American Hamburger Vs African Akara

By Okechukwu Okugo

Truly Americans love eatery a lot, most especially fast food. And that is why it can be said that America runs on doughnuts and hamburgers, making companies like McDonald's, Burger King, White Castle, Checkers, Trueburger etc. always have a heyday in business.

But in Africa, especially West Africa, in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Mali and Gambia, for many centuries ago, had been enjoying their own version of hamburgers called Akara.

Akara is also eaten in Brazil where it is known as Acaraje.

Akara or bean cake is made from peeled beans which is ground, then molded into balls and deep fried in palm oil.

It is a sort of fast food usually sold by street vendors who fry it by the roadside.

Frying this fast food has played a very significant economic role especially for women many centuries ago and even today.

It has helped families survive, as many village and town women relied on frying and selling akara to feed their family.
Mainly, bachelors who were unable to cook, had always relied on this African burger or sandwich to keep hunger at bay. But akara is eaten and enjoyed by all; young and old.

In fact some of Nigerian's old prominent politicians today, hawked akara on their heads in the street as children.

Akara is a very popular breakfast dish commonly eaten with bread and pap.

American hamburgers are sandwiches which are divided into two halves and inside it are placed cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, and other toppings like bacon, sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, fried egg etc.

Yet, American hamburgers also are eaten with lot more creative toppings like truffles, foie gras and also with ketchup.

Akara as the African's number one native hamburger, is eaten with its own toppings too.

It is served split in half and stuffed with a spicy paste or an African type of ketchup made with palm oil, ground shrimps and with other types of ground ingredients etc.

There are other toppings made like salad with green and red tomatoes, fried shrimps and hot pepper sauce.

Just the same way American hamburgers have saved millions of mouths from hunger, especially in between meals, so has the African akara.

And many industrious African women continue to depend on it to sustain their families.
 


Akara and pap (served with milk poured on top of the pap)       Photo credit: dobbyssignature.com




African Akara with a vegetable topping                                    American burgers with its own kind of              Photo credit: halboor.com                                               toppings too source: thehalfwall.com




A roadside/street vendor frying and selling acaraje or akara in Brazil       photo credit: www.brazilianfoodguide.com

(Opening image: A famous Nigerian entrepreneur, Esther, who through frying and selling Akara bought property of a good worth in Nigeria. Photo credit: ihvnigeria.org)