BECA Travels: Food
Food
The food here has been an adventure in itself. The HardtHaven compound is about a city block from the compound belonging to Edem's family. The father is retired; the mother has a small store - a grocery store, for lack of a proper title. Edem's mother or sister make the food for us and bring it to the HardtHaven compound. The other volunteers - there are three from Holland and one from the U.S. - sleep either at HardtHaven or at Edem's family compound, but they eat at Edem's family house.
Kate, the sister, puts a plastic basket containing everything - 12 plates, silverware, food, etc. - on her head and walks over to our compound. In the morning, we have several thermoses of hot water to which we add Nescafe instant coffee, Lipton tea, or a chocolatey powder called Milo. Usually, there is bread, often with butter and honey. The first week, we also had peanut butter, but that ran out, so we are back to bread with butter, sometimes jam, and sometimes honey.
At lunch and dinner, we have more substantial food. There is always some sort of starch - yams, rice or noodles - and generally a sauce to go over it. Yesterday, at lunch, we had a bean dish (the consistency much like our canned baked beans, but a different flavor) and fried plantains. Often, the sauce has chicken in it - small pieces - as well as mild peppers (like jalapenos in appearance), and probably some vegetables. Last night, we had a stew that was mostly yams and some sauce. Occasionally, we have fried chicken - very small pieces, and occasionally, we have hard boiled eggs served with rice and a sauce.
There is a dish called, "fu fu," which is a paste made of plantains and casava cooked and pounded together into a doughy paste. Each person is served a ball of it - probably four inches in diameter, and a stew - often with chicken in it - to put over the paste. It is very filling, and good. There is another dish that looks similar and is called "bancu." Again, there is a dough-like ball - this time, a bit sour - over which you put a stew or sauce. There is a third dish, much like these two, in which you are served what appears to be a raw dough ball served in Saran Wrap. Again, each person takes one, and puts sauce or stew over it.
We are served in dishes that contain food for all of us. The amounts are quite scant, especially for the five young men in the group. We do our best to make sure that everyone has enough. It has been a challenge for the one vegetarian among us, who often has dishes without meat, but it's not always easy to tell whether the sauces have meat in them or not. He has kept to his vegetarianism so far, although it's been a difficult commitment to keep. We are all getting enough nutrients, especially if we remember that we're only here for 3 1/2 weeks, and then we return to our protein and vitamin-rich environment of abundance.
The food at the waterfall was different, and more plentiful. There were African and European options for each meal, and the servings were probably the size we would have at home. It felt as if we were overeating. And we had eggs for breakfast! And REAL coffee! What a luxury! In fact, several of us had stomach issues from this quantity and quality of food, after two weeks at HardtHaven! And the coffee may have disrupted our sleep.
Yes, talk over the table often turns to food back home. Inevitable on any trip out of the country, but particularly the case here. I have heard a yearning for artichokes, for cheese, for a tall glass of milk. And of course, for a good cup of coffee! Several students have planned stops at In 'N Out on the way home from the airport. What is certain is that we will appreciate our abundance - and our vegetables and fruit - much more when we return.
The food here has been an adventure in itself. The HardtHaven compound is about a city block from the compound belonging to Edem's family. The father is retired; the mother has a small store - a grocery store, for lack of a proper title. Edem's mother or sister make the food for us and bring it to the HardtHaven compound. The other volunteers - there are three from Holland and one from the U.S. - sleep either at HardtHaven or at Edem's family compound, but they eat at Edem's family house.
Kate, the sister, puts a plastic basket containing everything - 12 plates, silverware, food, etc. - on her head and walks over to our compound. In the morning, we have several thermoses of hot water to which we add Nescafe instant coffee, Lipton tea, or a chocolatey powder called Milo. Usually, there is bread, often with butter and honey. The first week, we also had peanut butter, but that ran out, so we are back to bread with butter, sometimes jam, and sometimes honey.
At lunch and dinner, we have more substantial food. There is always some sort of starch - yams, rice or noodles - and generally a sauce to go over it. Yesterday, at lunch, we had a bean dish (the consistency much like our canned baked beans, but a different flavor) and fried plantains. Often, the sauce has chicken in it - small pieces - as well as mild peppers (like jalapenos in appearance), and probably some vegetables. Last night, we had a stew that was mostly yams and some sauce. Occasionally, we have fried chicken - very small pieces, and occasionally, we have hard boiled eggs served with rice and a sauce.
There is a dish called, "fu fu," which is a paste made of plantains and casava cooked and pounded together into a doughy paste. Each person is served a ball of it - probably four inches in diameter, and a stew - often with chicken in it - to put over the paste. It is very filling, and good. There is another dish that looks similar and is called "bancu." Again, there is a dough-like ball - this time, a bit sour - over which you put a stew or sauce. There is a third dish, much like these two, in which you are served what appears to be a raw dough ball served in Saran Wrap. Again, each person takes one, and puts sauce or stew over it.
We are served in dishes that contain food for all of us. The amounts are quite scant, especially for the five young men in the group. We do our best to make sure that everyone has enough. It has been a challenge for the one vegetarian among us, who often has dishes without meat, but it's not always easy to tell whether the sauces have meat in them or not. He has kept to his vegetarianism so far, although it's been a difficult commitment to keep. We are all getting enough nutrients, especially if we remember that we're only here for 3 1/2 weeks, and then we return to our protein and vitamin-rich environment of abundance.
The food at the waterfall was different, and more plentiful. There were African and European options for each meal, and the servings were probably the size we would have at home. It felt as if we were overeating. And we had eggs for breakfast! And REAL coffee! What a luxury! In fact, several of us had stomach issues from this quantity and quality of food, after two weeks at HardtHaven! And the coffee may have disrupted our sleep.
Yes, talk over the table often turns to food back home. Inevitable on any trip out of the country, but particularly the case here. I have heard a yearning for artichokes, for cheese, for a tall glass of milk. And of course, for a good cup of coffee! Several students have planned stops at In 'N Out on the way home from the airport. What is certain is that we will appreciate our abundance - and our vegetables and fruit - much more when we return.
posted by Betsy J. Blosser at
6/18/2012 09:52:00 AM
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