FOOD! Glorious food...

So a few people have asked me what the food is like...it isn't what I expected.  One of my favorite places to eat in Reno (although I haven't been there in a while) is Zagol's.  It's an Ethiopian restaurant on 4th street.  The food is very exotic (for the American palette) and has a lot of spices and flavor.  I guess I was expecting something similar.  Most of us, I think, tend to view Africa as just one huge country (and yes I know it's a continent haha), where everyone is divided into different states, but everyone is essentially the same.  Everyone here is very conscious of the different African cultures.  I was talking to the chairman of the parish council and he mentioned that there are a lot of foreigners in the parish.  When I asked him where they were from, I was expecting him to say Germany or India or Costa Rica...you know, other places far away.  Instead he said, "We have them from all over!  Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa" and so on. I laughed at myself...another stereotype I had fallen into.  Anyhoo, back to the food.   The food here is very, VERY simple.  Nothing too spicy or exotic.  The two staples of every meal are sorghum and corn meal.  They are usually prepared as a kind of porridge.  If either are taken at breakfast, you can add sugar or honey and milk to it.  If taken at lunch time, they are eaten plain or topped with a salty gravy.  Meat is also very much a part of the diet here (while in other African countries, meat is a luxury...and so fish is more common).  Beef is a big export, so we've had quite a bit of beef.  We also have a lot of chicken.  Usually these are served with some kind of vegetable, which is usually pretty simple also: just boiled greens or carrots or potatoes.  Nothing too fancy.  The other day, the cook made mashed sweet potatoes.  Oh man, they were DELICIOUS!  I've enjoyed the food here and it hasn't caused me any problems, thank God.

As most of you probably know, I am a tea fanatic.  I have several cups of tea every day.  Here I have discovered a new tea, which is native to South Africa.  I've seen the name in the US, but I had never had it until I got here.  It's called Rooibos tea (which they call Bush Tea).  It's very different from what I'm used to.  I can't really describe the flavor, but the color is beautiful.  It is deep, dark red.  The Batswana usually add milk and sugar, but I've been drinking it plain (which they find weird lol).  I've also been drinking something called Ricoffy.  It's a blend of chicory and coffee beans.  It's really good!  I drink it black with a bit of honey to take off the bitter edge.  Maybe I'll bring some of both back with me to the States.  :-)  I did manage to find a box of English Black Tea in the pantry, so I'm still getting my fix, but it's also fun tasting new things.  I'll post some pictures of the food when I'm able.

Peace.