Never had African food before? Start here.

Pick a spice level and a texture, and this shows a few genuinely good first dishes to try, each one explained plainly and linked straight to where you can actually find it. Every dish here is also covered in more depth on Food Histories, if you want the full story behind it.

Dietary and allergen details are only shown when a specific restaurant has confirmed them (vegan, vegetarian, halal or gluten-free) — never assumed from a dish's ingredients. Check the dietary filter on the main site for restaurants with confirmed options, and always confirm allergens directly with the restaurant before ordering.