Our diet has altered significantly since arriving in Gesses in an attempt to simplify life and identify with the people. We are not able to run a refrigerator off our solar power but we have filled half a small freezer with some meat and cheese (that is at the Williamson house). But for the most part, we use local food or dry goods.
The fruits and vegetables that we have been able to buy locally (10km away at market) until recently were potatoes, onions, garlic and bananas. But we are happy to say that it is now the season for maize, pumpkins, okra, red beans, cassava type potato, gomin (greens), and small tomatoes. So with each visit I make for language learning, I am fed some roasted maize and sent home with cobs of maize (for my children) a pumpkin or potato. I am sure they will soon notice that we love their vegetables. (We have started a small garden but not sure if we will get produce from it or not with the rains ending within a month or two).
The Gumuz diet is very similar to the Sudanese diet. They hunt, they gather wild greens, roots and fruit (same type as is found in Sudan), they grow the same crops (maize, millet and sorghum) and the same vegetables.
The preparation of the food is somewhat different. This morning, were invited to a Gumuz home for breakfast. Yesterday was the holiday Meskel here in Ethiopia (finding of the cross) which the Gumuz also celebrate. Today is the day, everyone gathers to eat meat. Several families kill a cow or goat and then divide the meat between them. Kalia and Joel stayed home while the rest of us walked 10 minutes to Bechunk’s house.
Our staple diet these days is porridge or pancakes for breakfast (yesterday was pumpkin pancakes) and injera with shiro (ground bean stew) or split peas, lentils for lunch. Suppers are usually rice, pasta, tortillas or bread with sauce or soup.
What would we do without snacks? Children need snacks and so this is usually popcorn, bananas or leftover pancakes with jam in the morning and a cob of roasted maize or oatmeal cookies in the afternoon.
Life may not be the same but our children are adapting well and we are eating a well balanced diet. Oh yes....and we were invited out for lunchJ
The fruits and vegetables that we have been able to buy locally (10km away at market) until recently were potatoes, onions, garlic and bananas. But we are happy to say that it is now the season for maize, pumpkins, okra, red beans, cassava type potato, gomin (greens), and small tomatoes. So with each visit I make for language learning, I am fed some roasted maize and sent home with cobs of maize (for my children) a pumpkin or potato. I am sure they will soon notice that we love their vegetables. (We have started a small garden but not sure if we will get produce from it or not with the rains ending within a month or two).
The Gumuz diet is very similar to the Sudanese diet. They hunt, they gather wild greens, roots and fruit (same type as is found in Sudan), they grow the same crops (maize, millet and sorghum) and the same vegetables.
The preparation of the food is somewhat different. This morning, were invited to a Gumuz home for breakfast. Yesterday was the holiday Meskel here in Ethiopia (finding of the cross) which the Gumuz also celebrate. Today is the day, everyone gathers to eat meat. Several families kill a cow or goat and then divide the meat between them. Kalia and Joel stayed home while the rest of us walked 10 minutes to Bechunk’s house.
We were served boiled meat with freshly ground jalapeno pepper sauce. Tasty but VERY chewy. We were also served (for the first time), their main food. It is called Kay-ah. It is a fermented sorghum porridge which they drink from a gourd that is passed around. We were served in individual cups. In some circumstances, I prefer the communal bowl (this was one of them). I managed to drink my portion but refused the second refill.
Our staple diet these days is porridge or pancakes for breakfast (yesterday was pumpkin pancakes) and injera with shiro (ground bean stew) or split peas, lentils for lunch. Suppers are usually rice, pasta, tortillas or bread with sauce or soup.
What would we do without snacks? Children need snacks and so this is usually popcorn, bananas or leftover pancakes with jam in the morning and a cob of roasted maize or oatmeal cookies in the afternoon.
Life may not be the same but our children are adapting well and we are eating a well balanced diet. Oh yes....and we were invited out for lunchJ
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