African Vs. Chinese Food: The Differences Between Chinese Food And African Cuisine

What will you be cooking for dinner tonight? Will it be a traditional Chinese dish or an authentic African recipe? If you have encountered the dilemma to choose between Chinese food or African food, then this article is for you.

Now, we are going to learn more about these cuisines and how they differ from each other.

What is special about African food?

Africa is a beautiful continent full of culture and rich in history.

Food is a very important part of many cultures around the world, and African food is no exception, however, since this is one of the poorest continents in the world, their cuisine is usually overlooked and seems not to be attractive for people from other parts of the world.

In fact, there are more interesting things about African food than you thought.

African dishes are often made with fresh produce from the local market or gardens, as well as traditional ingredients like spices and herbs.

This creates a unique flavor that will make your mouth water.

In Africa, we have different types of food according to the region: like Nigerian Food which includes groundnut soup, Jollof rice, red kidney beans; Ghanaian Food which includes Fufu- a mixture of boiled starchy root vegetables such as cassava or plantain flour mixed with palm oil or butter; Kenyan Recipes include ugali (made from cornmeal) served with stewed goat, meat or fish; and South African cuisine which includes Biltong (a type of jerky) served with pap.

What is special about Chinese food?

Chinese food is a delicious cuisine that has been around for centuries.

The flavor of Chinese food differs depending on the region and the people who cook it.

Some dishes have sweet flavors with lots of sauce while others are saltier.

Chinese dishes are generally spicier than most parts of the world because they tend to use more fresh, dried, or powdered chili pepper.

Soy-based ingredients are one of the staples in this Asian cuisine.

Tofu, soy nuts, sprouts, or soy sauce are what you can find in any region of China.

Chinese cooking techniques include stir-frying and steaming.

They sometimes boil and roast the ingredients as well, but are not likely to bake or grill meat and veggies like in American cuisine, where BBQ parties are a favorite throughout the country.

What are the differences between African food vs Chinese food?

China is an Asian country, while Africa refers to all countries belonging to this continent.

Due to the very difference in geography, African food and Chinese food differ in many ways, here are some typical ones:

Africans usually eat beans while Chinese people eat rooty and leafy vegetables

The first difference that you can notice between Chinese and African cuisines is that beans and peas are staples in Africa, while they are not really popular in China.

In Chinese cuisine, they tend to eat more rooty vegetables, like daikon, bamboo, carrot, or bitter melon, and leafy greens like bok choy, or cabbage.

Stews and soups are more popular in African cuisine, while stir-fried dishes dominate Chinese cuisine

Another difference between these two cuisines is that African dishes usually have a soupy, or mushy texture.

The reason is they prefer stewing all the ingredients so that the resulting dish is tender and easier to eat with rice or plantain without being too dry.

Meanwhile, the main cooking method in China is stir-frying.

They usually stir-fry meat with/or vegetables with soy sauce and other spices to enhance flavor and still maintain the crunchy texture of veggies or the slightly chewy but tender texture of meat.

African food includes flatbread, while Chinese cuisine has dumplings

Flatbread, or called lahoh, is popular throughout many countries in Africa.

Lahoh can be consumed with sweet or savory dishes.

Meanwhile, the common kind of dough-based food in Chinese cooking is dumplings, which have savory or sweet fillings inside the dough.

What are the similarities between African food vs Chinese food?

Despite many differences between African  food and Chinese food, they do share some similarities, as mentioned below:

African food and Chinese food are diverse between different regions

Both cuisines are very diverse with a large range of dishes for you to choose from.

Each region of China or each country from Africa has its own way of cooking or signature dish.

Therefore, when it comes to African food or Chinese food, there are plenty of dishes to go into detail.

Rice is a staple in both cuisine

Another similarity is both cuisines share rice as their staple.

Rice can be served in every meal in either China or Africa.

However, they seem to have different ways to cook rice.

While Africans usually cook rice with other spices and ingredients like saffron, curry powder, or chili pepper so that their rice dishes are more flavorful and colorful, the Chinese enjoy steaming plain white rice to serve with other savory dishes.

African and Chinese cuisines focus on using fresh ingredients

Both cuisines rely on fresh ingredients instead of sticking with processed food like ham, bacon, and canned stock like in American cuisine.

They usually shop for their ingredients at local markets or in grocery stores. 

They use a variety of spices in their recipes

The last thing in common between African food and Chinese food is their recipes are packed with various kinds of spices.

Ginger, garlic, onion, scallion, chili pepper, or curry powder are some of the most common spices and seasonings in both cuisines.

Which one is better?

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As you can see from this article, there are many similarities and differences between Chinese food and African cuisine.

Choosing one over the other will actually depend on your taste buds’ preference.

If you’re in the mood for some traditional Asian dishes with rice or noodles, then go ahead and order up some delicious Chinese takeout.

If you enjoy eating some spongy flatbread dipped into some kind of soup, African food will be a great choice.

We hope these comparisons helped clear up any confusion about which is better – but don’t forget to try both at least once so you can make an informed decision next time around.