Houston is home to one of the largest populations of Nigerians in the country. The same can be said about people of Ethiopian and Ghanian ancestry. In fact, Houston is ground zero for Black people from every country in the motherland; a reality that adds greatly to Houston’s reputation as an international city and as one of the country’s top food towns.
So, it makes sense that Fort Bend County Libraries’ Mission Bend Branch Library will present a special 6-part series, “A Taste of African Heritage,” that offers attendees lessons on how to cook meals from the African diaspora.
On Mondays, starting March 11 and running through April 15, this series will take place in the Meeting Room of the Mission Bend Branch Library (8421 Addicks Clodine Road, 77083) from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The ancestors of African Americans brought many food traditions that have been lost over the generations, and health has suffered because of the loss. Diseases that are common today – such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity – were less commonly heard of with traditional diets in earlier times.
In this 6-week series, presented by Erica Knighton from the Prairie View A&M Cooperative Extension Office, attendees will learn to cook African Diaspora Cuisine and discover tasty recipes and dishes based on the healthy food traditions of people from the Pan-African diaspora, with influences from the cultures of the Caribbean, South America, and the southern states of the U.S.
The recipes and dishes demonstrated in this series are based on the African Heritage Diet Pyramid guide, created by the nonprofit Oldways Health Through Heritage. The series is designed to bring the plant-based African Heritage Diet Pyramid to life, allowing participants to discover the major foods and learn how to easily prepare them.
Harlon Obike, a Nigerian American who was born and raised in the U.S. but whose parents immigrated to this land shortly before he was born, is looking forward to the series for personal reasons.
“I’m ashamed to admit it, but I spent so much time trying to distance myself from my African roots, that I know so little about what should be natural to me,” he shared. “This series will help me reconnect while also making my parents extremely happy that, as they would say, ‘I’ve finally come to my senses.’”
Obike said he’s been amazed to see how African culture has become so accepted and celebrated by Blacks in the U.S., over the past decade; a reality much different than the one he experienced while growing up.
“When I was a kid I elementary, middle, and even high school, Africa and Africans were the butt of jokes. Now, it seems everybody is getting with African music, food, and more. Man, it took other people appreciating my heritage for me to wake up and recognize its value. And I’m hoping this food series takes my appreciation to another level.”
Participants can choose to attend the whole series or individual sessions. The schedule of programs is as follows:
March 11 – “African-Heritage Diet, Spices, & Herbs”
March 18 – “Leafy Greens”
March 25 – “Whole Grains”
April 1 – “Four Beans & Rice”
April 8 – “Tubers & Mashes”
April 15 – “Fruits & Vegetables & a Healthy Lifestyle”
