11 African Food Instagrams That'll Make You Cook Like Mom
...or close to it.
Food is the one thing that keeps families and cultures thriving and surviving—the one thing that every African mom is the best at.
And with social media, why not show our food off and even remix it in our own way? The following Instagram pages will inspire you to attempt the dishes we know so well growing up.
Make sure you're not hungry when you peruse or it might amount to torture.
Ivy's Kitchenette
Ivy Mango Chatora of Zimbabwe is the food blogger behind the handle, A Taste of Zimbabwe, where she shares her beautiful plates of her take on her country's cuisine. Her cookbook, Ivy's Kitchenette: Think It, Cook It, Love It, quickly went out of stock (and we're waiting for a re-up!). She keeps up a blog of recipes you can check out here.
Essiespice
Essiespice is a small batch spices and sauces brand that wants to put African food on the global stage. If you're based in Tri-State Area, the small jars of punchy flavors have a space in the spice section in Whole Foods and Shoprite stores, to name a few. This Instagram page features plates of African dishes that feature the spice blends that will make your mouth water. Read our interview with the creator, Ghana's Essie Bartels, here.
Black Foodie
Black Foodie is an online digital platform that explores food and lifestyle from the Black perspective. They aim to celebrate the best African, Caribbean and Southern foodie experiences. Founded by, Ethiopian-Canadian Eden Hagos, Black Foodie's Instagram is just a glimpse of how they redefine the diasporic experience through food.
Sudanese Kitchen
This Instagram page makes you feel right at home with the many images of home-cooked Sudanese meals. Omer Eltigani started Sudanese Kitchen to document and celebrate the cuisine and culture of Sudan that he feels is too often misunderstood. Check out more information on the project and recipes here.
9jafoodie
Nigeria's Ronke Edoho shows up how to maintain a healthy diet while eating Nigerian food. For those who may assume that's impossible, her recipes prove otherwise. Learn more about her meal plan and e-book, Lose It Nigerian, here.
Immaculate Bites
Since 2012, Imma of Immaculate Bitesuses food as a tool for people to learn more about African and Caribbean cultures. The recipe developer and food blogger's beautifully curated Instagram page shows of her own twists on Afro-Caribbean flavors.
AfrovitalityEats
Cameroon's Elsie Kriz whips up West African inspired (and Mom inspired) recipes with AfrovitalityEats. Her beautiful Instagram also shows she can tackle other types of cuisines, but we love it when she features foods from her native Cameroon.
Thelmz Kitchen
How can you not love and reminisce at images of big cast iron pots over an outdoor gas stove, market action, jollof rice, egusi soup and more? Nigeria's Thelma Egbe gives us all the nostalgic feels with her blog and Instagram, Thelmz Kitchen. She really lives up to her motto: Food is love made edible.
My African Food Map
My African Food Map is another cool project that curates an authentic collection of the most popular dishes from around the continent. So far, Tuleka Prah and her team featured recipes from Ethiopia, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana. For more information, check out their website here.
Kaluhi's Kitchen
Look to Kenya's Kaluhi Adagala'sfood blog and Instagram for her unique take on her country's diverse cuisine. Just a scroll for a minute makes your stomach growl for some chapati or her chicken-marinated uwkwaju (pictured above).
Sisi Jemimah
Tripe? Check.
Shrimp? Check.
Pumpkin leaves? Check.
Jemimah Adebiyi gets an inspiration cosign in our book with her recipes featuring dishes from Nigeria's diverse ethnic groups, like the Edikan Ikong soup above, which comes from the Efik people in southeastern Nigeria.