Zambian Days
Nshima with relish is a staple of the Zambian palate. Nshima is made with maize flour and relish with greens that are lightly tempered. We could liken it to ‘dal chawal’ which is comfort food for many Indians. But while Indian food (which is central to its culture) goes far beyond that in its variety, diversity, complexity, and historical layers, Nshima with relish represents what is simple, wholesome, flavoursome, nourishing, and stress-free about the Zambian kitchen and culture. In fact, it encompasses the ethos of the entire Zambian nation and its people. My family and I were blessed with the opportunity of living in that beautiful country for four years in the early 1980s.
What struck us foremost when we landed in Ndola, a pretty little town in eastern Zambia, was the weather. Perched on a high plateau, 3000–5000 ft above sea level, the weather is cool and ‘air-conditioned’ all year round. Thereafter, the simplicity that permeates every aspect of life struck us – the roads free of ‘hustle-and-bustle’, the easy-going and slow-paced life, and the affability of the people. English is spoken everywhere as Zambia was colonised by the British for about 500 years. I can rightly say that the four years we spent there were some of the best in our lives.
For the small expatriate Indian community that lived in Zambia, cooking with ingredients that they were used to at home was difficult. They would have to bring the needed items with them when they came from India or request arriving acquaintances to do so. Even basic kitchen ingredients like sugar, salt, rice, cooking oil, and lentils would come in once a month and instant networking through word of mouth or telephone calls sent the Indian community scrambling to stores to stock up. Leave of absence from workplaces was easily obtained. In spite of this substantive culinary void, the Indian community always managed to cook up delicious desi meals for their family and friends.
The local Zambian markets are resourceful and sell a variety of locally grown greens and a miscellany of other vegetables like eggplant, varieties of potatoes, ladies’ fingers, pumpkin, gourds, and cassava. The latter is cooked, mashed, and seasoned and is a daily staple in a Zambian home. Cassava is calorie-rich and contains key vitamins and minerals. The leaves, which are also edible, contain up to 25% proteins. Wild mushrooms and sweet potatoes add to the variety. The markets also sell peanuts, millets, sugarcane, pineapple, papaya, and an abundance of corn which is a staple food crop. Freshly pounded maize flour, which is used in Nshima, is also sold plentifully. The Zambian soil is so rich and fertile that a bounty can be produced by an in-house gardener or a farmer with very little care and effort. Avocados grow in abundance right across the country and every garden has a tree or two to satiate an entire family’s appetite and leave enough for the wildlife to indulge in. The surplus fall from the trees to merge with Mother Earth and re-propagate.
The fishing industry of Zambia is a prolific one as the abundant pristine lakes, swamps, and rivers teem with a variety of freshwater fish. Buka Buka (a type of Nile Perch) and Kapenta (a variety of sardine) are sold in abundance in local markets. A speciality of these markets is the assortment of bugs, worms (mopani), and caterpillars (ifinkubala). Inswa or flying ants when deep fried and served with pounded peanuts, vegetables, and sweet potatoes is considered a delicacy. Many Zambians cannot afford meat and fish every day and these sources of high-protein food are cheaply and abundantly available. Food apart, the local markets have an exquisite array of beautifully crafted pottery, ebony-wood carvings, malachite images of animals and fruits, straw baskets, tribal musical-ware like drums, flutes, string instruments, and copper artefacts – a collector’s delight.
A typical Zambian diet is heavy on starch and is comforting. The simple sides provide the rest of the nutritional values. It is eaten with the hand, the Nshima rolled in the palm and dipped into a side dish and popped into the mouth. It is all washed down with a home-made brew made from maize called chibuku. Yum! Zambian society values its traditions and ideals. In the Bemba (the predominant tribal group in the country) tradition Umucinshi means ‘mutual respect for one another’. A family would welcome any visitor to share a meal with them.
Affluent societies, with plenty of money to churn, tend to commercialise and up-end food. Zambia has a modest economy, but its richness lies in the uncomplicated yet value-based mode of life that reflects in its food culture also.
Tourists come to Zambia to see the spectacular Victoria Falls at the point where the river Zambesi drops 300 ft., the vast game parks where the most amazing wildlife exists, experience tribal traditions, and enjoy the local food.
