww. you accepting the dish w/o criticism and a sour face probably made her feel so good :]

    that being said... I have seen tv shows where people accept a weird dish and that somehow means an agreement or something (marriage, property etc) lol. :p just some 'food for thought'.
  • Halleeon
    Halleeon Posts: 309 Member
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    My suggestion...ask her what part of Africa she is from. Go to Google Translate and write down (on a piece of paper) the phrase "Write down what this dish is called" and give her the paper and a pen. Have her write down the dish name in her language. Go back to Google Translate and type it in. You could even find out how to say "thank you" in her language. :D

    And share the love, make her a dish showing off your heritage! What a fun and awesome neighbor you have!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    what country is she from? Africa is a continent so trying pinpoint an "African" dish is like asking someone to pinpoint an "Asian" dish by saying there's beef, chicken and egg in it

    If I knew I'd tell you lol. A few people have asked but I don't think she knows what we're asking. A few people who seemed to know a bit about her past said they think it's somewhere near Sadan?
    The bread is probably injera. Not sure about the rest.

    Yay! Thanks. Your the first winner of "what's that thing?"!
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera
    Is the bread moist and kind of spongy? It could be ethiopian bread called injera. And the chicken could be berbere. Look it up and see if that's it.
    Your right on the money with the injera thing but isn't berbere just a spice mix? That's all I can find. I don't know what this thick dark red oil with meat bits in it resembles in spice form lol
    I bet the bread is injera: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera - there is a picture of it in this entry.

    The stew sounds a little like some variation of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_(food)

    Could she be from Ethiopia or maybe Somalia?

    Edited to add: http://www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/recipes.html This has recipes for various Ethiopian foods, maybe check those out.

    You're amazing! Thank you so much! I honestly thought I'd never find it. I was wondering why the chicken with boiled egg and the beef were in different containers. Turns out "Doro wat is one such stew, made from chicken and sometimes hard-boiled eggs" and "sega wat, made with beef"!
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_(food)
    This sounds like an Ethiopian or Somali dish. The sourdough pancakes are called Enjira, which you can google. The Enjira is typically served with braised beef, braised chicken, stir fried beef, braised lentils or salad. If you try googling Ethiopian food, you will probably find your result.
    sourdough, that's what it is? Interesting, thanks :P
    im jealous!

    so many countries in Africa are severely underrated for their food. i love when i am given authentic homemade food from Nigeria, Ethiopia etc...

    maybe return the favor and make her something?

    I think she gets enough Canadian food, and I don't think she's a fan lol but we usually buy her groceries.
    Doro wat

    Injera

    Very cool that you got to try her native foods!

    Now, did you get that from these posts or are you just sitting around with those 2 things in your vocabulary? If so I'm impressed!
    aww. you accepting the dish w/o criticism and a sour face probably made her feel so good :]

    that being said... I have seen tv shows where people accept a weird dish and that somehow means an agreement or something (marriage, property etc) lol. :p just some 'food for thought'.

    Haha judging by looks I think her thought process went something like:
    Common flamethrow face...
    aww no face :( What is this, did I not make this batch very hot?
    wait a second...
    Does that mean she likes it?
    *questions me*
    *wheels turn*
    She likes it!
    *excitement*
    Well I didn't expect that
    My suggestion...ask her what part of Africa she is from. Go to Google Translate and write down (on a piece of paper) the phrase "Write down what this dish is called" and give her the paper and a pen. Have her write down the dish name in her language. Go back to Google Translate and type it in. You could even find out how to say "thank you" in her language. :D

    And share the love, make her a dish showing off your heritage! What a fun and awesome neighbor you have!

    I'm not sure what language she speaks, and I think everyone has failed to read the part where i said she doesn't speak english :P She also cannot read or write it. I'm sure after drawing some diagrams we'd get somewhere but not sure if I could communicate to her to write something down in her own language when I can't communicate to her that I have a way to figure it out since I cannot show her that I can use Google Translate since I can't pick her language because I don't know what it is :P We'll get there eventually lol.

    Thank you for playing "what is that?" Game over.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I can't remember the name of the container she makes her 'coffee' in but that's another interesting story...to be handed a little shot of black tar that stinks of ginger. You ask her what it is and she looks around confused, says the name of it in her language, then says 'coffee?' and shrugs....and I'm looking at this thing going this is obviously not coffee...so I ask her where it comes from and ingredients...after everyone in the room (who is where she's from) argue about what I'm trying to convey, someone who knows a little more english says jigh-ger...coffee as they make a sprinkling motion. I look around the room and ask where? and shrug my shoulders...they point me at this clay pot on the stove with grass in it. This is where my thick dark brown liquid came from. I point inside and say what's in it? and they go to the cupboards...yes...progress I think to myself...they take out maxwell house...I laugh and shake my head "this" I say pointing to my little shot of tar "is absolutely NOT maxwell house"....In other news. All I can figure is they added a whole lot of jigh-ger (which sounds and tastes suspiciously like ginger ;)
  • lyttlewon
    lyttlewon Posts: 1,118 Member
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    Turkish coffee? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee
  • elijhasmomma
    elijhasmomma Posts: 270 Member
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    ETA: see post below :)
  • elijhasmomma
    elijhasmomma Posts: 270 Member
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    http://www.congocookbook.com/beverages/kahawa.html

    Kahawa (coffee)
    First discovered and consumed in Africa, in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa, which lent its name to the plant, its seeds (or beans), and beverages made from them. According to legend, a shepherd noticed his sheep were especially lively after eating a certain plant, he tried it and noticed the effect on himself . . . later, monks in the Ethiopian church consumed it to stay awake during prayers. But early consumption seems to have been not in the form of a drink, but a food: people chewed the beans or mixed crushed beans with butter or fat to form cakes.

    Maybe as early as a thousand years ago people in North-eastern Africa and nearby Arabia were using the beans to make a fermented, alcoholic beverage, as well as what is now known as Kawa, Kahwa, Kahwah, Gahwa, Guhwah, Kahawa, and to us, Coffee.

    What you need (recipe may be doubled)

    •one quart of cold water
    •seeds from one or two cardamom pods
    •three tablespoons freshly ground coffee beans
    •1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
    •1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

    What you do (choose either method)

    •Method 1. In a saucepan combine all ingredients. (Just water, cardamom seeds, and coffee for the basic brew.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and maintain at a low boil for ten to fifteen minutes.
    •Method 2. Bring water and cardamom seeds to a boil. Keep on a low boil for ten minutes. Add coffee. Simmer for five minutes more. Add ground cardamom and ginger (if desired).
    •Pour through a strainer into a coffeepot and serve hot.


    VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


    ETA:: Another African country famous for its coffee tradition is Sudan(u said she was from here maybe??), where the Guhwah (coffee) is served from a Jebena, a special coffeepot.<
    ZING lol :drinker:

    The secret to preparing Guhwah is to toast the ground coffee in a pan with the spices (usually cloves, among others) before brewing.
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    Turkish coffee? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee
    Nope. This stuff didn't have coffee grounds in the coffee, it was just thick. And you wouldn't be able to have a whole cup of it, everyone just sat around sipping their shot-glass-like things :happy:
    http://www.congocookbook.com/beverages/kahawa.html

    Kahawa (coffee)
    First discovered and consumed in Africa, in the Ethiopian province of Kaffa, which lent its name to the plant, its seeds (or beans), and beverages made from them. According to legend, a shepherd noticed his sheep were especially lively after eating a certain plant, he tried it and noticed the effect on himself . . . later, monks in the Ethiopian church consumed it to stay awake during prayers. But early consumption seems to have been not in the form of a drink, but a food: people chewed the beans or mixed crushed beans with butter or fat to form cakes.

    Maybe as early as a thousand years ago people in North-eastern Africa and nearby Arabia were using the beans to make a fermented, alcoholic beverage, as well as what is now known as Kawa, Kahwa, Kahwah, Gahwa, Guhwah, Kahawa, and to us, Coffee.

    What you need (recipe may be doubled)

    •one quart of cold water
    •seeds from one or two cardamom pods
    •three tablespoons freshly ground coffee beans
    •1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
    •1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)

    What you do (choose either method)

    •Method 1. In a saucepan combine all ingredients. (Just water, cardamom seeds, and coffee for the basic brew.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and maintain at a low boil for ten to fifteen minutes.
    •Method 2. Bring water and cardamom seeds to a boil. Keep on a low boil for ten minutes. Add coffee. Simmer for five minutes more. Add ground cardamom and ginger (if desired).
    •Pour through a strainer into a coffeepot and serve hot.


    VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV


    ETA:: Another African country famous for its coffee tradition is Sudan(u said she was from here maybe??), where the Guhwah (coffee) is served from a Jebena, a special coffeepot.<
    ZING lol :drinker:

    The secret to preparing Guhwah is to toast the ground coffee in a pan with the spices (usually cloves, among others) before brewing.

    Yes! I believe she called it something like Kahwah...I think maybe because she heard someone call the maxwell house coffee and it was similar and she knew the word? But it was most definitely Guhwah made in a Jebena served in a special coffee cup specifically for those types of drinks (looks like a shot glass). The word Coffee actually came from Guhwah according to the turkish coffee link above. I really like the idea of how Guhwah is made. Some type of dried grass is used to filter out the grinds instead of chemically processed and bleached white coffee filters :) Didn't get to see the whole process though.
  • ReinasWrath
    ReinasWrath Posts: 1,173 Member
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    Well unlike everyone else I'm def not going to be any sorts of helpful I just wanted to say how cool it is to have her and her family as a neighbor!! You will get a precious slice of their culture and I think it is so sweet they're sharing all this with you!! Plus you'll get to try some seriously unique foods!!
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
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    Get a map or a globe.. point to you, point to where you live. point to her & let her point.

    You will find out where she lives. Then get a translation dictionary, or use thee translator on your cell (free app on smart phones) and start talkin to the woman!!


    Easy peasy & a new bestie! :heart:

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