Food

July 12, 2008

I went again to the Kimironko market today and after visiting a seamstress and buying more beautiful baskets from women vendors, I wandered into the food part of the market. There were mounds of flour on rows of tables, carefully shaped like great mountains; huge bags of rice on the floor, open and ready to be scooped; there were rows and rows of tiny little ripe bananas and huge bunches of green bananas that people somehow carry over their shoulders one at a time.

Then there were tables with beautiful little piles of ripe tomatoes, green beans, all sorts of onions, dried beans, green peas, garlic, habañero peppers, green bell peppers, leeks, carrots, beets, white potatoes, cassava, spinach-type greens, avocadoes, and probably more that I didn’t notice. There were some kiosks surrounding this part that sold fresh fish and chickens, and the most beautiful brown eggs. I could hear live chickens, too. They were behind stacks of vegetables ready to be prepared for sale. Oh, and there were smoked fishes too, great big flat ones and little tiny ones that looked almost like dried leaves.

One of my wishes as I was taking in that bounty was that I wished so much that I had a kitchen here. It would be so much fun to cook with these beautiful, fresh ingredients. Talk about eating local! This afternoon, I had to satisfy my hunger with a beautiful bunch of little bananas, which I later ate with peanuts. These will make a good snack tomorrow, too.

Tonight I ate at Bourbon, hoping to be able to access the internet (but that’s another post). I had what seems to be the national food of Rwanda, a brochette. A brochette can be made with any meat, but tonight, mine was beef tenderloin that had been rubbed with a reddish, rich spice. It was skewered and grilled with sections of white onion, tomato, and green bell pepper. It was incredibly delicious, a 10. And at 2300 RWF ($4.39US), an incredible bargain. It was served with French fries (huge serving) and a little garnish of lettuce, a slice of tomato, and a few thin rings of fresh white onion. Just about everyone says not to eat fresh produce, especially if it has been cup up, but I was so so so hungry for fresh food that I ate the tomato and onion anyway.

Delicious.

After visiting Kimironko and strolling through that market, I realize now that I simply have to buy a bowl, some tomatoes, onions, salt and pepper at the very least so that I can make salad in my room. Or tomato and onion sandwiches! If I can find vinegar, oil, some herbs, and a baguette, I can make some bread salad—panzanella—an Italian meal usually made from leftovers that is one of my comfort foods. Come to think of it, if I add pilli to the list, I could make really good guacamole. Hm.

I was surprised by the prevalence—dominance—of refined wheat and rice products here. White bread. White rice. White potatoes. White people food. Surely Rwandans would get more nutrients per calorie if they were eating whole wheat products and brown rice. And sweet potatoes. There isn’t rampant hunger here apparently, but the nutritional quality of the carbs could certainly be improved. I will say, though, that sugar here is somewhat unrefined. It’s cane sugar, like “Sugar in the Raw.”

Steph and Mike said the other night that there is a big market near the Never Again offices. I’ve seen the ingredients I’m hoping for at various places and I hear there are limes, too, so here’s hoping for yummy fresh goodness. And soon.