Africa speaking through its food: sensory memory, cultural knowledge, living tradition.
Food-grade shea butter — a fat that carries both nourishment and memory.
This is a structured collection of African food knowledge. Not recipes alone, but the sensory, technical, and cultural context that makes African foodways unique.
| What We Document | Examples |
|---|---|
| Sensory observations | How cerasee leaves feel between fingers, how shea butter smells and melts |
| Technical principles | The ash principle, alkaline processing, traditional food chemistry |
| Cultural context | Why the same plant is food in Africa and invasive in Florida |
| Tactile memory | The graininess of unrefined shea, the peppery aroma of young leaves |
The ash principle, alkaline cooking methods, traditional food chemistry.
Shea butter sensory and cultural profile, ingredient documentation.
Air potato paradox — food in Africa, invasive species in Florida.
Find entries by keyword, region, or sensory note.
APA: Newton, I. (2026). African Foodways Heritage Archive. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17329200
Plain text: Ivy Newton. (2026). African Foodways Heritage Archive. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17329200