Let’s explore math through the culinary creations of these African chefs! Each lesson will include their location on a world map and use their signature dish as a math-learning opportunity.
1. Pierre Thiam (Senegal)
Location
Senegal, West Africa.
Signature Dish
Fonio Salad.
Ingredients: - 200g cooked fonio - 100g mango (diced) - 50g cherry tomatoes (halved) - 25ml lime juice - 10g fresh herbs (chopped)
Math Lesson
Scaling Recipes
If the recipe serves 4, how much of each ingredient would you need to serve 12?
Ratios:
What is the ratio of fonio to mango to tomatoes in the recipe?
Conversions
Convert 200g of fonio into ounces (1g ≈ 0.035oz).
2. Selassie Atadika (Ghana)
Location:
Ghana, West Africa.
Signature Dish
Chocolate Bonbons. Ingredients:
- 300g chocolate - 50g peanuts (crushed) - 30g dried hibiscus flowers - 100ml coconut cream
Math Lesson
Proportions:
If you use 300g of chocolate for 20 bonbons, how much chocolate is in each bonbon?
What fraction of the total ingredients is made up by the chocolate?
Conversions
Convert 100ml of coconut cream to cups (1 cup ≈ 240ml).
3. Siba Mtongana (South Africa)
Location
South Africa, Southern Africa.
Signature Dish
Truffle-Infused Pap.
Ingredients:
- 300g maize meal - 200ml milk - 50ml truffle oil - 30g butter
Math Lesson
Ratios:
What is the ratio of maize meal to milk to truffle oil in the dish?
Scaling Down:
If you only have 150g of maize meal, how much milk, truffle oil, and butter would you need?
Time Calculation:
If pap takes 15 minutes to cook, and you start at 6:45 PM, what time will it be ready?
4. Alain Lemaire (Haiti/Caribbean-African Fusion)
Location
Haiti (Caribbean but with African culinary roots).
Signature Dish:
Fried Fish with Plantains. I Ingredients: - 2 fish fillets (250g each) - 3 plantains (medium-sized) - 100ml cooking oil - 50g spices (blended mix)
Math Lesson
Scaling Recipes
How much oil and spices would you need for 6 fish fillets?
Proportions
If plantains are 60% of the recipe’s weight, how much do they weigh in total?
Geometry
Plantains are often sliced into round disks
Calculate the area of one disk if the radius is 2cm \((\text{Area} = \pi r^2)\).
5. Coco Reinarhz (Democratic Republic of Congo)
**Location**: DRC, Central Africa.
Signature Dish:
Palm-Nut Infused Chicken. Ingredients: - 1kg chicken - 300ml palm nut cream - 200g spinach - 50g onions - 20g garlic
Math Lesson
Ratios
What is the ratio of chicken to palm nut cream to spinach in the recipe?
Scaling Up
If you want to cook for 10 people instead of 5, how much of each ingredient would you need?
Conversions
Convert 300ml of palm nut cream into liters (1 liter = 1000ml).
—
