Africa Moroccan Pita Bread.

Around the World: Breads of Africa

Grains and starches make up a large portion of the foods eaten in Africa. These foods include rice, yams, corn meal, mashed beans, cassava, sorghum and millet. Africans also have unique types of breads which are different from the ones eaten in Europe and the US. African breads are baked, steamed, cooked on a griddle or deep fried. African breads were influenced by neighbors from India and southern Europe. The colonization of Africa  also played huge difference on the types of bread. Below are five of the most common types of breads consumed in Africa.

The Nigerian Puff Puff Bread

Puff Puff  is a wheat bread that is common in Nigeria.  Unlike loaf bread that is baked, the yeasted batter resembles a donut or fry bread. Flour, water, yeast and sugar are combined to make a dough which is then fried to produce Puff Puff bread. This bread is very popular in Nigeria and the neighboring west African countries.

 

The Nigerian Puff Puff Bread

The Nigerian Puff Puff Bread.

South African Green Mealie Bread

Corn or maize is commonly known as mealies in South Africa and Mozambique. Maize is part of the daily diet of the people in the mentioned countries. There are various recipes of making bread from ground maize. The breads are easy to make and they are very delicious. One of the breads is the traditional steamed green mealie bread which is made using a slightly green mealie. Others includes easy mealie bread and cheesy mealie bread.

 

South African Green Mealie Bread

South African Green Mealie Bread.

 

Moroccan Pita Bread

Morocco is a  North African country that is close to the European countries. Moroccan meals are a blend of Italian, French, Turkish and Spanish ingredients. Wheat breads are more common in North Africa. Wheat is more commonly grown in North Africa  than in the rest of Africa. Instead of baking, Pita bread is cooked on a griddle. It is eaten warm with honey and butter. The bread has a chewy texture which is brought about by semolina flour which has a high gluten content.

 

Africa Moroccan Pita Bread.

Moroccan Pita Bread.

 

Chapatti from Coconut Oil

Chapatis  are a common bread in east Africa which originated from India. In the African preparation of chapatis, coconut milk is used in place of water. Coconut  milk adds a rich creamy taste and softer texture to the chapatis. Flour and salt are combined and added into the coconut milk. It is kneaded into a dough which is allowed to rest for at least an hour. The dough should be soft and smooth, but not sticky. Allow the chapatti dough to rest for at least 20 minutes. This resting stage ensures your chapatti will be soft! The dough is then rolled using a rolling pin and a brushed with coconut oil. It is then placed in a heated oiled pan where it is cooked until all sides are brown.

 

Chapatti from Coconut Oil

Chapatti from Coconut Oil.

Ethiopian Injera Bread

Ethiopia and Liberia are the only African countries that were not colonized by European powers. Ethiopia thus retained its cultural identity which includes their unique cuisine. Ethiopia grows wheat and various other grains. Injera bread is made from a grain called Teff which is Ethiopia’s indigenous grain. Its preparation starts with putting the Teff in a mixing bowl and adding water slowly while stirring. After stirring, the batter is placed aside for a day to allow fermentation to take place. This allows flavor development as the batter acquires a slight tanginess. Yeast is sometimes added to accelerate the fermentation. Salt is then stirred in.

A nonstick pan is heated until a water drop can dance on its surface. The pan is coated with a thin layer of batter. It is then cooked until holes starts appearing on the bread surface. The bread is removed when the surface is dry. Injera is a spongy, sour flatbread that is  used to scoop up stews, meats and side dishes traditionally served as part of the meal.

 

Ethiopian Injera Bread

Ethiopian Injera Bread.

donuts-eat bread 90

Food Trucks and Donuts: Day 25

The Sonoma Sun loaf from Alvarado St. Bakery was my bread of choice today. The bakers at Alvarado St. Bakery sprout their own grains to make their Sonoma bread. I tried it with something different today: Avocados. My nutritionist Connie wants me to eat avocados (listen to podcast #2).

I’ve never liked the bland taste of avocado, and I felt it is best eaten in guacamole. I am surprised that it is so rich in potassium and it helps me counteract my sodium levels. So today I mixed it up and tried avocado slices with Greek cream cheese on Sonoma Sun Bread.

Avocado with Sonoma Sun Sprouted Bread.

Avocado with Sonoma Sun Sprouted Bread.

Today, I had friends from out of town visiting me and I brought them on a food truck tour. Unfortunately this time, I had to skip most of the eating. However, when we stumbled on the poke bowl shop, I had to try one. Can I say, it was a taste explosion in my mouth!

What’s a Poke bowl? It’s rice and raw tuna mixed with fish roe, seaweed greens and sesame brittle with a sweet sauce. The Poke originates from Hawaii, so it has that tangy and sweet taste to it.

A colorful Poke bowl with bigeye tuna, roe, sweet onion, avocado, sea salt, sesame brittle, cucumber, mixed seaweed and classic Hawaiian sauce.

A colorful Poke bowl with bigeye tuna, roe, sweet onion, avocado, sea salt, sesame brittle, cucumber, mixed seaweed and classic Hawaiian sauce.

Our last stop was Blue Star Donuts. The thing about Blue Star that is not known to many people, is that if you buy three donuts, and you’re really nice to the cashier, they give you an extra donut (yes, do that next time). Their donuts range for $3-4 apiece, but these are my favorite donuts in town. They have by far the best (brioche) dough, and the highest quality fillings and toppings. If I were to bring a box of Blue Star to you, you’d know that you’re special.

Valhorna Chocolate Crunch (bottom center) is a custard filled donut.\

Valhorna Chocolate Crunch (bottom center) is a custard filled donut. It is truly the star of this bunch from Blue Star Donuts.

Here’s what I ate on Day 25 of EB90:

Food Portion Calories
Alvarado St Bakery® Sonoma Bread 5slices (43g) 600
Sprouted wheat bread 200g 420
Banana 1 105
Dickinson’s® Lemon Curd 2 Tbsp 120
Tilamook Butter (Salted) 2 Tbsp 200
Homemade Pesto 1 Tbsp 80
Avacado 1/2 cup 184
Greek yogurt spread 1 Tbsp 22
Blue Star Donuts 1 200
Poke Bowl + Chips 1 150
Steamed Brocolli 1C 30
Calcium Supp
Bike -100
Total 2011

 

milk-eat bread 90

Got Milk? Day 23

Today’s bread is Franz Organic 100% Whole Wheat bread—delicious and nutritious! Talking about nutrition, I was listening to the second episode of our podcast ‘Pitching a Loaf’ with my nutritionist, Connie Evers, where she reminded me that my calcium and potassium intake is rather low. I guess if there is truly a weakness to my diet, it’s the inability to consume enough dairy products for the calcium.

Franz Bakery's 100% Whole Wheat bread.

Franz Bakery’s 100% Whole Wheat bread.

I was lactose intolerant growing up, and therefore never really developed a taste for dairy products. I don’t like yogurt, I cannot get low fat milk past my nose and I don’t eat pizza, so I probably consume cheese or dairy products like once a week. Well, unless its ice cream or baked into some heavenly goodness with a foreign sounding name (like Tiramisu).

Getting my calcium

So when Connie said, “You have to increase your calcium intake, Lin” I was quite panicky and I told her what my problems were. She proceed to lecture me on the effects of aging on bone loss and the need for calcium to prevent osteoporosis.

It’s true, I’m a head taller than my mom, and two heads taller than her mom. They have experienced significant bone loss over the years. I see my future, and it is not looking good. She told me to avoid cream cheese since it contains almost no calcium, and to add almond milk and ricotta cheese to my diet.

Honestly, I have not tried ricotta cheese by itself. I thought it would taste like cottage cheese, but I am pleasantly surprised. It actually doesn’t have much taste to it. I scored! I started using it as a spread like mayo. I soon realized that it is an “extender.” When mixed with pesto, jam, nut butters or Nutella (my favorite), it gives these combinations a fuller body and I need less of the high-sugar or high-salt spreads.  Why didn’t I discover this sooner! My whole world has changed. Or at least for the next 77 days!

Here’s what I ate on Day 23 of EB90:

Food Portion Calories
Franz Organic 100% Whole Wheat 11 slices (43g) 1100
Ricotta Cheese 1/4 C 100
Justin’s Nut Butter 2 Tbsp 190
Sugar Free Strawberry Jam 4 Tbsp 80
Ham 2 oz 60
Homemade Pesto 1 Tbsp 80
Avacado 1/2 cup 184
Orange 1 orange 45
Calcium Supp
Bike -100
Total 1739