Mozambique: Algae Survival Soup (Report)

(HN, August 13, 2010) TAMBARA, Pointing to his tiny plot along the Zambezi River in central Mozambique, Tome Lande explains how the maize plants at the top of the sloping riverbank withered away during the drought, and those at the bottom washed away during the floods. His entire crop is gone, and he now collects washed up algae to fill his stomach.

"We just gathered algae from the river's edge to make a kind of soup. I don't know if it's nutritious, but it's [all] we can find to eat," Lande, a farmer from Tambara district in Mozambique's central Manica Province, told IRIN. "I also gathered some wild fruits to survive the hunger."

Lande is one of the 300,000 Mozambicans who, despite a near record 1.878 million metric ton maize harvest projected for 2010/11, will require food assistance until April 2011, according to the latest joint assessment by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP).

Some 50 km downstream from Lande's plot, in the district of Chemba, Daniel Mustiço surveyed his washed out plot beside the Zambezi and said, "I have had a stomach ache for days now due to lack of food." The Zambezi cuts through the centre of the country before spilling into the Indian Ocean.

Drought in early 2010 "was then followed in many places by heavy rains ... causing some localized flooding," the joint crop and food security assessment report of 12 August said.

"In the floodplain of the Zambezi and on islands revealed at low water levels, it is the normal practice of farmers to grow late crops on residual moisture. This year, however, much of this planting was swept away by surges of high water resulting from releases from the Cahora Bassa reservoir, which was unusually full because of heavy rain further upstream," the report noted.

Mustiço said he had "harvested nothing - what little we were going to collect on the island in the river was taken by the water released when the floodgates opened at the hydroelectric dam. We are eating algae as a last resort."

A statement released by the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric power station said it would continue releasing 4,500 cubic metres per second to ease pressure on the structural integrity of the dam. 
"The population lost their first crop due to the [dry spell] and the second destruction [caused by floodwater] has just made life more difficult," said Gilbert Canheze, administrator of Tambara district. "There is little we can do locally to alleviate the hunger due to the levels of poverty in the district."

Hunger in the midst of plenty

Most of Mozambique's 22 million people are expected to meet their basic food requirements, but pockets of food insecurity are affecting an estimated 250,000 people in the centre of the country, and another 50,000 in the south.

"Large differences were observed between regions," the report said. In the north production was up by 12 percent on 2009, while in the south it dropped by 38 percent, and by 4 percent in the central provinces.

The price of maize, the staple food, is mirroring the production discrepancies: in Maputo, the capital, located in the south, 1 kg of maize costs 13.45 meticals (US$0.36); in Nampula, in the north, it costs only 5.71 meticals per kg (US$0.15).

Despite considerable improvements in infrastructure - like the opening of the new bridge across the Zambezi in August 2009, which has greatly increased the movement of commodities from areas of surplus production to those in deficit - transport costs keep prices high.

WFP said it was mobilizing some $5.3 million to buy 6,500 metric tons of food to help meet initial needs. José Carlos, national programme officer for food security and HIV/AIDS at WFP in Mozambique, commented: "Various districts have registered pockets of hunger, but we are not sure how many people have resorted to eating algae to survive."

--- (Originally published by IRIN, August 13, 2010) 

Cooking Recipes of South Africa

South Africa has 11 official languages, as well as eight non-official languages which are used in everyday life, attesting to the country’s cultural diversity. The various ethnic groups that make up the population of South Africa brought with them different tastes and recipes. It is thus not surprising that South African cuisine reflects the country’s rainbow culture. 

 Early South Africans were mainly hunter-gatherers. The Bantu people later introduced agriculture by growing vegetables such as maize, squash and sweet potatoes.

The first Europeans to set foot in South Africa were Portuguese explorers, who introduced fish dishes and peri-peri to the local cuisine. Peri-peri derives from the hot chili peppers that the Portuguese introduced from Angola and Mozambique. South African peri-peri is a blend of chilis combined with hints of other herbs and spices. It is daringly fiery and is commonly used to marinade chicken, fish and seafood.

From the seventeenth century onwards, colonists from the Netherlands, Germany and France, and much later from Great Britain, settled in South Africa. Dutch settlers, known as Boers, planted farms where they grew among other things cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, pineapples and watermelons. They brought slaves from the east (Java, Sumatra and Malaysia) to work in the fields. The Malay slaves brought with them curry and various spices that added flavor to meals. The Malay cuisine is nowadays among the most popular in South Africa.

About two hundred years after the arrival of the Malay slaves, sugar farmers brought laborers from India to cut the cane. Indian cooking traditions use a large variety of curries in their recipes. These curry dishes have become much sought after among all ethnic groups in South Africa.

Soon after Dutch settlers, the French Huguenots arrived in South Africa. Known for making wines, the French began establishing vineyards, making their own imprint on South African wine culture. The German immigrants also brought their cuisine, introducing Wurst (sausage), later known as boerewors (farmer’s sausage). Boerewors is a very popular dish in South African cuisine today.  

When the British took over permanent rule at the Cape in 1806, their famous English breakfast became part and parcel of South African cuisine. They also left their marks with their “pudding” culture, their pies (e.g. meat pies) and their English roasts.

With so many cultures having traveled through the country, one finds in South Africa the most extraordinary range of cuisines.

Many traditional South African dishes include pap, a staple food of the Bantu people in South Africa. Pap simply means "porridge" or "gruel" and is primarily eaten by the black and African population. South African dishes that include pap are smooth maize meal porridge and crumbly phutu pap, among others.

Another traditional dish is Bobotie, a unique tasting sweet, sour and spicy meat dish. It consists of minced meat that is cooked with brown sugar, apricots, raisins, milk-soaked mashed bread and curry flavoring.

A delicious South African desert not to be missed is Melktert. Meaning “milk tart” in African, melktert is a sweet puff pastry filled with a mix of milk, flour, sugar and eggs and sprinkled with cinnamon.

For more information on African cooking, visit Africa Guide

*Originally published@www.fastrecipes.com.    –

South African Cocktails and Appetizers: For celebrating your team, or, not...it's Saturday nite somewhere!

South Africa is a country with a multiracial society of varied ethnic origins that has influenced greatly in their traditions and cocktails and appetizers on a Johannesburg winter afternoon or a summer Cape Town beachside can be enjoyed by everyone.    

BEVERAGES

What better way to unwind from a long, hot day of game-viewing and adventure than enjoying a refreshing cocktail and small traditional snacks?

Traditional beverages are homemade brewed, whether in rustic villages or modern cities. Whether you choose to eat on the wild side: crocodile, impala, ostrich, zebra or the mild side: chicken, lamb, beef and vegetables, the diverse dining traditions of South Africa offer food and drink for every palate.  

Also, herbal tea and coffee are often consumed during breakfast. Drinks served during a typical South African meal might also include Mechow, a fermented beer like drink made from cornmeal. Ginger beer is also commonly served in local diners and pubs. Fruit punches and cocktails are easily prepared on the spot, as well as fresh squeezed orange juice.

Wine

South Africa is a country very well known for the production of good quality white and red wines. Especially in the southern parts of the country, in the Cape region, where climactic conditions simulate those of the old wine countries, is a great environment for the vineyards to produce the best grape crop. Over 300 years ago, Dutch settlers in the Western Cape of South Africa started cultivating grapes for wine and brandy production. They subsequently started making wines and brandies that were then blended with local fruit and herbs.  Among the staples of the South African wines, there are the Muscadel, Burgundy and Cabernet Sauvignon wines.

South African Beer

Beer in South Africa has become serious business in South Africa. Dutch and British immigrants in South Africa brought the knowledge to produce alcohol but local indigenous people such as the Sotho and Zulu had already produced brewing forms of sorghum and maize beers.

South African Breweries - "SAB" produces many of the brands on the South African market but every aspect of beer is available nowadays and South Africa has many breweries and pubs where their beers can be tasted.

Some of the most popular beers are:

Castle - Lager

Castle Milk - Stout

Bavaria 8.6 - South Africa Lager

Kulu Draught - South Africa Lager  

Savannah Dry - South Africa (Flavoured)

Windhoek Lager - South Africa Lager  

Hansa Pilsner - South Africa

Black Label - South Africa

Castle Lager - South Africa

Lion Lager - South Africa

Mitchells Foresters Lager - South Africa

Van Der HUM Liqueur 

Another specific South African drink, consumed in bars and restaurants, is the Van Der Hum, tangerine based liquor - a citrus blend of brandy, Cape tangerines, herbs, spices, seeds and barks; made from five year old potstill brandy, and wine distillate, is named Van der Hum after its original creator.  It is sweetened with cane sugar syrup, and has a deep golden amber hue.

Cocktails

“The Joburg Cocktail “

Cocktail Variety:         Aromatic

Cocktail Strength:       Medium

Cocktail Size: Short

Glass type:                  Lowball glass

Garnish:                      Orange Twist

Method:                       Stir and Strain

Ingredients

30 ml Rum

15 ml Dubonnet

3 dashes Orange Bitters

Ice Cubes

Instructions
Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a lowball glass filled with ice and garnish with an orange twist. Serve.

 “The Malawi Shandy”

The Malawi Shandy is South Africa’s unique spin on the Shandy.  

(A Shandy is an extremely popular drink consumed across the globe. Its ingredients vary from country to country and ingredients can include ginger beer, ginger ale, lemonade, and soft drinks. and is an exceptionally refreshing drink comprised of equal parts of lemonade and ginger ale and a few drops of Angostura bitters.)

Another popular type of Shandy consumed in Namibia and South Africa is the `Rock Shandy’.

This drink contains equal parts of soda water and lemonade with some dashes of Angostura bitters. The Angostura bitters are comprised of water, alcohol, gentian root, and vegetable flavoring extracts.

You’ll love sipping on these crisp cocktails to quench your thirst! 

APPETIZERS

Some of the most delicious South African appetizers include pates, such as the snoek pate or the biltong pate. Thin sliced button mushrooms, mixed with chopped onions, finely grated biltong, cream cheese and fresh watercress make for a great appetizers.

Other traditional snacks served in restaurants may be the Peri-Peri chicken livers prepared in dry white wine with cayenne pepper; pink crepes filled with cream cheese, Mozambique shrimp, or baked mushrooms with basil and sometimes nut stuffing.   Avocado salad or spinach soup can be served as appetizers and are sometimes accompanied by special South African bread, baked half-way, cut and baked all the way to make it crispy inside as well.

The Yellow melon muscatel (the South African name for muscatel) is a traditional South African appetizer, and is usually served on salad plates.  

“Biltong Pate”

Biltong (pron. bill-tong) is a 400 year old traditional South African beef snack, cured as a beef jerky, both in taste and preparation.

Ingredients

 200g /7 oz Button Mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small Onion, chopped
50g / 2oz Butter
100g / 4oz  Biltong , finely grated
250g / 9oz Cream Cheese
250g / 9oz  Whipping Cream, lightly whipped
To serve garnish with Fresh Watercress & wafer thin slices of Biltong

Instructions

Melt the butter in a frying pan; add the mushrooms and onions and sauté until soft.
Set aside and allow to cool completely.

Once cold, place the onion mixture in a food processor together with the rest of the ingredients and blend well.

To serve - garnish with watercress and wafer-thin slices of Biltong.
Serve with crackers or thin slices of fresh baguette bread.

Serves 4-6 

“Akara”

Ingredients

2 c. Black-Eyed Peas

1 med. red onion

1/2 tsp. red pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp. salt

peanut oil (Preferred) or other vegetable oil for frying

Soak peas overnight or use canned.

Drain and pound with masher till crushed.

Grind puree in blender, adding water as needed to a smooth consistency (like pancake batter).

Grind very fine onion and peppers; add to Beans in blender.

Heat oil to 350-375 in deep fryer.

Drop mixture by teaspoonful into hot oil and fry until deep brown. Drain on paper towel.

Many Africans sprinkle the fried beans with additional red pepper.

Eat them warm. Use as warm snacks or as a bread substitute.

ENJOY!

*Original reporting with previously printed information from Recipes Wiki

South African Pumpkin Fritters (Recipe)

Pumpkin fritters are a delicious South African dish, and quick to make - like a donut but much tastier. This basic recipe gives ideas for a veggie side dish, a filling and tasty breakfast or snack, and a sugar and spice dessert.  Pumpkin fritters can be sweet or savoury. They are delicious when fried to a golden perfection, covered with sugar and cinnamon and bursting with flavour.

The influences on South African food are wide and varied including Portuguese, Dutch, French, Moroccan and Indian.  Many dishes combine exotic seasoning and aromatic spices, giving them a special South African quality. These delectable fritters are no exception, and this easy recipe is bound to become a favourite with children and adults alike.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked pumpkin, dry (see note below)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (not soda)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• oil (for frying)
• cinnamon sugar, if used

Directions

Put all the dry ingredients in a processor. If not using a processor, put in a mixing bowl, and mix well.

Add the eggs, and process well until a thick batter forms -- or mix well in the mixing bowl. The batter should almost hold its shape when tested with a spoon.

If the batter is too stiff, add a tiny amount of milk. If by any chance it is runny, add more flour.   

Heat oil in a pan, using medium to high heat to start with.

Scoop up heaped tablespoons of batter, and drop into pan, but not too close together. You won't have huge fritters as some of the batter will stay clinging to the spoon.  Fry until firm and golden on the underside, then flip over and fry on other side.

(You could use a non-stick pan and not use oil or butter, but a little oil is preferable).

The fritters will puff up slightly and keep their shape, but will deflate a bit as you take them out of the pan. To test for doneness, press very lightly on the fritters. When done, they will tend to spring back. If still uncertain, press harder: no batter should run out the sides.

Serve warm, either as a side dish, or as a dessert with plenty of crunchy cinnamon-flavoured sugar.

NOTE:   The pumpkin MUST be dry. We do not have canned pumpkin in South Africa, and would use home-cooked pumpkin.  Either, drain very well, or cook fresh pumpkin in a pot without a lid until all water has evaporated.  

*Reprinted from Recipe Zaar

Whats for Lunch? Traditional South African `Bunny Chow’ with Lamb Curry (Recipe)

In South Africa, there is the usual collection of generic international street food like hamburgers, fried chicken, or fish and chips, but here and there you will find some truly South African food being sold on the streets, like Durban’s home-grown favourite: “Bunny Chows”  

A Bunny Chow can only be eaten with your hands, from there the name originated. "Bunny" because you are eating with your hands like a rabbit and the word Chow, was a slang word used for food. Bunny Chow originated in the KwaZulu Natal region amongst the first Indians who came to this region to work in the sugar fields – Indian workers did not have the time to make the traditional Indian breads and because it took too much time and effort to cart all the different containers with curries to work, in the days before disposable containers they cut the bread loaf in half, hollowed the soft part of the bread and filled it with their choice of curry. A nutritious and filling meal, all in one parcel. 

The curry used in a bunny chow varies according to taste – chicken, lamb, beef or vegetable are all popular, and the level of heat varies

The bread component of a bunny chow may be a whole, half or quarter white loaf, and the scooped out centre (known as the virgin) is replaced on top of the curry before serving. The virgin is then dipped into the gravy before and eaten as an appetizer.

Bunny chow terminology is a minefield for the uninitiated. When suggesting to friends that you should go and get bunny chows for a meal, using the word “chow” marks you out as a clueless foreigner – the correct term would be “let’s go get some bunnies for lunch”. And when ordering, you shouldn’t even use the word bunny – you merely order a whole, half or a quarter, depending on the portion of bread you want, and specify the type of filling you want (e.g. a half beef, or a whole chicken). And be very careful if you have a funny bunny – this is a bunny made from the centre of the loaf rather than the end and, as such, has no crust at the base.

Bunny Chow with Lamb Curry

Ingredients:  

2 white loaves of bread - halved (big appetites) or quartered (smaller appetites).

1 kg lamb (or beef cubes)
3-4 potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped.
1 red pepper, diced
2 large tomatoes or 16 oz tin chopped tomatoes

2-3 curry leaves or 4 tsp Curry powder
1 thumb size piece root ginger, crushed (1.5 tsp)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 stick cinnamon  
1 tsp star anise

4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

2 Tbs vegetable oil
2 cups vegetable or beef stock

salt and pepper to taste
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

1 or 2 (depending on the size) crusty, square loaves of bread

Method:

Cube the meat and slice the onion; peel and dice the tomato.

Heat the oil and add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, onion and curry leaves. Fry until the onion is light golden brown in color.

Add the curry powder, turmeric, ginger, garlic and tomato. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mix resembles a puree.

Add the meat and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the potatoes and about 1/4 cup of water. Lower the heat and simmer over low heat until the meat is tender and the potatoes cooked. Keep an eye on it to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.

When the meat is cooked through and the potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes) test for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Simmer for a further 10 minutes on a low heat.

Now make the following sauce:

1 level Tbs flour
1 tsp curry powder
3 Tbs chutney
3 Tbs good Tomato ketchup
3 Tbs vinegar
3 Tbs apricot jam

Stir sauce into stew and cook through. Add seasoning to taste.

In the meantime, take a fresh loaf of white bread – it needs to be crusty on the outside with a nice, soft crumb. Little farmhouse loaves half the size of standard loaves are ideal. Halve the loaf and scoop out the soft white crumb, leaving the crust to form a “bowl”.

Spoon the curry into the half loaf and serve, garnished with coriander leaves. The soft crumb can be dipped into the curry and eaten as well.

ENJOY!

*Recipe adapted from Nina’s Kitchen