When I was back in the States, one of the more common questions about life in Uganda was, "What is the food like?" Because our diet on the mission compound is notably different from that of our neighbors, there are two parts to this question and answer.
In thinking about the local diet, I am reminded of a quote from the animated movie, Atlantis: "I got yer four basic food groups! Beans, bacon, whiskey, and lard!" Here, the four basic food groups might be as follows: sorgum (a type of grain); cassava (a potato-like, starchy tuber); maize; and beans. Translation: starch, starch, starch, and incomplete protein. Ok, so that isn't the whole kitchen sink, but, based on my observations, those seem to be the staples.
A word about sorgum. From what I observe, there are several different ways to prepare sorgum. One of them is to make a sorgum beer, (which happens to be organic and naturally gluten free). Usually, this beer is served hot for breakfast. From the mission compound in the morning, we can hear women calling in the villages, announcing that the beer is ready. Throughout the day, this beer can be watered down to make it last longer. The beer residue is also edible, although I have been told by some of the missionaries that it tastes nasty. Personally, I have yet to taste any beer I like, so I can't imagine enjoying a sorgum beer residue.
Additionally, sorgum can be fried or made into porridge or posho. Posho, or "atap" in the local tongue, is like porridge but thicker. Porridge/posho can also be made out of maize, rice, or pretty much any available flour. One can serve posho slightly sweetened, plain, or a fermented. A few weeks ago, while I was in one of the villages, a KEO teacher told me that one of the village women wanted us to eat some porridge. Usually, I, as a weak-stomached foreigner, try to avoid eating village food, at the advise of the more experienced missionaries. However, the offer of hospitality seemed so direct that I thought I would risk the consequences of eating whatever was put in front of me. It looked like a very full bowl of cream of wheat. It tasted like vomit. Obviously, I am no connoisseur of porridge, but I would hazard a guess that I got the fermented variety. I was extremely grateful for a reason to excuse myself and not partake of any more of the porridge. The Karimojong KEO teachers, however, apparently found it quite acceptable, because they finished it in the few minutes while I was elsewhere.
Cassava: usually boiled around here, but if you go down country you can find cassava fries. My understanding is that cassava is pretty much straight starch with little to no other nutritional value. Very similar to potatoes, which, as you probably know, are valuably mostly for their ability to transport Ketchup. Maize: can be turned into a flour or porridge, or roasted intact and eaten directly off the cob. Rice: it's here. Not quite as prevalent as sorgum, but there are some places within walking distance that can grow rice. Chapatis! I almost forgot to mention chapatis! Chapatis are rather like thick, greasy tortillas. Delicious. A common Ugandan breakfast food downcountry (i.e. not so much here in K-ja) is essentially a breakfast burrito made in a chapati. By the way, chapatis, I believe, are Indian in origin. Courtesy of colonialism.
Protein: Yes, there are beans. I don't eat them, or know much about them, other than that, the other day, one of my KEO friends, Lokalei, said he had beans for breakfast. Beer and beans--sounds lovely. Other sources of protein include ground nuts, (which are very similar to peanuts, but different,) chicken, goat, and beef. Despite the fact the the Karimojong are cattle herders, meat is eaten quite rarely, and generally only for special occasions. Personally, I recommend boiled goat over roasted, and the hair-free cuts if given the choice.
Fruits and vegetables: I must admit that I don't know what or if fruits and vegetables are a regular part of a Karimojong diet. If I had to guess, I would say that cabbage, tomatoes, and bananas are among the more commonly consumed produce, but I have rarely, if ever, seen anyone eating them outside the mission compound, so I cannot say for certain.
Considering that this is largely a subsistence farming culture, it makes sense that most people's diets are fairly restricted. In theory, if the land one owns or rents can only produce sorgum, then that is what one grows. And if sorgum is the only crop everyone in the village can grow, then the price of sorgum during harvest season drops as the market becomes inundated. As a result, one may or may not have enough cash to purchase the fruits, vegetables, and other commodities grown elsewhere. So, one eats (and drinks) sorgum and feeds sorgum posho to the hungry child because it will fill the child's stomach. An imbalanced diet is better than no diet.
In the previous paragraph, I said, "In theory," because I am not in a position to say with confidence whether or not sorgum is in fact the only viable option for the sandy soil of Nakaale. Based on my conversations with some of the KEO teachers, I believe that sourgum is the most drought-resistant crop they have access to, and therefore, it is the safest investment for farmers. But there are other factors as well that contribute to the lack of diversity in farming, not the least of which is theft. But that perhaps is a topic for another blog. At any rate, here on the mission compound, which is also in Nakaale parish, we "cultivate" (read "throw seeds in the ground and see what happens") a variety of fruits and vegetables: mangos, pomegranates, passion fruit, bananas, guavas, papaya, oranges, lemons, tomatoes, pumpkins. Right now, it is mango season, which is delightful! During the farming season, the mission also operates a farming project, which has successfully grown a couple fields worth of peas.
And that leads me to the food that we eat here on the mission compound. First, beans and rice again. Every week day, unless one opts out of the lunch count, there is beans, rice, cooked cabbage, and sometimes g-nut sauce for lunch. Other than that, our food can be divided into three different categories: food you can get in the nearby trading center of Namalu, food you can get in the city of Mbale 2+ hours away, and food you can pretty much only get from the capital, Kampala, or from the States. From Namalu, we can get staples like flour, sugar, salt, Blue Band (margarine type butter substitute), rice, beans, and some seasonal vegetables (usually, bananas, onions, cabbage, tomatoes). From Mbale, we can get most other things that we use on a regular basis: long-life milk, pasta, canned goods, meat, etc. Then, there are those rare and exciting delicacies like pepperoni and chocolate chips that only come from Kampala or the States.
In short, then, food here on the mission is similar to food in the States, just with substitutes. For example, instead of lettuce, we eat cabbage salads. Instead of sour cream or cream cheese, we use homemade plain yogurt. Almost everything we eat, we make from scratch. Honestly, the biggest difference, I think, is the planning required. If you need an ingredient, it is not as if you can just quickly drive to Walmart. I am still figuring out how to gauge groceries to last until the next Mbale trip. I am getting better at menu planning, though. I have declared Wednesday to be breakfast for dinner night. Last Wednesday, I made passion fruit pancakes. This week, I'll try my hand at quiche.
