Chakula?

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After spending almost a month in TZ, I have had the opportunity to make a few interesting observations about local food and exactly how to eat.

Starches
So the basic starches here are wali (rice), chipsi (soggy french fries) and ugali (stiff porridge). I have tried to steer cleer of the chipsi as they tend to sit out in the open for a quite a long time, only to be re-fried upon ordering. Apparently they make some sort of "spanish omelette" (use term very loosely) out of eggs and chipsi - grease quotient = very high.

After some adjustment, I must admit that I am quite fond of the wali. It may be a tad oily (grease quotient = fair to moderate) and may also contain some crunchy bits (mantra = it's a rock, it won't kill me), but it's filling and keeps me going during the day.

Now Ugali - this is very intriguing. I love watching the locals eat ugali. It is made from either cassava or maize and basically comes out in these massive balls that look very similar to a giant cloud of marshmallow. But it is not light and fluffy. On the contrary, it is very dense (hence, stiff porridge) and is basically used as a spoon. Locals will grab a chunk of ugali and proceed to form it into a ball in the palm of their hands, then dip it in sauce, grab meat with the thumb, and pop the whole bit in their mouths. And sometimes the ugali is communal. Ah, what fun! Never try to shake hands with someone eating ugali - reach for the wrist instead...

Salt
Whenever you order a meal here, it is accompanied by either a large mound of salt or a salt shaker. Everyone appears to like their food to be extra salty. At lunch I watched one guy start to shake salt into his sauce... apparently it wasn't coming out fast enough, so he unscrewed the top of the shaker and dumped in a few hefty teaspoons. Shudder... but alas, I have noticed that as of late, I have also been partaking in the indiscrimate salting of my food... all before tasting it of course...

Meat
I was told that Arusha is the place to have meat and everyone likes to go there for grill. Ok, because I have officially sworn off of meat I was not that excited. And my excitement did not noticeably increase upon walking into the pub and finding the carcass of an unfortunate cow hanging rather unceremoniously from a hook not 5 steps from my chair (unrefrigerated of course). Whatever... my office mates ordered grill and about half an hour later a gigantic bowl of charred meat and gristle comes out (grease quotient = very high). By this time I had finished my meal and people insisted on offering me chunks of beef/fat dipped in the obligatory teaspoon of salt. When I reiterated that I did not eat meat, they all broke into laughter and said, "Vegetarian? No one is vegetarian here!" Well, how about flexetarian and pescetarian then? LOL

Fruit
All the wonderful fruit here makes it very tempting to become a fruitarian, if such a thing exists. It is absolutely wonderful! On the trip to Arusha, we stopped at some little "town" and bought pineapples - 5 for 1000Tshs (about 1USD). And only 500 Tshs for the guy to cut it at your table with his trusty mini-machete. Mangoes are readily available here at the bargain price of 5 for 1750Tshs (I think I got a little ripped off...). Bananas are also quite plentiful and are actually used as a staple food here - deep fried and served with your portion of greasy meat (see above).

Portion Sizes
Everything here appears to come in extra large sizes. Huge bowl of rice, mounds of meat, half-litre beers etc... And Apparently I do not eat enough to satisfy my colleagues. On our 5 day trip to Arusha, I was "Project Eat More." It seems that they wish to make me into, as my colleague labelled, an "African Mama." Use your imagination here. I laughed... but seeing how I have now found a Western-style supermarket that carries, get this, Lime Kit Kats (mmm...), I may well grow some child-bearing hips.

That's all my thoughts on food for now. I am very grateful that I have not gotten sick yet (knock on wood) and will continue to be careful.

Someone please go have some sushi for me ok?

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