| The chile was most likely was brought over to West | | | | the southeast that are spicy areas. Portuguese |
| Africa from Portugal in the 15th century. The African | | | | colonies have brought that influence to those locations. |
| populations at that time readily accepted the new chile, | | | | Spicy West African cooking refers to the cooking of |
| as they were already familiar with hot spices. Cubeb | | | | Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissou,Senegal, Mali, Liberia, |
| pepper, grains of paradise, and Ashanti pepper were | | | | Ivory Coast, Siera Leone, Ghana,Togo, Nigeria, Benin, |
| regularly used in West Africa cooking. | | | | and Burkina Faso. Oddly enough, in the southern parts |
| Prior to the arrival of the Portuguese in West Africa, | | | | of all of these countries, the food is hotter than the |
| there is very little mention of spices in the diets of | | | | northern parts. |
| medieval Arabic people in this region. There is mention, | | | | Western African food is dominated by various kinds of |
| however, of a "Sudan pepper" in Morocco. This was | | | | stews. And since breads are rarely found in West |
| probably Ashanti pepper or cubeb, a variety of pepper | | | | African cooking, the starches that are found are |
| known for its hotness. Ashanti was cultivated in places | | | | usually in the stews. Typically, you will find millet and |
| on the Guinea coast before the Portuguese arrival. | | | | sorghum as the dominant grains in West Africa. You |
| There is also evidence that some spices were | | | | will also find rice, wheat, and beans in the West |
| imported from North Africa, as told by Arabic travellers | | | | African diet, but to a lesser extent. |
| in the 16th century. | | | | Another important food of West Africa is a cereal |
| In today's West African society, you will find the | | | | called fonia, which is fairly bland, but easily cultivated. It |
| spiciest food of anywhere else in Continent of Africa. | | | | does well in times of drought, so therefore has a very |
| East, Southern, and Central Africa have mostly bland | | | | important role in the food of West Africa. Wheat is |
| cooking in comparison, with the exception of | | | | rare and expensive, so it plays a minor role in the diet |
| Cameroon, Gabon, and the Congos. Some say these | | | | of West Africans. |
| regions have even hotter food than in the West | | | | And as to the importance of cooking fats in West |
| African region. There are also areas of Angola in the | | | | Africa cooking, red palm and peanut oil are essential |
| southwest part of the continent, and Mozambique in | | | | fats since the discovery of the New World. |