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What is culture without food?

June 21, 2021

Would you agree with me that among many things, culture plays a big part on what features on your menu many a time? Probably we all know that the primary role of food is survival but beyond that food has a very significant role that it plays in the lives of human beings. Food is a pivot for unification across cultures and generations. Have you ever sat down and wondered what the food you eat everyday can tell you about where you come from? Have you ever wondered why people from different parts of the world eat different types of food? Or do you ever ask yourself why certain foods or culinary traditions are so important to your culture? These questions should by now indicate to you how there is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. Food is considered to be multidimensional, something that shapes us, our identities, and our cultures and in the end, our society. Just as different clothes signify different things, for example the white coat for a doctor, the uniform of a police officer or army personnel, food too transmits a meaning.

Growing up, our mother used to always cook on special days, and by special days I mean the Christmas and Easter celebrations of this world. She was the main chef that day and no amount of convincing would make her relent no matter how tired she would be. Everyone who knew our home knew that the menu when she cooked would not miss to have millet bread (kalo) and boiled meat with mushrooms (always cooked in a special pot). This is something that was handed over generations down and this is one of the major foods in my culture (I am a munyoro from the Western part of Uganda), so there is no celebration without this. Be sure I will also pass it down, generations to come.

Food is often used as a means of retaining cultural identity. People from different cultural backgrounds eat different foods with the areas in which families live and where their ancestors originated influencing food likes and dislikes. It is these food preferences that result in patterns of food choices within a cultural or regional group. In many countries, a case we see in Uganda too where rural urban migration is the order of the day, people find a way of maintaining and preserving culture by opening up native food business in the major towns. Here in Kampala there are specific places you will be directed to if you are looking for your cultural food. For example; Those that are coming from the Northern part of this country can find their ethnic food in places like Namayiba bus park and those from the central region can find theirs in places like Luwombo restaurant. People drive miles and miles looking for a connection to their origin through food. We also witness that during celebrations like traditional weddings, it becomes a showcase of culture not only in the wedding rituals but through the food served as well.

The meaning of food is an exploration of culture through food. What we consume, how we acquire it, who prepares it, who’s at the table, and who eats first is a form of communication that it has a rich cultural base. Beyond merely nourishing the body, what we eat and with whom we eat can inspire and strengthen the bonds between individuals, communities, and even countries, so we cannot talk culture without talking about food. This week I will attempt to highlight these and more aspects about food and cultures. I hope to interact with you and learn from you as well.

14

Nutrition, Recipes

6 Healthy habits to ride with in 2021

January 25, 2021

Am I the only one who feels like this has been the shortest January lived so far? Very dramatic yes but too short for a January. Oh and less cruel I must say. For me at least. But regardless we move.

This first month has been packed with lots of activities and it could be the reason I feel it is short that one could forget it is the first month of the year. There is always something about the flip of the calendar, there is always a renewed energy to reinvent and re-strategize certain things in life although this year I have heard so many people say they will go slow about it given the way way 2020 turned out. Being an ambassador for healthy living, let me share 6 habits that I would recommend to ride with in this year.

1. Look out for the seasons

Who has heard the notion that eating healthy is expensive? A friend of mine confessed that he would love to eat fruits everyday as recommended but they are just expensive and he cannot keep up. Well guess what, it is just about time you stopped buying expensive health foods that you cannot keep up with and start buying seasonally. An apple a day keeps the doctor away true but if you know you can afford to spend 1000/= for just one apple daily, how about finding out what fruits are in season that time. Is it bananas, mangoes or pineapples? When things are in season, they tend to be more affordable so you will not feel the strain of eating healthy. If peas are not in season and the prices are not favorable, what alternative legume is in season? Buy that and wait for the peas to bounce back. It usually does not take long. One way of knowing whether a particular food item is in season or not, you will see a difference in the prices on the market to what you expect them to be.

2. Embrace variety in your meals

The habit of eating the same exact thing everyday needs to stop, even when this is a healthy choice. Variety is the key of health. Having the same thing every day, week on week is never going to help you reach peak energy levels. I understand that at times this is what we have most available to us but I also cannot ignore the fact that it could be the most convenient choice in terms of cooking. The way this can be beaten is by planning way in advance. This is something we call meal planning where you sit and brain storm on the meals that you plan to have the whole week for yourself together with your family. Variety can be as simple as having beans on Monday with potatoes and dodo to having beans in groundnut paste with rice and Sukuma on Tuesday. When you plan in advance, it helps you to be well prepared rather than trying to figure out what to cook after a frustrating day at work.

3. Look out for interesting healthy recipes

Making healthy meals does not require complicated recipes. The trick is to make the recipe very easy until it becomes a default. Very many times when you talk about recipes, very many people are quick to say that they do not have an oven so those recipes can not work for them. Well just to help us understand, a recipe is a set of instructions that describes how to prepare or make something, especially a dish of prepared food. So looking out for interesting healthy recipes can be as simple as looking at someone cook a particular dish in a different way than you cook it or even trying to cook something a little different from the way you normally do. Some time back I visited a friend and saw the way she cooked her posho (ugali). She added butter and salt as she cooked it and boom I had discovered a new recipe. A healthy one at that because this person had added value to the ordinary dish that I have eaten for most of my life.

4. Band wagon dieting needs to take a rest

Put up your hand if you are currently on a diet because you have seen it being overly advertised online or because your friend said this is the wonder diet to get rid of your tummy.

Many people have fallen victim of attempting to do diets that are not tailored to their nutritional needs only to be disappointed later when it does not work or even harmful to their own health. There is a lady I know who was recently diagnosed with scurvy ( a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds ) and this is because this lady was convinced to do the keto diet as it it would be her ‘wonder drug’ for the tummy she had that had refused to go ever since having her twins. Unfortunately this lady decided to take up this diet and even did not consult a professional and ended up doing it wrong hence falling victim of scurvy. If you must subscribe to a diet, at least reach out to a professional to give you an informed guide.

5. Break a sweat doing something you enjoy

The pressure to stay fit and have a ‘perfect’ shape is real and unfortunately very many people begin an unending journey of things they do not exactly enjoy only to fall out in just a matter of weeks. I for one have been a one embarrassingly unfit human but each time I would try to do exercises, I would give up on day two because by this day every part of my body is screaming in pain. After so many failed attempts, a dear friend of mine suggested that I should try to do dance routines since I love to dance. From the very first day I tried, I knew that this relationship would last. My fitness has greatly improved and it is something that I do without even trying so hard. So how about you look for something you enjoy doing and you shoot two birds with one stone.

6. Your body is not their body

Last but not least, the pain of comparison is not worth it. We have seen people want to alter their bodies for the perfect bodies they have seen on Instagram. I am sorry to break it to you that the bodies you see online are not all a result of healthy eating or exercise. Many of them are a product of filters and body shapers. Let the goal here be to adopt healthy eating habits and lifestyle and like they say, the rest will fall in line. Do not forget to have routine medical checkups rather than waiting when the body is falling apart.

May this year be a year of rediscovery in terms of our healthy life styles. We can make healthy fun and enjoyable

5

Culture, Nutrition, Recipes

Luwombo

June 16, 2020

It doesn’t matter which part of Uganda you come from, you should have tasted this sumptous cusine that has it’s roots in the Buganda culture but has now broken it’s banks and found it’s way in all parts of this country.

Luwombo or ‘oluwombo’ in it’s proper name as it was referred to in Buganda, was first prepared in 1887 for Kabaka Mwanga by his creative chef who was called ‘Kawuuta’. It is a traditional dish that is cooked in a banana leaf by steaming. It can be made of beef, chicken, smoked fish, goat meat, ground nut sauce or even mushrooms. Though this meal was once reserved for the palace, it evolved and started to make an appearance at special occasions especially when a girl brought her soon to be husband to meet her parents. The ‘luwombo’ to be given to the groom was specially prepared by the girl’s ‘senga’ (the girls paternal aunt). This was often a whole chicken prepared to perfection, in most cases it would be cooked for the whole night and by the time it is served that chicken is very tender and busting with countless flavors. The groom was meant to eat it all least it be an offence to the girl’s family. This tradition still continues even to this day although the dish is no-longer reserved for only the royals and special occasions. Ugandans from all walks of life enjoy the dish and we have seen restaurants add it to their menus as well as some that only serve luwombo for example ‘Luwombo restaurant here in Kampala.

Recipe

Preparation

Luwombo has a distinct aroma and this comes from this here. Banana leaves are key ingredient for this cuisine but not any kind, young banana leaves are used. First the young banana leaves are smoked in a special way because it’s the aroma is derived from the smoked leaves that gives good oluwombo its uniqueness and great diners appreciate the smoked seasoned taste of the stew inside the leaves. The beauty with this cuisine is the fact that one has the leverage to alter the contents apart from the constants which are banana leaves, salt and water. Otherwise one may choose to use beef, chicken, goat’s meat, mushrooms, dried fish or even simply groundnuts.
Here is another secret, when the subject of the meal is meat, make sure that yo smoke it.‘kukalirira’ Traditionally this is how it is done; the charcoal on the stove is also covered by light banana peels, the idea here is to make sure that the heat remains under and the peels transport the charming smoked savor into the meat.
The luwombo taste is not only derived from the way the banana leaves are smoked, but also the way the meat is smoked and the type of the banana leaf. The banana leaf is specifically from ndiizi type of banana, and they are smoked over a specific flame from dry banana leaves and they must first become brown before they are removed from the fire. Lucky for you and me is lately these smoked banana leaves are sold so you may not have to worry where to get them from or go through the process.

How to make the luwombo

Carefully inspect that there are no holes in your smoked banana leaf. Then carefully remove the central rib making sure that you do not tear the leaf and clean the leaf with a damp cloth and then fold the leaf into two.
By now you should have a clean basket ready, place the above leaf in its centre. After that, cut a small part from another cleaned leaf and place it under the other fold.(Locally it is called ‘akawuwo’)
Now you are ready to bring your ingredients; meat, chopped up vegetables, salt, pepper and all others to your taste and then cover the meat. Other ingredients often used include, onions, green pepper, carrots, tomatoes, garlic, spices, black pepper, chilli etc. Make sure you measure the water you add carefully such that it is just enough to cook the meat and also remain to make soup for the meat.
Having put all you need, it is time to tie up your luwombo.
Holding the two sides of the folded leaf up and then collecting the side of leaves on both sides while making sure that none of the ingredients spills and then tie up your luwombo with a clean string which is usually the other central rib or midrib of the leaves you removed earlier or a banana fibre.
Depending on the number of people you are preparing for, repeat the above exercise to make the number you want.
When completed, steam them for about six hours until ready and serve. Luwombo can be served with any food of your liking from matooke to potatoes, cassava to pumpkin or even millet bread

Nutrition Value

Luuwombo is a steamed dish and nothing of it’s ingredients is fried so there is no need to worry about cholestrol. It is one of the healthiest foods you will partake.
The banana leaf sheathing and the steaming not only creates a delicious aroma very specific to the luwombo, but also prevents the loss of nutrients which would have otherwise been lost in the cooking liquid.
The smoking that is done to the meat kills certain bacteria in the meat and slows down the growth of others, prevents fats from becoming rancid, and enhances the smell and flavor making it more appetizing.

Should you be among the unlucky ones who have never tasted a Luwombo, find yourself this cuisine sooner or later and gift your taste buds. They deserve it.

2

Culture, Nutrition, Recipes

‘Dek ngor’ All the way from Acholi land

June 9, 2020

Uganda is a melting pot of cultural diversity, it prides itself in culinary delights as part of the culture mix. Today we shall be looking at the Acholi people also known as Acoli. This is an ethnic group from the districts of Agago, Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, Nwoya, Lamwo, and Pader in Northern Uganda and Magwe County in South Sudan.

The Acholi, in Northern Uganda, pride in a delicacy known as the ‘dek ngor’, relished by the people there and eaten mainly with sheer butter (moo yaa). It is one of the traditional dishes that has stood the taste of time. This dish is especially served to the in-laws on the first day they arrive in the home of the girl to bring dowry. This dish has earned its place in the annals of Acholi’s history of food, if there is such a thing, given its popularity with people from all walks of life in the region. Given its nutrition value, it has broken the boundaries of culture and is a dish that can be prepared -by anyone.

Process of making ‘Dek Ngor’

Dek ngor preparation is a step-by-step affair that can be done by almost anyone.
You will need pigeon peas for this dish and the local grinding stone.

The pigeon peas are dried in the sun then crashed using the grinding stone and then cleaned as the peas are being put on fire. A cooking pot is used for this process of cooking
After stirring for some time, you add sim sim or ground nut paste as it’s cohesion ability to stiffen will enable the sheer butter (moo yaa) to float on top
Using the grinding stone, crash the pigeon peas into halves. The peas are then boiled till it becomes soft, and crash to make a smooth paste of source

This source is served millet, sweet potatoes or any other food that you may deem fit.

Nutrition Value

Like you have noted already, this particular dish bursts with countless nutrients that are used as ingredients. The peas are an excellent source of proteins and like this is not enough, simsim or groundnut paste is added which serves as additional value all in one pot.

The process of crashing the peas not only makes the process of cooking the peas faster but it also breaks the peas further of any phytates that may be in there. The texture which is a puree texture to which the soup is formed into not only makes the dish delicious but makes it an excellent dish during weaning.

This is a dish worth a try

FIRINDA

April 17, 2020

Who would have ever imagined a bean sauce being a treasured dish in one of the array of cultures in Uganda?

Firinda is a special dish with its roots in the far west specifically in the Batooro and Banyoro culture. This dish was served to special guests in a home and is a dish that cannot be missed on their wedding ceremonies. Because of it’s rather tedious procedure of preparation that includes soaking beans overnight, this dish was and still is one that is prepared rarely and highly anticipated by everyone. It was a dish that was always served with millet bread (kalo) which was a staple food in these culture. Lately this has changed and this sauce is accompanied by different foods like matooke and potatoes although for special occassions like weddings, the staple food (millet bread) is maintained.

The beauty about this dish is that it does not involve frying therefore it is one of the healthiest foods one can consume. This sauce is also very good for weaning infants (introducing solid foods) and also for children who are malnourished too. It can also be used for recuperating patients as well as a post surgery dish. Did I mention that it is very inexpensive too yet it will leave your taste buds yearning for more?

Below I take you through the steps of preparing this dish.