Page 34 - Barefoot guide

STORY

A RICH VARIETY OF DISHES

Tendai smiled shyly, knowing that it was unusual for a man to cook, and began pointing out the dishes.
“This is Nyevhe with Dovi. Nyevhe is a ‘weed’ that grows everywhere in the rainy season, also called
spider plant. Dovi is peanut butter, which we make ourselves. This is Boora, made from pumpkin leaves.
You can use any pumpkin leaves, but this is the best Boora, made from black-seeded pumpkin. This is
Nhopi, made from pumpkin flesh and fresh maize. That one is Mutakura, which mixes bambara nuts,
groundnuts, cowpeas and fresh maize. There’s sour milk in that bowl – Mbuya makes it with a certain ash;
Those are beans, and this is sadza made from Zviyo, or finger millet.”
Garikai stared at the lump of thick brown porridge on his plate. This was nothing like the white maize
porridge he was used to.
“What’s in this dish near me?” Sekuru James asked. “It looks like the whole garden.”
Mbuya laughed. “I call it half-the-garden in a dish. It’s the leaves of whatever’s growing, including some
so-called weeds. Today it’s the leaves of amaranth, black jacks, moringa, mustard seed, sweet potatoes
and cassava.”
“And these are roasted Ishwa, the flying ants we all caught this morning,” Amai Garikai said. “Except my
lazy son who was still in bed.”
Garikai looked embarrassed, but Mbuya smiled at him kindly.
“Let him sleep,” she said. “He is still growing and perhaps he’s tired from all this fresh air!”

“It’s the junk food he eats in town,” his mother said. “I’ve also been feeling tired and listless for a long
time. Being here has reminded me of what good food should be. Better get used to it, Garikai – there’ll be
some changes when we get home.”

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