Tanzanian coconut curried shrimp — a coastal favorite rich in curry and coconut milk. Tanzanian Coconut Curried Shrimp Hello, my dear — I’m Ivy, The African Gourmet . With 25 years in the kitchen and 18 years documenting Africa’s culinary history , I’ve seen how the flavors of the Indian Ocean coast define Tanzanian cooking. This dish of Coconut Curried Shrimp is a coastal treasure — warm, creamy, and deeply seasoned — proof of how spice trade history shaped East African cuisine. About the Dish Coastal Tanzania is famous for its seafood — prawns and shrimp are caught fresh each morning and simmered in spiced coconut milk. The recipe reflects centuries of Swahili-Indian culinary exchange , where curry, cumin, and coconut blend into something uniquely African. This simple dish brings the ocean’s freshness to your table with ingredients you likely already have. Ingredients 1 pound cleaned shrimp 2 tablespoons curry powder ...

A tropical Côte d’Ivoire twist on classic British mango fool dessert. Mango Fool Dessert from Côte d’Ivoire Hello, my dear — I’m Ivy, The African Gourmet . After 25 years in the kitchen and 18 years of writing about African cuisine , I still love rediscovering recipes that bridge cultures. This Mango Fool from Côte d’Ivoire is one of those elegant fusions — a British colonial dessert lovingly reimagined with African fruits, spices, and sunshine. About Mango Fool in Africa Between 1893 and 1899, Côte d’Ivoire came under strong European influence, and British desserts like the “fool” — puréed fruit folded into cream — found their way into African kitchens. Over time, cooks across West Africa made it their own by using tropical fruits such as mangoes, papayas, and bananas . The result is a light, creamy dessert that honors both British technique and African flavor traditions. In African homes, a fool is more than a dessert — it’s a moment of celebration. T...