sub-Saharan Africa

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets

By Darra Goldstein

Published 2015

  • About

sub-Saharan Africa has never been known globally for its sweets. Meals traditionally include a filling starch served with a relish, sauce, stew, or soup. Ending meals with a dessert is still largely considered superfluous. One or two main meals a day are supplemented by snacking on fruits, nuts, and seeds, or on starchy foods like plantain or corn that have been roasted, boiled, or fried.