Courtesy of Jam/desertcart.com

African Condiment: Jam

UK-based website http://www.theafricanchef.com/ has all sorts of original and unique African condiments using recipes and ingredients sourced from Africa. But the real stand-out product on their shop is the ‘Baobab Chilli Jam’, which won the ‘Best Food Product’ in Devonshire award in 2012. Described as “explosively spicy”, this African condiment is also gluten-free and vegan-friendly. The ingredients are all fair-trade, and it is comprised mainly of baobab fruit powder along with an assortment of herbs and spices and chilli and garlic to give it a sweet-spicy balance.

Courtesy of SATEMWA/yswara.com

African Condiment: Tea

http://www.yswara.com/la-maison-yswara/ is a website that sells a fascinating array of rare teas from around Africa; from the Roobios of South Africa to the kinkeliba bus tea drank all over Senegal and Gambia. All are grown from heirloom seeds; seeds passed down through hundreds of generations with no genetic modification or other human-tampering. One of the stand-out teas on offer is the South African ‘Buchu’. This African condiment is a native to the Cape Mountains, and the Khoisan people used it for its healing properties and as an elixir for longevity. From the 17th century, Buchu has slowly but surely grown in quality and popularity.

Courtesy of Coffee/solino-coffee.com

African Condiment: Coffee

Africa is home to some truly magnificent coffee, but some of the finest in Africa – if not the world – tends to come from Ethiopia. Fortunately then, http://www.solino-coffee.com/en/shop/ specialise in Ethiopian coffee. Solino coffee claims to be the first is 100% made in Ethiopia, from harvesting to roasting right down to the packaging. This African condiment breaks with the usual system where green coffee beans are bought from African countries and then shipped to Europe to be processed, packed, and sold, meaning that most of the time, the quality suffers. Solino offers everything from their cheaper espresso ground beans, way up to kilo packets of coffee crema whole beans which are their highest quality product, ideal for filter coffee or a light roasted espresso. It is considered one of the finest types in the world and is usually added in small quantities to inferior coffee to improve its taste. However, here you get the real article all to yourself.