As Latin Americans we have a very rich African heritage that is manifested in our traditions, gastronomy, dances and customs.
Okra
In Cuba we find a variety of dishes made with okra, that green vegetable with a gelatinous interior that was part of the African diet. One of the delicious Cuban recipes is okra with banana balls, prepared with pork and tomato sauce.
Fufu
Fufu is a mass of mashed meats that accompanies soups and broths, but also meat and fish. It is prepared with boiled cassava or plantain, pureed and seasoned with a garlic and onion-based sauce, following the culinary traditions of West African countries such as Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana.
sancocho
This typical dish arrived in Latin America with the immigrants from the Canary Islands, but the original recipe changed thanks to the influences of the African slaves who came to this side of the territory.
Chicken blood
Historians say that the plantation owners enjoyed the best cuts of meat and reserved the lowest quality cuts and the entrails of the animals for African slaves. From this tradition we obtain recipes such as chicken blood, a typical Peruvian dish that combines chicken blood with onions, chili peppers, yucca or potatoes.
Carita bean fritters
This type of bean was one of the many crops that came to America from Africa. Slaves cooked them because, in addition to being nutritious, they viewed them as good luck charms.
