Democratic Republic of the Congo

British and Irish queen cakes are cupcakes or sweet buns with, for example, currants, chocolate chips, topped with frosting, South African queen cakes are cupcakes, served plain or topped with sprinkles, traditionally served with tea

Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially available. There are also various coffee substitutes. Typically served hot, coffee has the highest sales in the world market for hot drinks. Coffee production begins when the seeds from coffee cherries are separated to produce unroasted green coffee beans. The "beans" are roasted and then ground into fine particles. Coffee is brewed from the ground roasted beans, which are typically steeped in hot water before being filtered out. It is usually served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Coffee can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways (e.g., espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk, and cream are often added to mask the bitter taste or enhance the flavor.

Guinness is a stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin, Ireland, in the 18th century. It is now owned by the British-based multinational alcoholic beverage maker Diageo. It is one of the most successful alcohol brands worldwide, brewed in almost 50 countries, and available in over 120. Sales in 2011 amounted to 850,000,000 litres (190,000,000 imp gal; 220,000,000 U.S. gal). It is the highest-selling beer in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Guinness Storehouse is a tourist attraction at St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Since opening in 2000, it has received over 20 million visitors.

Sugarcane wine

Mützig is a beer brand owned by Heineken and its subsidiaries, and was originally brewed in 1810 by Brasserie Mutzig [fr] of Alsace, France. It is now a 5.5% ABV lager available in 65cl and 33cl bottles. It has a full-bodied taste and distinctive packaging, and is the most successful premium, locally brewed beer in Central Africa. Mützig is considered a flagship African brand. Mützig's slogan is "Mützig, the Taste of Success" in English and "Mützig, Le goût de la Réussite" in French. The name Mützig originates from Mutzig, a commune of France located at the entrance of the Bruche river valley, in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace, in north-eastern France. Brasserie Mutzig was founded in 1810 by Antoine Wagner and the beer was brewed there until the brewery closed in 1989, after merging into Alsacienne de Brasserie [fr] in 1969, and being acquired by Heineken in 1972. The 1969 merger forming l'Alsacienne de Brasserie (Alsatian Brewery), combined Mutzig with the Alsatian breweries: de l'Espérance, de la Perle, de Colmar, and Haag à Ingwiller. The old Mutzig brewery was bought by the city of Mutzig in 1992. It was designated a historical monument in 2001, renovated in 2009, and now houses a business incubator.

Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm trees such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in various parts of Africa, the Caribbean, South America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Micronesia. The word "toddy" traces back to the Proto-Dravidian root "tāẓ- ," which means palmyra/toddy palm and gave rise to forms like "tāḍi" or "tāṭi" in Telugu, Gondi, and Kolami-Gadba; "tāri" or "tāḷi" in Kannada and Tulu. The Sanskrit word "tāḍi," which refers to an extract from palm trees, is a loanword from Dravidian. Palm wine production by smallholders and individual farmers may promote conservation as palm trees become a source of regular household income that may economically be worth more than the value of timber sold.[better source needed]

Brasseries, Limonaderies et Malteries SARL , established in 1923 as the Brasserie de Léopoldville, is a brewing company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which operates six breweries. It has been owned by Heineken International since 1986. It is most notable for its flagship Primus beer but also produces various other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Bralima produces a wide variety of beers and other beverages, including Primus beer, Mützig, Turbo King, alcohol-free Maltina Energy malt, and many soft drinks which are bottled under license of the Coca-Cola Company. After World War I, Belgian businessmen came to visit the present Democratic Republic of the Congo to evaluate opportunities to invest in the country. It was understood that the government was interested in producing beer for the local population as the beer produced by the inhabitants themselves caused major health problems. A brewery, which could brew a high quality beer, would improve the current situation. The investors decided to set up a brewery with the support of the Société Congolaise de Banque. On 23 October 1923 the “Brasserie de Léopoldville” (Léopoldville is now Kinshasa) was established for 4.000.000 Congolese francs. The first beer was produced on 27 December 1926.

A soft drink is any water-based flavored drink, usually but not necessarily carbonated, and typically including added sweetener. Flavors used can be natural or artificial. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a sugar substitute (in the case of diet sodas), or some combination of these. Soft drinks may also contain caffeine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients. Soft drinks are called "soft" in contrast with "hard" alcoholic drinks. Small amounts of alcohol may be present in a soft drink, but the alcohol content must be less than 0.5% of the total volume of the drink in many countries and localities if the drink is to be considered non-alcoholic. Types of soft drinks include lemon-lime drinks, orange soda, cola, grape soda, cream soda, ginger ale and root beer.

Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and northern Myanmar. Tea is also made, but rarely, from the leaves of Camellia taliensis. After plain water, tea is the most widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavour, while others have profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral, or grassy notes. Tea has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. An early credible record of tea drinking dates to the third century AD, in a medical text written by Chinese physician Hua Tuo. It was popularised as a recreational drink during the Chinese Tang dynasty, and tea drinking subsequently spread to other East Asian countries. Portuguese priests and merchants introduced it to Europe during the 16th century. During the 17th century, drinking tea became fashionable among the English, who started to plant tea on a large scale in British India.

Brasseries, Limonaderies et Malteries SARL , established in 1923 as the Brasserie de Léopoldville, is a brewing company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which operates six breweries. It has been owned by Heineken International since 1986. It is most notable for its flagship Primus beer but also produces various other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Bralima produces a wide variety of beers and other beverages, including Primus beer, Mützig, Turbo King, alcohol-free Maltina Energy malt, and many soft drinks which are bottled under license of the Coca-Cola Company. After World War I, Belgian businessmen came to visit the present Democratic Republic of the Congo to evaluate opportunities to invest in the country. It was understood that the government was interested in producing beer for the local population as the beer produced by the inhabitants themselves caused major health problems. A brewery, which could brew a high quality beer, would improve the current situation. The investors decided to set up a brewery with the support of the Société Congolaise de Banque. On 23 October 1923 the “Brasserie de Léopoldville” (Léopoldville is now Kinshasa) was established for 4.000.000 Congolese francs. The first beer was produced on 27 December 1926.

Sparkling water

Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle . Beef can be prepared in various ways; cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often ground or minced, as found in most hamburgers. Beef contains protein, iron, and vitamin B12. Along with other kinds of red meat, high consumption is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer and coronary heart disease, especially when processed. Beef has a high environmental impact, being a primary driver of deforestation with the highest greenhouse gas emissions of any agricultural product. In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity of their meat. Today, beef is the third most widely consumed meat in the world, after pork and poultry. As of 2018, the United States, Brazil, and China were the largest producers of beef.

Bushmeat is meat from wildlife species that are hunted for human consumption. Bushmeat represents a primary source of animal protein and a cash-earning commodity in poor and rural communities of humid tropical forest regions of the world. The numbers of animals killed and traded as bushmeat in the 1990s in West and Central Africa were thought to be unsustainable. By 2005, commercial harvesting and trading of bushmeat was considered a threat to biodiversity. As of 2016, 301 terrestrial mammals were threatened with extinction due to hunting for bushmeat including non-human primates, even-toed ungulates, bats, diprotodont marsupials, rodents and carnivores occurring in developing countries. Bushmeat provides increased opportunity for transmission of several zoonotic viruses from animal hosts to humans, such as Ebolavirus and HIV.

The Nile perch , also known as the African snook, Goliath perch, African barramundi, Goliath barramundi, Giant lates or the Victoria perch, is a species of freshwater fish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is widespread throughout much of the Afrotropical realm, being native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana, and other river basins. It also occurs in the brackish waters of Lake Maryut in Egypt. The Nile perch is a fish of substantial economic and food-security importance in East Africa. Originally described as Labrus niloticus, among the marine wrasses, the species has also been referred to as Centropomus niloticus. Common names include African snook, Victoria perch (a misleading trade name, as the species is not native to Lake Victoria, though they have been introduced there), and many local names in various African languages, such as the Luo name mbuta or mputa. In Tanzania, it is called sangara, sankara, or chenku. In Francophone African countries, it is known as capitaine. Its name in the Hausa language is giwan ruwa, meaning "water elephant". L. niloticus is silver in color with a blue tinge. It has distinctive dark-black eyes, with a bright-yellow outer ring. One of the largest freshwater fishes, it reaches a maximum length of nearly 2 m (6 ft 7 in), weighing up to 200 kg (440 lb). Mature fish typically range from 1.21–1.37 m (4 ft 0 in – 4 ft 6 in), although many fish are caught before they can grow this large.

Shawarma is a Middle Eastern dish that originated in the Levantine region during the Ottoman Empire, consisting of meat that is cut into thin slices, stacked in an inverted cone, and roasted on a slow-turning vertical spit. Traditionally made with lamb or mutton, it may also be made with chicken, turkey meat, beef, falafel or veal. The surface of the rotisserie meat is routinely shaved off once it cooks and is ready to be served. Shawarma is a popular street food throughout the Arab world, Levant, and the Greater Middle East. The name shāwarmā in Arabic is a rendering of the term çevirme in Ottoman Turkish (چيويرمى [tʃeviɾˈme], lit. 'turning; hence, roughly synonymous to döner in this context'), referring to rotisserie.

The chicken is a large and round short-winged bird, domesticated from the red junglefowl of Southeast Asia around 8,000 years ago. Most chickens are raised for food, providing meat and eggs; others are kept as pets or for cockfighting. Chickens are common and widespread domestic animals, with a total population of 26.5 billion as of 2023[update], and an annual production of more than 50 billion birds. A hen bred for laying can produce over 300 eggs per year. There are numerous cultural references to chickens in folklore, religion, and literature.

In cooking, a consommé is a type of clear soup made from richly flavoured stock or broth that has been clarified, a process that uses egg whites to remove fat and sediment. Consommé has three English pronunciations: traditionally in the UK, the stress is on the middle syllable; in modern UK English, the stress is on the first; and in the US the stress is on the last. A large amount of meat only yields a small amount of consommé; in some recipes, as much as 500 grams of meat can go into a single 250-millilitre (9 imp fl oz; 8+1⁄2 US fl oz) serving. This low yield is part of what has traditionally given consommé its refined reputation as an expensive dish.[citation needed]

River crayfish

Baked, boiled, dried, fried, salted, smoked

Fried fish is any fish or shellfish that has been prepared by frying. Often, the fish is covered in batter, egg and breadcrumbs, flour, or herbs and spices before being fried and served, often with a slice of lemon. Fish is fried in many parts of the world, and fried fish is an important food in many cuisines. For many cultures, fried fish is historically derived from pescado frito, and the traditional fish and chips dish of England which it may have inspired. The latter remains a staple take-out dish of the UK and its former and present colonies. Fried fishcakes made of cod are widely available in the frozen food sections of U.S. grocery stores. Long John Silver's, Skippers, Captain D's, and Arthur Treacher's are well-known North American chain restaurants that serve fried fish as their main food offering. Catfish are also a prevalent farm-raised type of fish that is often served fried throughout the world. A classic fried fish recipe from France is sole meunière. Community fish fries are popular in the southern region of the United States. These social gatherings may center around a church, a civic organization or serve as a fundraiser for a club, volunteer fire department, a school or other organization. In the U.S., especially the Upper Midwest, the New England states, and the Mid-Atlantic states, community fish fries are somewhat popular, sometimes held in church basements or lots in observation of Lent. A fish fry is generally informal. A "shore lunch" is a tradition in the northern U.S. and Canada, where outdoor enthusiasts cook their catch on the shores of the ocean, or lake where the fish was caught.

Fufu is a pounded meal found in West African cuisine. It is a Twi word that originates from the Akans in Ghana. The word has been expanded to include several variations of the pounded meal found in other African countries including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Angola and Gabon. It also includes variations in the Greater Antilles and Central America, where African culinary influence is high. Although the original ingredients for fufu are boiled cassava, plantains, and cocoyam, it is also made in different ways in other West African countries. In Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Liberia, they use the method of separately mixing and pounding equal portions of boiled cassava with green plantain or cocoyam, or by mixing cassava/plantains or cocoyam flour with water and stirring it on a stove. Its thickness is then adjusted to personal preference, and it is eaten with broth-like soups. In Nigeria, fufu (akpu) is made solely from fermented cassava giving it its unique thickness compared to that found in other West African countries. It is eaten with a variety of soups with vegetables and lots of beef and fish. In recent years other flours, such as semolina, maize flour, or mashed plantains, may take the place of cassava flour. This is common for those in the diaspora or families that live in urban cities. Families in rural areas with access to farmland still maintain the original recipe of using cassava. Fufu is traditionally eaten with the fingers, and a small ball of it can be dipped into an accompanying soup or sauce. Before the Portuguese traders introduced cassava to Africa from Brazil in the 16th century, fufu was mainly made from cocoyam, plantain, and yams. The traditional method of eating fufu is to pinch some of the fufu off in one's right-hand fingers and form it into an easily ingested round ball. The ball is then dipped in the soup before being eaten.

Stewed wild spinach greens with onions, garlic, tomatoes, chicken stock, palm oil, ground peanuts, serve with, for example, fish

Goat meat is the meat of the domestic goat . The term 'goat meat' denotes meat of older animals, while meat from young goats is called 'kid meat'. In South Asian cuisine, goat meat is called mutton, along with sheep meat. The culinary name "chevon", a blend of chèvre "goat" in French and mouton "sheep" in French, was coined in 1922 and selected by a trade association; it was adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1928,: 19  however the term never caught on and is not encountered in the United States. "Cabrito", a word in Spanish and Portuguese, is the meat of a young, milk-fed goat. It is also known as chivo meat. Goat meat is both a staple and a delicacy in the world's cuisines. The cuisines best known for their use of goat include African cuisine, Middle Eastern, Indian, Indonesian, Nepali, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Abruzzese, Mexican, Caribbean (Jamaica), Haitian cuisine, Dominican cuisine and Ecuadorian. Cabrito, which is baby goat, is a typical food of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico; in Italy it is called "capretto". Goat meat can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as being stewed, curried, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, fried, or made into sausage. Goat jerky is another popular variety.

Okra , Abelmoschus esculentus, known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world for its edible green seed pods, okra is featured in the cuisines of many countries. The species is a perennial, often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates, often growing to around 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall. As a member of the Malvaceae, it is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are 10–20 centimetres (4–8 in) long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm (1+5⁄8–3+1⁄8 in) in diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base. The pollen grains are spherical and approximately 188 microns in diameter. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm (7 in) long with pentagonal cross-section, containing numerous seeds.

A goose is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera Anser (grey geese and white geese) and Branta (black geese). Some members of the Tadorninae subfamily (e.g., Egyptian goose, Orinoco goose) are commonly called geese, but are not considered "true geese" taxonomically. More distantly related members of the family Anatidae are swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller. The term "goose" may refer to such bird of either sex, but when paired with "gander", "goose" refers specifically to a female one ("gander" referring to a male). Young birds before fledging are called goslings. The collective noun for a group of geese on the ground is a gaggle; when in flight, they are called a skein, a team, or a wedge; when flying close together, they are called a plump.

Stewed cassava leaves, vegetables, ground peanuts, spices

Skewered and grilled meat, vegetables

Meat such as beef with onion, vegetables, chili peppers, lemon juice, peanuts, cooked inside banana leaves

Mbika cakes, made with ground pumpkin seeds, vegetables, fish, shrimp, herbs, spices, cooked inside banana leaves (banana parcels)

Pork and vegetables cooked in banana leaves, some recipes use catfish

Fish liboke, fish cooked in banana leaves with vegetables, greens and spices

Rice and beans, or beans and rice, is a category of dishes from many cultures around the world, whereby the staple foods of rice and beans are combined in some manner. The grain and legume combination provides several important nutrients and many calories, and both foods are widely available. The beans are usually seasoned, while the rice may be plain or seasoned. The two components may be mixed together, separated on the plate, or served separately. The dish usually consists of white or brown rice accompanied by cooked brown, red or black dry beans and seasoned in various ways. This dish is also commonly served with sides of stewed chicken, pork, beef, potato salad, boiled potatoes, and many other sides from many different cultures. In many areas, beans and rice are often served side by side rather than combined. Either way, they may be considered a meal, frequently with a topping of meat or chicken. Meat or other ingredients are sometimes placed atop beans and rice or, less frequently, mixed into it. Different regions have different preferences. In Nicaragua, for example, red beans are more popular while cooking Gallo pinto, while in Costa Rica black beans are. Also, in Brazil, black beans are more popular in Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, while in most other parts of the country these are mostly only used in feijoadas. The New Orleans specialty known as "red beans and rice" is often accompanied by a side of smoked sausage or a fried pork chop.

Jollof , or jollof rice, is a rice dish from West Africa. The dish is typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, chilis, onions, spices, and sometimes other vegetables and/or meat in a single pot, although its ingredients and preparation methods vary across different regions. The dish's origins are traced to Senegal. Regional variations are a source of competition among the countries of West Africa, and in particular between Nigeria and Ghana, over whose version is the best; in the 2010s this developed into a friendly rivalry known as the "Jollof Wars".

Beans, commonly stewed with tomatoes, onions, garlic and spices, may also contain beef, pork, chicken, fish, lamb, serve with cassava, steamed rice

Fish with sorrel, fried or smoked fish (mboto) with red sorrel greens (ngai ngai), onions, tomatoes, palm oil, spices, salt

Stew with palm oil or palm cream, vegetables, meat, fish

Moin-Moin, Moi-Moi or Olele is a steamed or boiled bean pudding made from a mixture of washed and peeled beans and onions, fresh red peppers, spices, and often fish, eggs, chicken and/or crayfish. It is a protein-rich Yoruba food that is commonly eaten across Yorubaland and close regions in West Africa. Moi-moi is made of soaked beans ground into a fine paste which is mixed with dried crayfish, vegetable oil, and seasonings. Some add sardines, corned beef,shredded chicken, sliced boiled eggs, or other garnishes. Moin-moin usually comes in a slanted pyramid shape, cylindrical shape, cone shape or other shape of the mold it is poured into prior to cooking. The pyramid shape comes from the traditional broad Ewe Eran (Thaumatococcus daniellii), or banana leaves fashioned into a cone in one's palm. Then the seasoned and garnished paste is poured into the leaves, which are folded. The cylindrical shapes come from when empty cans or foil are used.

Fish broth accompanied with peanut butter and coconut juice

Palm oil stew with peanut butter, chicken, onions, tomatoes, chili peppers

Meat, many ways to prepare, for example, stewed, grilled, stir fried

Palm nut soup or banga is a soup made from palm fruit common in the Cameroonian, Ghanaian, Nigerian, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ivorian communities. The soup is made from a palm cream or palm nut base with stewed marinated meats, smoked dried fish, and aromatics. It is often eaten with starch, fufu, omotuo, banku, fonio, or rice. The use of the palm fruit in cooking is significant in Ivorian, Cameronian, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Liberian and other West and Central African cuisine. Mbanga soup is a palm fruit soup in Cameroonian cuisine and West African cuisine. It is often served with kwacoco. The soup is Cameroon's version of the West African banga, a palm fruit soup eaten in areas including parts of Nigeria. In Cameroon mbanga is made using fresh palm nuts. Outside the area canned nuts can be used. Banga is a type of palm fruit soup from Southern Nigeria, particularly the Urhobo ethnic group. This cuisine is quite different from ofe akwu, a variant found in Igbo culture. The Binis have a soup from palm fruits similar to ofe akwu in ingredients and manner of preparation. The Urhobo people’s palm nut soup is called ame adi.

Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They feed largely on plant matter, feeding on seeds , fruit (frugivory), and foliage (folivory).

Stewed cassava leaves with vegetables, meat, smoked fish

Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig . It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; curing extends the shelf life of pork products. Ham, gammon, bacon, and pork sausage are examples of preserved pork. Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, many from pork.

Chicken in coconut and peanut sauce

Marinated and grilled chicken, serve with tomatoes and onions

Moambe chicken is a savory chicken dish popular in Central Africa and considered the national dish of Angola, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The dish itself is made by combining chicken, spices and palm butter to create a stew-like consistency. A number of local or regional variations exist across the Congo and Central Africa; the dish is also known outside the continent. Poulet moambe (French for "chicken in palm butter sauce") is prepared by cooking chicken in moambe (palm butter) and spinach, then seasoning it with spices like peri-peri or red pepper. It is typically served with sweet potatoes, brown onions, hard-boiled eggs and a sauce made from crushed palm nuts. Moambe chicken can also be accompanied by rice or manioc (cassava) paste. The chicken can be substituted with duck or fish. Moambe chicken is regarded as the national dish of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the Republic of the Congo, the version that uses peanut butter is known as muamba nsusu. Nsusu means chicken in Kikongo. It is also considered the national dish of Gabon where it is known as poulet nyembwe, and in Angola where it is known as moamba de galinha, although the Angolan dish was claimed by Brazilians around 2002, it has always been a popular dish in Angola, which makes sense as Angola and Congo are neighbours whilst although many Angolans live in Brazil, it was obviously introduced to Brazil by those with Angolan roots. This may also be why Moqueca is also very popular in Brazil but is actually an Angolan dish too. This is also why Brazil has its own version of pirão. It is a common household dish in Belgium. Angolan moamba chicken can be found in Portugal.

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae , which is in the order Lagomorpha (which also includes pikas). They are familiar throughout the world as a small herbivore, a prey animal, a domesticated form of livestock, and a pet, having a widespread effect on ecologies and cultures. The most widespread rabbit genera are Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus. The former, Oryctolagus, includes the European rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, which is the ancestor of the hundreds of breeds of domestic rabbit and has been introduced on every continent except Antarctica. The latter, Sylvilagus, includes over 13 wild rabbit species, among them the cottontails and tapetis. Wild rabbits not included in Oryctolagus and Sylvilagus include several species of limited distribution, including the pygmy rabbit, volcano rabbit, and Sumatran striped rabbit. Rabbits are a paraphyletic grouping, and do not constitute a clade, as hares (belonging to the genus Lepus) are nested within the Leporidae clade and are not described as rabbits. Although once considered rodents, lagomorphs diverged earlier and have a number of traits rodents lack, including two extra incisors. Similarities between rabbits and rodents were once attributed to convergent evolution, but studies in molecular biology have found a common ancestor between lagomorphs and rodents and place them in the clade Glires.

Stewed white beans with vegetables, cassava greens, onions, meat or dried fish, palm oil, spices

Marinated and pan-fried fish such as tilapia, serve with rice and vegetables

Stew or sauce made with dried shrimp, peanut butter, tomatoes, onions, oil, chili peppers, serve with yams, sweet potatoes, fufu (porridge)

Sheep or domestic sheep (Ovis aries) are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term sheep can apply to other species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sheep. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female is referred to as a ewe (/juː/ yoo), an intact male as a ram, occasionally a tup, a castrated male as a wether, and a young sheep as a lamb. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia, with Iran being a geographic envelope of the domestication center. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleeces, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton), and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. In Commonwealth countries, ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones; in the United States, meat from both older and younger animals is usually called lamb. Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science.

African stewed fish is a flavorful dish typically made with white fish like tilapia or catfish, cooked in a spicy tomato and pepper sauce. It is popular in various West African cuisines and can be served with rice or other side dishes.

Tripe soup or tripe stew is a soup or stew made with tripe . It is widely considered to be a hangover remedy. The Turkish name işkembe çorbası, meaning "tripe soup", consists of işkembe ("stomach/tripe"), çorba ("soup"), and the possessive affix -i that links the two words. It came from Persian shekambe (شکمبه, "rumen") and shurba (شوربا, "soup"). Some South Slavic languages borrowed the dish name from Turkish: as škembe čorba (шкембе чорба) in Bulgarian and čkembe čorba (чкембе чорба) in Macedonian, as škembić (шкембић) in Serbian and Bosnian, and Çorbë in Albanian. Tripe chorba (Turkish: işkembe çorbası, Romanian: ciorbă de burtă, Bulgarian: шкембе чорба, romanized: škembe čorba, Macedonian: чкембе чорба, romanized: čkembe čorba) is a common dish in Balkan, Eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is widely (not universally) considered to be a hangover remedy.

Savory steamed corn pudding made with vegetables, fish, crayfish, chili peppers, greens

Arachis is a genus of about 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the family , native to South America, and was recently assigned to the informal monophyletic Pterocarpus clade of the Dalbergieae. At least one species, the peanut (Arachis hypogaea), is a major food crop species of global importance; some of the other species are cultivated for food to a small extent in South America. Other species such as A. pintoi are cultivated worldwide as forage and soil conditioner plants, with the leaves providing high-protein feed for grazing livestock and a nitrogen source in agroforestry and permaculture systems. Arachis species, including the peanut, are used as food plants by some Lepidoptera species, including the flame shoulder, nutmeg, and turnip moth.

Biltong is a form of air-dried, cured meat which originated in South Africa, and from there spread to other Southern African countries -- . Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostrich or kudu. The cut may also vary being either fillets of meat cut into strips following the grain of the muscle, or flat pieces sliced across the grain. It is related to beef jerky, as both are spiced, dried meats; however, the typical ingredients, taste, and production processes may differ. Biltong is air-dried, which gives it a unique texture and flavor, whereas jerky is heated to at least 71 °C (160 °F). The word "biltong" is from the Afrikaans bil ("buttock") and tong ("strip" or "tongue").

Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca , is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America, from Brazil, Paraguay and parts of the Andes. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions as an annual crop for its edible starchy tuberous root. Cassava is predominantly consumed in boiled form, but substantial quantities are processed to extract cassava starch, called tapioca, which is used for food, animal feed, and industrial purposes. The Brazilian farofa, and the related garri of West Africa, is an edible coarse flour obtained by grating cassava roots, pressing moisture off the obtained grated pulp, and finally drying it (and roasting in the case of both farofa and garri). Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates in food in the tropics, after rice and maize, making it an important staple; more than 500 million people depend on it. It offers the advantage of being exceptionally drought-tolerant, and able to grow productively on poor soil. The largest producer is Nigeria, while Thailand is the largest exporter of cassava starch.

Cassava paste cooked in banana leaves

Okra , Abelmoschus esculentus, known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world for its edible green seed pods, okra is featured in the cuisines of many countries. The species is a perennial, often cultivated as an annual in temperate climates, often growing to around 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall. As a member of the Malvaceae, it is related to such species as cotton, cocoa, and hibiscus. The leaves are 10–20 centimetres (4–8 in) long and broad, palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes. The flowers are 4–8 cm (1+5⁄8–3+1⁄8 in) in diameter, with five white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple spot at the base. The pollen grains are spherical and approximately 188 microns in diameter. The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm (7 in) long with pentagonal cross-section, containing numerous seeds.

Insects as food or edible insects are insect species used for human consumption. Over 2 billion people are estimated to eat insects on a daily basis. Globally, more than 2,000 insect species are considered edible, though far fewer are discussed for industrialized mass production and regionally authorized for use in food. Many insects are highly nutritious, though nutritional content depends on species and other factors such as diet and age. Insects offer a wide variety of flavors and are commonly consumed whole or pulverized for use in dishes and processed food products such as burger patties, pasta, or snacks. Like other foods, there can be risks associated with consuming insects, such as allergic reactions. As commercial interest in insects as food grows, countries are introducing new regulatory frameworks to oversee their production, processing, marketing, and consumption. Human consumption of 2,205 different insect species has been documented. The table below ranks insect order by number and percentage of confirmed species consumed and presents each insect orders' percentage of known insect species diversity. With the exceptions of orders Orthoptera and Diptera, there is close alignment between species diversity and consumption, suggesting that humans tend to eat those insects that are most available.

Rice is a cereal grain and in its domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa —or, much less commonly, Oryza glaberrima (African rice). Asian rice was domesticated in China some 13,500 to 8,200 years ago; African rice was domesticated in Africa about 3,000 years ago. Rice has become commonplace in many cultures worldwide; in 2021, 787 million tons were produced, placing it fourth after sugarcane, maize, and wheat. Only some 8% of rice is traded internationally. China, India, and Indonesia are the largest consumers of rice. A substantial amount of the rice produced in developing nations is lost after harvest through factors such as poor transport and storage. Rice yields can be reduced by pests including insects, rodents, and birds, as well as by weeds, and by diseases such as rice blast. Traditional rice polycultures such as rice-duck farming, and modern integrated pest management seek to control damage from pests in a sustainable way. Many varieties of rice have been bred to improve crop quality and productivity. Biotechnology has created Green Revolution rice able to produce high yields when supplied with nitrogen fertiliser and managed intensively. Other products are rice able to express human proteins for medicinal use; flood-tolerant or deepwater rice; and drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant varieties. Rice is used as a model organism in biology.

Cooking bananas are a group of banana cultivars in the genus Musa whose fruits are generally used in cooking. They are not eaten raw and are generally starchy. Many cooking bananas are referred to as plantains or 'green bananas'. In botanical usage, the term "plantain" is used only for true plantains, while other starchy cultivars used for cooking are called "cooking bananas". True plantains are cooking cultivars belonging to the AAB group, while cooking bananas are any cooking cultivar belonging to the AAB, AAA, ABB, or BBB groups. The currently accepted scientific name for all such cultivars in these groups is Musa × paradisiaca. Fe'i bananas from the Pacific Islands are often eaten roasted or boiled, and are thus informally referred to as "mountain plantains", but they do not belong to any of the species from which all modern banana cultivars are descended. Cooking bananas are a major food staple in West and Central Africa, the Caribbean islands, Central America, and northern South America. Members of the genus Musa are indigenous to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Bananas fruit all year round, making them a reliable all-season staple food.

Puff-puff is a traditional snack made of fried dough and eaten across Africa, especially in the west of the continent. The name "puff-puff" is from Nigeria, but many other names and varieties of the pastry exist . Puff-puffs are generally made of dough containing flour, yeast, sugar, butter, salt, water and eggs (which are optional), and deep-fried in vegetable oil to a golden-brown color. Baking powder can be used as a replacement for yeast, but yeast is a better option. After frying, puff-puffs can be rolled in sugar. Like the French beignet and the Italian zeppole, puff-puffs can be rolled in any spice or flavoring such as cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. They may be served with a fruit dip of strawberry or raspberry. In Francophone West Africa it is known as gato in Guinea and Mali (from the French gateau) and beignet in Senegal and Cameroon, as well as in The Gambia. A common Senegalese variety uses millet flour rather than wheat. Cameroonians accompany beignets with beans.

Palm butter or palm cream, frequently known as moambe, mwambe or nyembwe, is an ingredient made from the pericarp of palm nuts, the fruit of the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) tree. It forms an important ingredient in stews and sauces in African cuisine. Dishes made with the sauce often include peanuts, peanut sauce, or peanut butter. The meat usually used in the dishes is chicken but other meats, such as beef, fish, mutton, or any wild game meat, such as crocodile or venison, are used as well. Moambe chicken is considered a national dish of three African countries. In order to make palm butter, palm nuts are boiled and then pounded. The pulp is mixed with water, sieved and boiled again. Canned palm soup base, also called sauce graine or noix de palme may be substituted.

The black-eyed pea or black-eyed bean is a legume grown around the world for its medium-sized, edible bean. It is a subspecies of the cowpea, an Old World plant domesticated in Africa, and is sometimes simply called a cowpea. The common commercial variety is called the California Blackeye; it is pale-colored with a prominent black spot. The American South has countless varieties, many of them heirloom, that vary in size from the small lady peas to very large ones. The color of the eye may be black, brown, red, pink, or green. All the peas are green when freshly shelled and brown or buff when dried. A popular variation of the black-eyed pea is the purple hull pea or mud-in-your-eye pea; it is usually green with a prominent purple or pink spot. The currently accepted botanical name for the black-eyed pea is Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, although previously it was classified in the genus Phaseolus. Vigna unguiculata subsp. dekindtiana is the wild relative and Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis is the related asparagus bean. Other beans of somewhat similar appearance, such as the frijol ojo de cabra of northern Mexico, are sometimes incorrectly called black-eyed peas, and vice versa. The Black-eyed pea originates from West Africa and has been cultivated in China and India since prehistoric times. It was grown in Virginia since the 17th century by African slaves who were brought to America along with the indigenous plants from their homelands. The crop would also eventually prove popular in Texas. The planting of crops of black-eyed peas was promoted by George Washington Carver because, as a legume, it adds nitrogen to the soil and has high nutritional value. Throughout the South, the black-eyed pea is still a widely used ingredient today in soul food and cuisines of the Southern United States. The black-eye pea is cultivated throughout the world.

Elaeis is a genus of palms, called oil palms, containing two species, native to Africa and the Americas. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. Mature palms are single-stemmed, and can grow well over 20 m (66 ft) tall. The leaves are pinnate, and reach between 3–5 m (10–16 ft) long. The flowers are produced in dense clusters; each individual flower is small, with three sepals and three petals.

Piri piri , often hyphenated or as one word, and with variant spellings peri-peri (/ˌpɛriˈpɛriː/) or pili pili, also known as African bird's eye chili, is a cultivar of Capsicum frutescens from the malagueta pepper. It was originally produced by Portuguese explorers in Portugal's former Southern African territories and then spread to other Portuguese domains. Pilipili in Swahili means "pepper". Other romanizations include pili pili in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and peri peri in Malawi, deriving from various pronunciations of the word in different parts of Bantu-speaking Africa. The peri peri spelling is common in English due to its use in South Africa, however, in Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries such as Mozambique, where the modern usage of the pepper originates, the spelling piri-piri is used.

Safou, also known as Dacryodes edulis, is a fruit tree native to Central and West Africa, valued for its nutritious fruit, which is rich in oils, vitamins, and antioxidants. It is commonly found in humid tropical forests and is an important food source in various African countries, often consumed boiled or roasted.

A samosa (listenⓘ) ( Persian: سمبوسه) from the Persian word sambosag (سنبوسگ) (meaning 'triangular pastry') is a fried South Asian and West Asian snack. It is a pastry with a savory filling, mostly vegetables, spiced potatoes, onions, and peas, but also meat or fish. It is made in different shapes, including triangular, cone, or crescent, depending on the region. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney, and have origins in medieval times or earlier. Sweet versions are also made. Samosas are a popular entrée, appetizer, or snack in the cuisines of India, South Asia, West Asia, Central Asia, Portugal, East Africa and their South Asian diasporas. The English word samosa derives from the Hindustani word samosa (Urdu: سموسہ, Hindi: समोसा), traceable to the Middle Persian word sanbosag (سنبوسگ) 'triangular pastry'. Similar pastries are called sambusak in Arabic from Persian; medieval Arabic recipe books sometimes spell it sambusaj, which are all borrowed from Persian sanbosag.

Brown sauce with mushrooms, used with grilled or roasted meats