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Abstract
Food is an indispensable item for all human beings, and a means of survival. Through food, people create their own identities, which influence how they view themselves in relation to others. Food carries meanings that are associated with various occasions. Food also fosters communication among people and provides access to coded messages as well as forms of interaction that are not obvious to the external observer. There is however a paucity of qualitative studies on food and its symbolic and communicative function, especially on indigenous foods in the formerly colonised communities. This is even more glaringly so in Africa, despite the continent’s long precolonial history of dependence on indigenous foods. It is for this reason, and especially in view of the recent experiences with the covid-19 pandemic and its aggravation of food insecurity, that this article examines the state of indigenous foods in Africa through the case of the Mankon community in the Northwest region of Cameroon. A qualitative research approach was adopted, using in-depth interviews to collect data from 25 participants within the Mankon community. The findings revealed that the Mankon people continue to hold indigenous foods in high regard, not only for their nutritious and medicinal or health value but also for their socio-cultural significance. A lack of knowledge of the socio-cultural significance of these foods however became evident amongst the youth, calling for promotional educational interventions. Notwithstanding the limitations of this study, it contributes to closing the gap of a lack in qualitative research on indigenous foods, especially in Africa.