• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Start Here
    • About
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
  • Bilingual Resources
    • Children’s Books
    • Music
    • Quotes
    • Movies
    • Printables
    • Apps, Games y Más
  • Bicultural Life
    • Parenting
    • Powerful Hispanic Mamas
    • Mamás Inmigrantes
  • Food
  • Travel
    • All About Ecuador
  • Causes
  • Subscribe
  • Nav Widget Area

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Hispanic Mama

Empowering through Heritage and Language

Subscribe

black history month

5 Latino Dishes That Feature Our African Heritage

February is Black History Month when we celebrate African American heritage. In the 16th century, between 9 and 12 million African people were brought to the Americas as slaves.  Afro-Latinos, people with African descent whose origins are in Latin America and the Caribbean are also part of this month celebration.

To honor Afro-Latinos, I have compiled a list of my favorite Latino dishes that highlight the many ways that African culture and traditions have influenced Latino culture. Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite one!

RELATED POST: What Capoeira Taught Me About Afro-Latinos History

5 Latino Dishes That Feature Our African Heritage 

Vatapá

This is a Brazilian Shrimp and Fish Coconut Stew whose origin is from West Africa. In fact, it still keeps the same Yoruba name which translates to “spicy seafood paste”. Get the recipe here.

A photo posted by Gabriela Salvador (@salvadorgabriela) on Apr 17, 2016 at 1:04pm PDT

g

Plantains

Oh-my-goodness! I am so happy that our kitchen inherited Easter Africa’s fascination on plantains. Without the African influence in the Latino culture, we would not have delicious dishes like Hudut, or Alcapurrias.

A photo posted by Linda -HispanicMama (@hispanic_mama) on Nov 5, 2015 at 1:52pm PST

D

Rondón

Rondón dates back to the 16th century when the first African slaves were brought to Latin America. The original recipe consisted of fish broth, coconut milk and whatever fruits were available.

A photo posted by •~☆~• aileem ★ ink•~☆~• (@aileem_juliao) on Feb 6, 2017 at 12:46pm PST

d

Warm Spices

Cinnamon, ginger, cloves, anise and other warm spices are part of our kitchen after Northern Africans and Indigenous Americans blended traditions. Can you imagine your arroz con leche without cinnamon on the top? Yo tampoco!

A photo posted by Ania ? (@scraperka) on Feb 5, 2017 at 3:43am PST

f

Quimbombo

Quibombo is a traditional Cuban okra strew mixed with plantain, pork, shrimp and other ingredients. The African Bantu tribes’s word for okra is kingombo. Okra is a popular staple in Northern African and historians believe that okra seeds were brought to the Americas by the African slaves.

A photo posted by Antonio Rivera (@t_cell) on Sep 19, 2015 at 12:16am PDT

February 7, 2017 9:26 am Hispanic Mama Filed Under: Food

What Capoeira Taught Me About Afro-Latinos History

 

I was the typical college freshman student who loved to dance and enjoyed finding excuses to go dancing. So, when I heard about the opening of a new dance class, I signed up without hesitation. It was November 2014, and little did I know that the UNESCO had just recognized Capoeira as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Brazil.”

At the time of registration, I found out that Capoeira (which was actually martial arts) began in the 16th century, around the same time when much of the African diaspora was prevalent in the New World. It was during those years when the African slaves created Capoeira as a symbol of resistance to the oppression.

 

capoeira

                Capoeira or the Dance of War by Johann Moritz Rugendas, 1825, published in 1835

Capoeira is beautiful, diverse and complex. It combines many elements such as dance, music, acrobatics and martial arts. The most important technique in Capoeira is “the ginga,” a movement that consists of rocking your body back and forth. (I think the ginga is a resemblance of the state of alertness that the slaves lived in the sugar cane farms where they were forced to work in hostile conditions.)

 

Today Afro-Latinos like other groups of people are free from slavery, but they still face other struggles such as racism, invisibility and even rejection. It is believed that only 5 percent of the Africans arriving in the slave ships were sent to North America. The other 95 percent went to Latin America and The Caribbean.

It is essential to acknowledge Afro-Latinos during Black History Month. These Latinos have added important contributions in the art, music, food, religion, science, sports and literature. The history of their people and events also needs to be heard.

 

A few notable Afro-Latinos:

  • João da Cruz e Sousa: Brazilian Poet and the son of emancipated slaves.
  • José María Morelos: Mexican revolutionary leader who led the Mexican War of Independence.
  • Celia Cruz: Cuban-American singer
  • Zulia Mena: First Afro-Colombian Congresswoman
  • Jean-Michel Basquiat, Afro-Puerto Rican and Haitian Artist
  • Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, Afro Puerto-Rican historian
  • Nicolás Guillén, Cuban poet.
  • Jacques Roumain, Haitian poet

 

 

February 29, 2016 10:32 am Hispanic Mama Filed Under: Bicultural Life

Primary Sidebar

Looking for Something?

          hello@empoderadigital.com

Browse Our Categories

Top Posts

  • 15 Traditional Nursery Rhymes in Spanish
    15 Traditional Nursery Rhymes in Spanish
  • 10 Songs in Spanish to Dedicate to Mothers
    10 Songs in Spanish to Dedicate to Mothers
  • 7 Best Vicente Fernandez Songs
    7 Best Vicente Fernandez Songs
  • 13+ Disney Songs in Spanish
    13+ Disney Songs in Spanish
  • Inspiring Quotes About Bilingualism
    Inspiring Quotes About Bilingualism
  • 5 Most Popular Sports in Latin America
    5 Most Popular Sports in Latin America
  • Phrases That Latina Moms Say
    Phrases That Latina Moms Say
  • Everything You Need to Know About Easter in Latin America
    Everything You Need to Know About Easter in Latin America
  • How To Make Humita
    How To Make Humita
  • 7 Quotes About Being An Immigrant By Famous Latinos
    7 Quotes About Being An Immigrant By Famous Latinos

Footer

About

All About Ecuador

Favorite Bilingual Books

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

© Copyright 2016 · Pretty Lifestyle WordPress Theme by: PDCD

 

Loading Comments...