Food!

I am going to use this space as a running entry where I will log and share the many different great foods I am trying and learning to cook while in Uganda.  This is what I’ve tried so far:

Obunvu or tapioca is a dish made out of cassava flour and water.  You simply mix the cassava flour and a small amount of water together over a medium to high heat while stirring.  It rises into a large mass of Obunvu.  This is a traditional meal to make for friends to show you care for them.  Also when in-laws come visit it is tradition to make obunvu.  Stew is served with obunvu, these are the kinds I’ve tried so far:

Talapia Stew – This stew is very simple, just a few pieces of whole tilapia from near by lake George, water, cooking oil, onions and tomatoes.  It is delicious.

            Goat Stew – Very similar to the tilapia stew, just substitute goat.  Also very good.

To eat the obunvu you take a piece from the community plate with your hands, roll it into a ball, dip it into your stew and then swallow it whole, without chewing.  It is delicious and stretches the flavor of the stew.  I will be bringing cassava flour home with me to make this dish with my friends and family.

Matoke Since arriving in Uganda I have eaten a lot of matoke, prepared in many different ways.  Matoke is a fruit, somewhat similar to a banana or plantain.  It has a green peal which reveals a light yellow fruit inside.  I’ve been working on my matoke pealing skills and I am getting better, but it is very sticky business!

Grilled Matoke – I tried this from a street vendor, it is simply pealed matoke that is grilled.  A great snack for when you're on the go!

Janet's Matoke – Janet makes the best matoke around.  Her matoke consists of matoke, onions, tomatoes and cooking oil.  Combine all ingredients over a medium heat and stir regularly.  Cook until matoke is soft. 

No Oil Matoke – At school I tried a bit of Edson's lunch, which was matoke, cassava and beans with no oil.  It was good, the cassava root is a little dry by itself so make sure to have a scoop of beans to wash it down with.

Pineapple Juice - Take ¼ of a pineapple, cut it off the skin, cut it into strips, put the strips in the bowl then mash up the pineapple by hand.  Once it is juicy and mashed add a bit of sugar, fill the rest of the bowl up with boiled water, strain and vola, fresh pineapple juice!  Delicious, easy and fun to make.

Irish potatoes - Another staple meal at our house in Kasese is Irish potatoes, tomatoes, onions and cooking oil.   Start with hot oil in the pan, test it with the onions.  Add the onions for a few minutes before the potatoes, then add the potatoes and tomatoes.  When you are done you have a huge plate of potatoes for dinner!  We recently purchased some ketchup to supplement the potatoes.

Porridge – Another treat Edson and Janet have introduced me to is porridge, which we make out of fresh whole milk.  Bring the milk to a boil while in another pan combining maize flour with a small amount of water, just enough water to make it liquid.  Once the milk has been boiling awhile add the maize flour water mixture to the milk and stir.  Continue heating until porridge is well mixed then serve with sugar.

Another fresh whole milk treat is simply hot milk mixed with sugar.  This is my favorite before bed treat.

Chapeti – Chapeti is a warm flat bread which I tried for the 1^st time after Edson purchased some for Jenna and I as an after school snack.  It hit the spot.  Edson told us we will learn to make it, so hopefully more information is coming soon!

In general the food has been great so far. It has been difficult getting used to eating large meals, many of which are mostly starch based without many vegetables.  The meals do a great job of filling me up and keep me going until my next meal.  Most of the meals we make in the Kasese house use  a lot of cooking oil and salt.  I was shocked to see how much cooking oil goes into each meal.  Thankfully a large portion of this oil is reused, however the amount that stays in our food is still much more oil than I am used to consuming.