African Culture

  • How to Make Spicy Chakalaka

    Look out for Chakalaka on the menu of any South African ceremony you attend. It’s usually a mix of spicy vegetables  and baked beans. Interestingly, no one really cooks Chakalaka with the same ingredients, but the cooking process is the same. You can tweak some ingredients to your own taste; some add more chilli’s others…

  • What is Injera?

    If you ever get to attend an Ethiopian/Eritrean wedding get ready to eat the popular delicacy “Injera”. So what is Injera? Injera is a bread made with teff flour (a kind of millet growing only in Ethiopia). The injera has a slightly spongy texture and a slight bitter taste. This spongy flatbread is what you…

  • What do You Need When Planning a Habesha Wedding?

    This is not an exhaustive list, but is a starter to help you start planning your Habesha wedding. Feel free to add more items to the list in the comment section:  Ethiopian /Eritrean Cultural Wedding Ceremony! Wedding Checklist -Wedding Jewelry – Wedding Rings  -traditional Wedding dress…Kaba – traditional shoes – hair extensions – Makeup –…

  • What is Telosh?

    The Habesha traditional wedding ceremony begins with a ceremony called Telosh (Ethiopian) or Helefot (Eritrean), which happens two days, usually a the Thursday or Friday before the main wedding ceremony. This ceremony takes place in the Bride’s family home and is an opportunity for the groom and his family to shower the Bride with gifts….

  • What are Waist beads used for?

    Ghana waist beads have been used by  Ghanaian women for centuries to shape their bodies. Traditionally, consistently wearing multiple waist beads over time is believed to help to keep the waist small and thereby accentuate the hips. Waist beads are not beaded on stretch material but on cotton cord, therefore, the beads can only roll…