New snack discovery

There are definite seasons for local snacks, and we have just started the first of the malambe season, which is all new to me!
It’s a giant seed pod from the Baobab tree. This little contraption has a velvety feel on the outside, its rock hard and nearly impossible to crack open, once inside you find a whole row of oddly shaped white pebble looking things that look like they could be honeycomb pieces without the chocolate. But they definitely don’t taste like honeycomb!! They have a furry sort of feel to them.

Apparently these things are what cream of tartar is made from, so as you can imagine it has a weird “suck your mouth dry” kind of effect, like a sour lollie would, it sort of tastes a little like sherbet that’s gone a bit weird! You can eat them just as they are, but you must only suck them, as there is a rock hard seed inside that will surely break teeth. But another variation is to throw some inside a bottle, add water and some sugar and shake like crazy. so for 10 kwacha you can get both a drink and some sweets AND some seeds left over to grow yourself a giant baobab tree… which will only take you about 300 years!

Another new favourite snack is the goat and chips – a little like macdonalds, on every second corner you will find someone cooking goat and chips on a big black hot plate that is shaped with a dip in the middle full of boiling hot oil. A very nice snack… I initially stayed well away from this form of dining, but I have now learnt how to test who is good and who isn’t… it was trial and error, but its gotta be done!

And some of the good old favourites are roasted chimanga, boiled eggs, boiled kasava, raosted sweet potato, mandasi, sugar cane, avocadoes and mangoes.

mmmmm