United Nations African Mothers Association Annual African Buffet Luncheon

PAN-AFRICA 🌍

With only one stomach at my disposal, and one short meal to eat, the only trouble at this year's United Nations African Mothers Association annual luncheon was that I constantly had to decide what not to each much of. Everything was so delicious, as always, and a few new countries were on the menu. I could not have asked for much more.

This year's event took place on the 21st floor of the Consulate of Nigeria near the UN. Sun was pouring in the windows and the atmosphere was generally festive especially once the music was on. I arrived on the early side and took a seat at an empty table waiting for some other folks I knew that might want to join me, but was quickly joined instead by two Egyptians, a lady from Cape Verde, a South African, and a Libyan. No need to reserve seats when new friends could be made!

A modest $40 donation to the association was all it took to be a part of the meal.

In the program it is said that the foods are prepared by the wives of diplomats. I counted thirteen nations amongst the available cuisines this year, with two more items going unidentified despite trying.

Here are some photos of the buffet feast. I think this is everything except the ndole from 🇨🇲 Cameroon, the seswaa from 🇧🇼 Botswana, and the koshary from 🇪🇬 Egypt. Things got a little frantic as the attendees got hungry and started attacking the buffet line:

🇳🇬 NIGERIA - Puff puffs and meat pies

🇧🇫 BURKINA FASO - Bean Cake

🇧🇫 BURKINA FASO - Chicken

🇨🇮 CÔTE D'IVOIRE - Chicken (on right)

🇨🇻 CABO VERDE - Grilled Salmon

🇷🇼 RWANDA - Boiled orange sweet potatoes

🇹🇿 TANZANIA - Pilau

🇱🇾 LIBYA - Couscous with lamb

Unidentified chicken

🇧🇯 BENIN - Bitter green stew with fufu

🇰🇪 KENYA - Baked potatoes and boneless chicken

🇩🇿 ALGERIA - Dates

🇩🇿 ALGERIA - Baklawa

🇨🇻 CABO VERDE - Sweet rice

🇩🇿 ALGERIA - Griouech

🌍🌍🌍

UNAMA Luncheon

The Consulate of Nigeria

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Abuja International

NIGERIA 🇳🇬
CAMEROON 🇨🇲

Sometimes a gem is found in the most unlikely of places. In Union Township, New Jersey, a corner home that was once turned into a corner tavern is now home to Abuja International, a corner Nigerian restaurant. The charm is in the fact that the place's interior has not been changed, so it still reads as the kind of tavern whose customers are on the young side if they are in their 60's.

The customers here though are young and old and of West African origin, jostling for the remote of TV Afrique, a satellite service that connects them to their home countries and is available here. Even on a monsoon December evening, the place started getting full at happy hour and each guy took what was probably his regular stool at the bar, shaking hands with all the friends that he most likely has not seen since last night.

The woman who runs the kitchen makes an appearance every once in awhile, keeping her stern face as she slowly walks by but greeting us with a quick "Hello." There is such a thing in the world as "Africa time," Africans referred to it plenty while I was traveling in Senegal and Mali, and it requires people accustomed to faster paces to relax and lay down their desires for a quick fix. Even in New Jersey, this restaurant definitely runs on Africa time, so do come with an abundance of time and possibly a thirst for a couple cocktails. After all, they did leave the old bar in place, so you might as well take advantage of it like the other customers are doing.

The menu here is extensive, with all the Nigerian food that could possibly be desired. What makes it a bit of a unicorn though is the inclusion of a few Cameroonian items, two fish dishes cooked "Cameroonian style," and Ndolé, the national dish of Cameroon.

Ndoleh, the bitter green used in the dish, is called Vernonia in English. It is one of the variations you might find in Nigerian egusi soup. Here it is mixed with stewed nuts and served with large chunks of beef. The plate above goes for $20, but is most likely more than one person can eat alone. Typically you eat your ndolé with sweet plantains and rice, and our plate is paired with an incredibly spicy yellow pepper sauce that needs to be used with caution.

🇳🇬🇳🇬🇳🇬🇨🇲🇨🇲🇨🇲
UNION New Jersey

1784 Burnet Avenue

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