Khemisi is a collaborative platform dedicated to safeguarding the knowledge of indigenous communities about medicinal plants, food and natural remedies. By curating and sharing centuries-old wisdom on plant use for healing, agriculture, and spiritual practices, the database serves as a living archive that promotes sustainable practices and decolonizes access to this invaluable heritage. It empowers global communities to connect with ancestral knowledge while respecting the cultural sovereignty of the knowledge bearers.

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis)

Traditional Use: Rooibos, native to South Africa, has been a cherished beverage for generations. Beyond its pleasant taste, Rooibos offers a wealth of health benefits, including antioxidant properties and potential cardiovascular advantages.

Modern Application: Today, Rooibos is celebrated worldwide, not just for its uniquely pleasant taste but also for its rich antioxidant properties. Studies suggest that the plant may offer cardiovascular benefits and has the potential to alleviate certain skin conditions.

African Ginger (Siphonochilus aethiopicus)

Traditional Use: African Ginger is a plant revered in numerous African cultures for its multifaceted healing properties. Historically, it was used to combat fever, flu, and even rheumatism. Its potent anti-inflammatory qualities made it a favorite for various internal and external issues.

Modern Application: Scientific studies on African Ginger have validated its traditional uses. Beyond its anti-inflammatory properties, it also shows promise as an antimicrobial and antifungal agent. Its components are being explored for potential incorporation into modern drugs.

African Wormwood (Artemisia afra)

Traditional Use: Known locally as “African wormwood,” Artemisia afra has been a cornerstone in traditional remedies, particularly in the regions of Southern Africa. It was used to treat fevers, colds, and even malaria.

Modern Application: The plant’s potential against malaria has captured global interest. Artemisinin, a compound extracted from a related species, Artemisia annua, is a primary component in the frontline treatment against malaria. Research on Artemisia afra indicates a possibility that it may also harbor compounds effective against the disease.

Shea Butter (Vitellaria paradoxa)

Traditional Use: Derived from the Shea tree nuts found across West Africa, Shea butter has been a mainstay in local skincare routines for generations. It was believed to moisturize and protect the skin against harsh environmental conditions.

Modern Application: The global cosmetic industry has embraced Shea butter wholeheartedly. Its moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties have been substantiated through research, leading to its widespread use in lotions, creams, and balms.

Here’s a link to a comprehensive database from indigenous cultures in Africa:

What makes African food culture(s) distinct from Western food practices is, in a word, **relation**—not just to the thing we call food, but to the entire ecology of life that food connects. It’s about how food extends beyond the plate, rippling into histories, cosmologies, land, ancestors, and futures. You see, in Western food practices, food is often objectified, treated as a consumable product—something to be owned, commodified, fetishized in its isolation. **Individuality** and **consumption** reign supreme. You eat to satisfy a singular hunger, an isolated body.

But African food culture, like so much else of African life, resists that isolation, refuses to let food be a "thing" in itself. It is woven into the **social fabric**, the **spiritual cadence** of the community, the ancestors, and the land. To eat is not simply to consume—it is to remember, to honor, to partake in a lineage of being that exceeds the moment of eating. It’s why **agrarian societies** in Africa have long seen farming not as work in the mechanized, capitalist sense, but as a **ritual**, a tending to the earth with the understanding that you’re not just producing food—you’re maintaining a relationship with the world around you. Food, then, is not owned; it is shared, it is **relational**, it is part of the cycle of life that **sustains the communal**.

And let’s talk about **knowledge**: how African food cultures often rely on ancestral knowledge passed down, not written in cookbooks but embedded in hands, tongues, and memories. It’s a knowledge that Western food practices, with their obsession for innovation, extraction, and novelty, often miss—the way an elder’s hand intuitively knows how much grain to pour, the way the land itself tells you what it needs, the way ingredients are tied to the **spiritual ecosystems** they emerge from.

And then, there’s **spice**, not just in the literal sense, but in how food is imbued with meaning, purpose, and care. Every spice tells a story, carries a **memory** of trade routes, migrations, resistances, and meetings. Spices in African food are not about overpowering the senses; they are about invoking the **sacred**, the **ancestral**, the **historical**. They call forth the world from which the food comes, invoking a sense of being grounded in the land and yet always connected to the **diasporic flow** of people and culture.

In Western food practices, eating is so often a quick act of consumption, a **transactional moment**. In contrast, African food culture says that food is **processual**, a sustained dialogue between the eater, the earth, the ancestors, and the community. It’s about the **nourishment of the spirit**, the body, and the collective memory. It’s about honoring the fullness of what it means to eat, not just to survive, but to be **in relation**, to be in community, to be human in a way that refuses the isolation of the individual, insisting instead on a collective, cyclical, relational ontology.

So the distinction? African food culture refuses to forget—refuses to let food be alienated from the land, the people, the spirits, the past, and the future. It is a **radical act of remembering**, of saying that we are always already part of something much bigger than this singular act of eating, this singular moment of life. **We eat with the ancestors**. We eat for survival, yes, but also for liberation.

Here are some simple African-inspired recipes that you can make using ingredients commonly found in Europe and the West. These dishes incorporate the essence of African flavors while being adaptable to what's available in local grocery stores.

1. Jollof Rice (West African Tomato Rice)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups long-grain parboiled rice

• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

• 1/4 cup tomato paste

• 1 large onion (chopped)

• 2 bell peppers (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 teaspoon thyme

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onions, bell peppers, and garlic until softened.

3. Stir in tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, cooking for 5 minutes.

4. Add thyme, curry powder, smoked paprika, and bay leaf. Stir well.

5. Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Add the rice, stir, and cover the pot. Cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

2. Ugali (East African Cornmeal Porridge)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups maize flour (cornmeal or polenta)

• 4 cups water

• A pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a pot.

2. Gradually stir in the maize flour, a little at a time, while continuously stirring to avoid lumps.

3. Lower the heat and continue stirring as the mixture thickens and becomes firm (about 10 minutes).

4. Once it’s thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot, it’s ready. Serve with stew, sautéed vegetables, or grilled meat.

3. Moroccan Chickpea Tagine

Ingredients:

• 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 large onion (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 2 carrots (sliced)

• 1 zucchini (chopped)

• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/4 cup almonds (optional)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until soft.

2. Add cumin, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and cayenne, stirring until fragrant.

3. Add carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, and chickpeas. Stir to combine.

4. Simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend.

5. Stir in raisins and almonds (if using). Simmer for another 5 minutes.

6. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve over couscous or rice.

4. Peri-Peri Chicken (Southern African Spicy Chicken)

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)

• 2-3 red chili peppers (adjust to your spice tolerance)

• 1 red bell pepper

• 2 cloves garlic

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon vinegar

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Blend the chili peppers, bell pepper, garlic, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper to make the peri-peri sauce.

2. Coat the chicken thighs in the peri-peri sauce and marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight if possible).

3. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) or heat a grill.

4. Bake or grill the chicken for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally and basting with the remaining sauce.

5. Serve with rice, fries, or a salad.

5. Peanut Stew (West African Groundnut Stew)

Ingredients:

• 1 onion (chopped)

• 2 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1-inch piece of ginger (minced)

• 2 sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)

• 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup vegetable stock

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 can (400g) chickpeas (optional)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

  Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.

2. Add sweet potatoes, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.

3. Stir in peanut butter, smoked paprika, and cumin. Lower the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft.

4. If using, add chickpeas and simmer for another 5 minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve with rice or bread.