Africa, the second largest and second most populous continent in the world after Asia, straddles the equator, its climate ranging from tropical to sub-arctic on its highest peaks.

With 53 countries, definitively classifying African cuisine is impossible — one country is practically vegetarian while another thrives on meat recipes. Generally speaking, the hallmark of native African meals is the use of starch as a focus accompanied by a stew containing meat or vegetables, or both. Maize (corn), cassava, millet, beans, yams and peanuts are key ingredients and traditional green vegetables occupy an important role in household nutrition.

In North Africa the Phoenicians of the First century brought sausages and the Carthaginians introduced wheat and its byproduct, semolina. The Berbers adapted this into couscous, one of the main diet staples. Olives and olive oils were introduced before the arrival of the Romans.

In the 7th century, Arabs introduced a variety of spices, (saffron, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves). Later the Ottoman Turks brought sweet pastries and other bakery products, and from the New World, North Africa got potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini and chiles.

In the inland savannah of East Africa, meat products are generally absent. Cattle, sheep and goats are regarded as a form of currency and a store of wealth, and are not usually consumed as food.

Here, too, Arabic influences are reflected in the Swahili cuisine with pilaf dishes, the use of sweet spices, and pomegranate juice. The British and Indians brought spiced vegetable curries, lentil soups, chapattis and a variety of pickles. And the Portuguese who brought the techniques of roasting and marinating also introduced oranges, lemons, limes, and “exotic” ingredients like chiles, peppers, tomatoes, pineapple, bananas, and the domestic pig.

Teff with its lightly sweet, molasses-like flavor can be used as a thickener for soups, stews, and gravies. Cooked teff can be mixed with herbs, seeds, beans or tofu, and aromatics to make grain burgers and the seeds can be sprouted for use in salads and on sandwiches.

Central African cooking remains the most traditional though there is the widespread adaptation of cassava, peanut, and chile pepper plants which arrived along with the slave trade during the early 1500s.

The basic ingredients here are plantains and cassava. Fufu-like starchy foods (usually made from fermented cassava roots) are served with grilled meat and sauces. Beef and chicken are favored but game meat preparations containing crocodile, monkey, antelope and warthog, are also served occasionally.

A typical West African meal is heavy with starchy items, light on meat and generous on fat with a high use of hot spices. Favored ingredients include rice, peanuts, black-eyed beans, brown beans, root vegetables, plantains, green peas, okra, citrus fruits, and pineapples, which are legacy of slave ship traffic between Africa and the New World.

Cooking techniques of West Africa often combine fish and meat, including dried fish. French cooking influences in Senegal use touches of lime juice, chopped vegetables including scallions, garlic, and marinades.

The Malay influence of South African cuisine has brought spicy curries, chutneys, curry-marinated pork or lamb kebabs, pickled fish and variety of fish stews. European contributions include Dutch fried crueler or koeksister and milk pies.

During the pioneering days of the 19th century, new foods such as biltong, droë wors (dried sausage) and rusks evolved locally out of necessity. Meat products include lamb, and game like venison, ostrich, and impala as well as a large selection of seafood. South Africa's most unusual meat is called Biltong. It is a spicy form of jerky, wind-dried, used in traveling, snacks, and can be found not only country wide, but throughout the continent.