Mahamri, a fried, glazed dessert popular in Kenya.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"Ethiopian food is famous for hot, spicy food served on top of soft, spongy pancake-like flat bread called injera," she says.

"Injera features a slightly sour flavor that comes from fermentation. The tangy flavor is designed to complement the flavors found in Ethiopian stews."

Diners use the bread made from an endemic gluten-free grain called teff to scoop up the fiery dollops of stew.

"To me and many other Ethiopians, cuisine is more than just mixed ingredients. It's culture," she says.

"In our culture, cuisine is a way of sharing and spreading love on a plate."

Baitie points out that, while many dining customs vary, Chinese and Africans share the concept that meals are times for people to come together.

She quotes Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe, who said: "A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground, it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so."