Worldbuilding; it’s a key aspect of story-telling. It’s what draws the audience in and makes the experience more real.
The highly acclaimed movie Black Panther astounded audiences and critics with the creation of a beautiful cinematic world in the fictional African country of Wakanda. The writer of the latest installment of the Black Panther comic, Nnedi Okorafor is building the culture of Wakanda further with her recipe for a traditional Wakandan dish.
Okorafor’s culinary creation, Wakandan Jeweled Vegetable Pilau With Berbere Braised Lamb, takes inspiration from a fusion of various African dishes. As she explains, “Wakanda is an amalgamation of several African cultures. So just as the film pulls from African jewelry, arts, textiles, fabrics, architecture, and music, cuisines of Wakanda would follow the same line of thinking.” It’s clear that Nnedi wanted to display the variety and culture of African food, a subject that most Westerners often know nothing about. “We know what the stereotype is around the world—the starving African.” Says Nnedi, “Parts of the world don’t even think that Africans eat [laughs] let alone have sophisticated cuisine.”
Nnedi’s creation, shown step-by-step in a YouTube video, is a partnership between Tasty and Buzzfeed and is certainly succeeding in exposing Western audiences to the complexity and culture of African food. Infused with a variety of flavors and spices, the dish is sure to have fans of the movie giving the recipe a go and immersing themselves in this amalgamation of African culture. Check out the recipe for detailed instructions on how to cook this spicy dish!
In the mood for more food? Check out the world’s most dangerous ice cream!
