A Taste of African Food in St. Louis, Missouri

If you talk about Italian, Mexican, and German food, most people will have a specific idea of what you mean. When you talk about African food, however, people almost think of it as a monoculture, all the same, despite the fact that Africa is a huge continent with many different countries and regional differences in food. One common denominator is that they all seem to have a full flavor and fragrant spiciness about them. Trade, colonization, culture, and climate have shaped each African country's unique food preferences. In most African cultures, recipes are passed down orally rather than being written down. Also, with the exception of some of the big cities, people go to the market on a daily basis and just buy what they need. Fresh food is the order of the day.

Basmati rice, dried beans, lentils, ground meat, onions, and garlic are some of the common ingredients found in African food. True yams (not the more common sweet potato variety) are also used. Two of the places that you can find traditional African ingredients in St. Louis are both found on South Grand Avenue. Jay International Foods is at 3172 South Grand and the African Grocery Store can be found at 3558 South Grand. Jay International carries more fresh vegetables while the African Grocery Store specializes in Somali foodstuffs.

If you prefer to experience African cuisine in a restaurant setting here are some good African restaurants around town:

The Red Sea is located at 6511 Delmar in the Loop entertainment district. This Ethiopian restaurant features traditional preparations of meat, chicken, and vegetarian dishes, all of them spicy. They also have steak and some Cajun dishes as well. For some traditional African rhythm, see if you can find out when the drumming and dance group Healing Hands plays there.