---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: Wagasi (sp?) is the local cheese that is the staple protein for most locals since it is cheaper than meat, I believe. A nomadic tribe (Fulani) are cow herders and they make the cheese and sell it at the markets. It is usually served in a spicy sauce with the mashed yams (Pile). It can be sitting out in the sun all day with flies around it and you can definitely get a bad batch, but for the most part we had good experiences with it. It has a similar consistency to mozarella string cheese... kind of rubbery but the texture of tofu.
Balancing Act
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: It seems that the vast majority of the day is spent feeding hungry mouths. Women are constantly coming and going around the village selling their wares and buying others'. Here are some local girls who came by to sell some food to the family we were staying with. It is amazing what they can balance on their heads! I think the most impressive balancing act I saw was a woman with a huge bowl on her head full of soapy water and dishes soaking in them. And not once did I ever see one fall.
Mashing the Yams---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: Here Taffa's oldest grand-daughter and one of his daughters-in-law are mashing up the yams. This is how it is done throughout the village. The sturdy root vegetable is mixed with some water and pounded into a paste, which is the main source of carbohydrates in the villate. Its a lot of work! I tried my hand at it for a few seconds. Thank goodness for Kitchen Aids! Below is also a video of the girls making it.
More Mashed Stuff
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: Hrm. I forgot what she was making here. This might be crushed manioc? Manioc is a plant that grows in the fields and can be crushed into a paste as well. It isn't super nutritious, unfortunately.
Rice---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: This is a neat photo. The woman is spilling rice into the bowl on the ground and allowing the breeze to shell the covering off of the rice.
Baaa-aaa-aa
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: I think this is the fattest goat I saw. Goats wander around the way we have squirrels here, except they are eaten. Goat meat is a good source of protein although its quite lean most of the time and very expensive, so people don't eat it every day.
Bon Chance--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Damian:
Becky: This rooster's nickname was Bon Chance, "Good Luck", because he was supposed to be dinner one night, but he was nowhere to be found so we slaughtered a hen instead!
No comments:
Post a Comment