North Africa is almost entirely desert or near desert. The limits of the desert correspond closely to the extent of Islam, a faith that thrives particularly under conditions of ecological and economic impoverishment. In culture and cuisine the region is closely alied to the Middle East and Arabia. Arabic is the predominant language group.

Sub-Saharan or "Black Africa" is a very mixed region of traditional, tribal and European colonial influances. Cuisines of the region show influence from India and Southeast Asia, trading partners for thousands of years, and relatively minor influence from the Islamic cuisine of North Africa.