Food

Nsime is the staple food in Malawi. It is made by boiling corn flower until it becomes a thick portage (similar to cream of wheat, only cream of corn). Then more flour is added and it is stirred until it becomes a solid. It is scooped out into balls as seen above. It is very filling. When I first came to Malawi I could only eat 1 lump. I now eat 3. I often find it is hard to feel full on other foods now. This is something that is eaten for both lunch and dinner pretty much everyday.

The above picture is my breakfast. On the plat is portage made of maize. I also put in milk powder to add nutrients. It is common to put lots of sugar on top. I also have tea and bananas every morning. People here put a ton of sugar in their tea.

Another thing that is made from pounded maize is sweet beer picture above). They basically just soak it in water for a period of time. It has a very unusual taste that is kind of sour. The texture is a bit hard to get used. Other volunteers have said the after taste is a bit like vomit. Even though I don't like it that much, it is not that bad. Like most things it is better with lots of sugar.

Nsima on its own doesn't have much of a favour and people never eat it on its own. It is served with relish, which refers to any dish served with nsima. Above is a picture of a relish made of rape, tomatoes and peanut flour. You break off a piece of nsima with your hand (only the right hand), roll it into a ball and make an indentation with your thumb. That then becomes your spoon for the relish. Below is a fish relish.

Chicken is also quite common in my household. Above is a picture of Martha preparing two chicken's over a fire. For the first time I watched the slaughtering of an animal, when Lison cut the throats of those chickens, which I later ate.

The picture above is Baobab Tree fruit. The outside is really hard, almost like a coconut. Inside there are these chalky chunks you suck on or dissolve in water. In the middle of the white chunks is a black seed which you spit out. It is an odd taste that is hard to describe, but it is slightly sour. It is eaten as a snack.