By Rachael Shugars, AAP Columnist

The Lizzyboat African Market is an unassuming structure along the Rt. 130 South corridor on Pennsauken. Owner and Pennsauken resident, Isaac Boateng, opened the market five years ago and has brought a true taste of Africa to our ever growing community via his marketplace.

Isaac moved from Ghana, Africa, 15 years ago, but still holds strong roots of his Asante tribe culture by bringing in shipments of some of the most popular home country delights. He receives orders every two weeks from Africa containing, everything from black soap and cassava leaves to handmade waist beads, African textiles, and even movies from his home country.

His sister, Esta Eseal, even makes beautifully crafted, flavorful, flakey meat pies that anyone can purchase and bring home in heat-and-serve fashion for a quick lunch or dinner.

There are platters also available in the refrigerator, packed and ready to go with meats, rice, and other side additions like boiled eggs and homemade stews. Isaac did let me know that anyone can call at (856) 665-8595 or e-mail at Saboat@comcast.net and request something more specific and made to order. They offer almost anything African and even Caribbean. They are also happy to provide catering for any special event and have pricing and dishes available upon request.

There are wonderful, fresh baked breads brought to the market every week from an African bakery up in New York City. This includes everything from huge loaves of sliced and unsliced sandwich style breads to dinner rolls and, my personal favorite, a large, pull apart bread perfectly sturdy for dipping into a fresh made stew.

Upon my first and second visits to the market, I tried a plethora of fun, different things. Their peanut cake, similar to peanut brittle, is awesome and will only set you back one dollar. There’s a much more sticky treat as well, made from caramel and coconut. I decided to cut little pieces off here and there and it ended up lasting me a week. The platter I got was enough for two people and only cost $10. I got fried fish, chicken, stew, an egg, and lots of very flavorful rice. I’d definitely recommend the platter and find it to be a fun food option for even the timid food adventurers out there. You get authentic flavors without fear of the unknown. The platters are plentiful and very good.

Isaac is also very helpful in explaining what everything is. That was incredibly helpful, since I had very little to zero experience with African cuisine. There are so many types of flours and oils used for different things; that’s how you get such incredible flavors from each dish. The freezers that line the back wall of the market are constantly being stocked with lots of options, including oxtails, different cuts of beef, and even goat, which I think is incredibly tender and amazing in soups and stews. The meat pies are also very popular and there are spicy (Caribbean) and non-spicy (African) options available.

When you visit the market, don’t be afraid to ask Isaac a few questions. If you see something and you’re not sure how to prepare it, just buy it and give it a try. Have fun and enjoy your Food Adventures!

Find more local food content by liking “All Around Pennsauken Food Adventures” on Facebook. Have some suggestions/requests/ideas for my next adventure? E-mail foodadventurespennsauken@gmail.com.