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Compass Rose
R. Lopez

Nine Places To Explore Cuisines from the African Continent

Yes, including Ethiopian

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Compass Rose
|R. Lopez

Africa is a big continent, not a country. That means "African cuisine" is actually a giant category that doesn't really do justice to the hundreds of different cultures coexisting there.

Back in January, Eater touched on just one African cuisine –Moroccan. Nowit's time to dive deeper and explore other types like Mozambican, Senegalese, Eritrean, Nigerian, Ghanian. Of course there's representation fromEthiopian,arguably the city's most famous African cuisine.

Dishes like fufu,ugali, andnsimaare guaranteed to make an appearance. They're different names for essentially the same thing – a food made with maize or cassava that's a vehicle for proteins and vegetables. It's a staple in Central, East, and Southern Africa.Jollofrice is a West African dish of rice, tomato sauce, and spices.Egusiis a melon seed used to make a famous West African soup.

With this primer on dishes from across the continent, enjoy these nine places to taste just a small sample of the many African cuisines out there.

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Appioo African Bar & Grill

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For those craving some Ghanian dishes, this Shaw restaurant has some of the staples on its menu like pepper soup,fufu,egusi, andjollofrice (rice cooked with tomato sauce and spices).

Bukom Cafe

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A favorite for fans of West African cuisine, Bukom Cafe is named after a famous square in Accra, Ghana and has a wide variety of West African dishes on the menu. Theegusiis goat meat cooked with melon seeds — that's the namesake for the dish. It's popular in Nigeria.

Compass Rose

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The restaurant where diners can take a trip around the world occasionally offers a dish or two from the African continent. On the menu isgambas Mozambiquewhich is literally "Mozambican shrimp". Because Mozambique was colonized by Portugal, the cuisines of the two countries are very much intertwined.

ECCC Restaurant

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ECCC is very much understated. While there are indeed Ethiopian dishes on the menu, this restaurant focuses on its Eritrean roots.

Habesha Market and Carry-out

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Located on 9th St NW amongst many other Ethiopian joints, Habesha is not only a restaurant but also a market. Shoppers can pop in to buyinjerato take home and make their own Ethiopian meals.

Keren Restaurant

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This Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant has many cross-cultural dishes on the menu, including its well-loved Eritrean breakfast bowl offuul, which is seasoned beans topped with vegetables, greens, and scrambled eggs.

Mama Ayesha's

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The pan-Middle Eastern restaurant is famous not only for its mural but also for dishes from Egypt likemujadarah(also popular in Lebananon) – a mixture of lentils, rice, onions, and yogurt.

Marrakech Restaurant DC

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Moroccan cuisine is one of the more famous cuisines to come from Africa, and Marrakech Restaurant serves up many traditional dishes and has live belly dancing on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Sumah's West African Restaurant

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Sumach's goes for many of the West African regional dishes. And this restaurant may be the only place to findkrain krain– the Sierre Leone stew made from leaves and traditionally eaten withfufuor rice.

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Appioo African Bar & Grill

For those craving some Ghanian dishes, this Shaw restaurant has some of the staples on its menu like pepper soup,fufu,egusi, andjollofrice (rice cooked with tomato sauce and spices).

Bukom Cafe

A favorite for fans of West African cuisine, Bukom Cafe is named after a famous square in Accra, Ghana and has a wide variety of West African dishes on the menu. Theegusiis goat meat cooked with melon seeds — that's the namesake for the dish. It's popular in Nigeria.

Compass Rose

The restaurant where diners can take a trip around the world occasionally offers a dish or two from the African continent. On the menu isgambas Mozambiquewhich is literally "Mozambican shrimp". Because Mozambique was colonized by Portugal, the cuisines of the two countries are very much intertwined.

ECCC Restaurant

ECCC is very much understated. While there are indeed Ethiopian dishes on the menu, this restaurant focuses on its Eritrean roots.

Habesha Market and Carry-out

Located on 9th St NW amongst many other Ethiopian joints, Habesha is not only a restaurant but also a market. Shoppers can pop in to buyinjerato take home and make their own Ethiopian meals.

Keren Restaurant

This Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant has many cross-cultural dishes on the menu, including its well-loved Eritrean breakfast bowl offuul, which is seasoned beans topped with vegetables, greens, and scrambled eggs.

Mama Ayesha's

The pan-Middle Eastern restaurant is famous not only for its mural but also for dishes from Egypt likemujadarah(also popular in Lebananon) – a mixture of lentils, rice, onions, and yogurt.

Marrakech Restaurant DC

Moroccan cuisine is one of the more famous cuisines to come from Africa, and Marrakech Restaurant serves up many traditional dishes and has live belly dancing on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Sumah's West African Restaurant

Sumach's goes for many of the West African regional dishes. And this restaurant may be the only place to findkrain krain– the Sierre Leone stew made from leaves and traditionally eaten withfufuor rice.

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