Africa is home and home is where the heart is. I have also heard that the way to a man’s heart and I would like to believe a woman’s heart as well, is through her stomach. Who among us can say they do not enjoy having their taste buds tantalised by well prepared meals? Who among us can deny the aroma of food that tickles the senses to a point of rendering one dysfunctional if the demands of the stomach are not met?
Men and women have gone to war over food and I would like to think that the whole reason why mothers and daughters in law don’t really get along is because one thinks their food preparation skills are better than the other. So as mothers and daughters in law ogle each other and skirt around the kitchen over the festive season, it is my hope that all differences laid aside, we can all agree on one thing, that African Christmas meals are the best (hides).
Before any of you reach through cyber space to knock me on the head for advocating for eating ugali, fufu or garri on Christmas day, please do consider all the health benefits, the costs and just think…what would Jesus want to eat on his birthday?
Thus said, here are my top 5 dishes:
1) Mealie-pap/Sadza/Nshima/fufu/Ugali served with green vegetables and free range chicken stew
2) Mealie-pap/Sadza/Nshima/fufu/Ugali served with dried beef/mushrooms in peanut butter sauce
3) Mealie-pap/Sadza/Nshima/fufu/Ugali served barbequed/braiied meat and green vegetables
4) Mealie-pap/Sadza/Nshima/fufu/Ugali served with dried fish, cassava leaves, peanut and chilli sauce
5) Peanuts, served with peanuts and more peanuts
For desert, just good old mangoes would suffice…fresh from the tree.
Keep the spirit of Christmas in Africa live by sharing your top 5 dishes below and after you’ve shared here, make sure you leave a portion of whatever you have for Christmas, for someone in need.