From Soil to Soul: African Vegan Recipes by Stephane Kotto and the Pan-African Plant-Based Alliance (2024) is unique and more than a recipe book. The book’s biggest strength is its deep and diverse dive into African plant-based cuisine covering dishes from the five regions of the African continent: South, East, Central, West, and North. It does more than provide recipes as it weaves in history, Pan-Africanism, Ubuntu philosophy, and Maat principles linking plant-based eating to cultural identity and ethical values. It is educational with information on health, history, and environmental sustainability. It takes a strong stance against neocolonial food systems, promoting self-sustainability. The incorporation of indigenous knowledge pushes back on the myth that veganism is a Western concept. Another strength is that it reinvents classic dishes using plant-based alternatives instead of simply removing animal products – such as plant-based mince in South African Vetkoek – and dairy alternatives, such as coconut milk. This has encouraged me to substitute corn or soya mince in my Babotie recipe (curried meat with fruit from South Africa). I have lived in west and east Africa, and I like the inclusion of my most-loved meals such as Jollof Rice. Other features of the book include storage and leftover guidelines, and protein-rich options. Each section has street food, hearty mains, and desserts, and each recipe shows preparation and cooking time, serving sizes, and level of cooking difficulty. I would prefer more nutritional information such as the caloric breakdown – or even protein, fibre, and iron content per serving. Most recipes include accessible ingredients such as beans, grains, vegetables, and spices, but some ingredients such as teff flour for Injera or scotch bonnet peppers are more difficult for me to find, so the book could include some ideas for substitutes. From Soil to Soul is an inspiring, well-presented cookbook that stands out for its uniqueness and authenticity. It is an excellent addition to my kitchen. Can’t see the whole article? Want to view the original article? Want to view more articles? Go to Martina’s Substack: The Stories in You and Me As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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