Local Foods

I have been eating local food since I arrived in Lubwe. The local staple is called nshima. It is made from ground maize boiled into a porridge, which then sets into the consistency of cake. This bland staple is normally eaten with side dishes the locals call “relish,” which can be vegetables and meat or fish. Locally, vegetable side dishes are normally made from cassava leaves, pumpkin leaves, sweet potato leaves, or a leafy vegetable related to canola called rape. Because Lubwe is next to a large lake, fish is a major part of the local diet.

Today, my lunch features nshima, bream from the lake, and cassava leaves. Yummy!