Thursday 29 May 2014

Zambian Food: What can I expect?

In the world of Beyond Ourselves, this time of year usually means we are knee-deep in preparations for the student trips we have coming over to Zambia in June and July. And this year is no different! There are logistics to finalise in Zambia and students to prepare here in the UK.

When briefing the students before their trip, one of the questions that is most often asked (and usually in a nervous voice!) is:

“What will we eat?”



The answer gets mixed reactions…!

The students will eat two of their meals a day at the guest house they will be staying at, and for the most part it will be food they are fairly familiar with.

But lunch each day will be at our partner schools and that’s when they’ll be able to get stuck in to some of the local Zambian food!

They will most definitely be served Nshima, the staple food of Zambia. It is a kind of porridge made from ground maize with the consistency of polenta. It is often served with a tomato relish and meat or fish.



The fish served with Nshima might be Kapenta. They are tiny, dried Tanganyika sardines salted, dried and fried. I’ll be honest, they’re not my favourite! On the plus side they are cheap and a great source of protein!

And then as a special treat they might get served the Zambian delicacy that are Caterpillars. I’ve only ever had them fried, which makes them crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. Yummy! Again, they are a good source of protein and lots of other vitamins and minerals too.

Bon appétit!

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