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FOOD AND DRINKS
Traditional Zambian food
Nshima:
The Zambian staple meal of nshima is made from
plain maize, corn meal, or maize flour known as
mealy-meal among Zambians. Nshima is eaten in
most homes twice a day—usually for both lunch and
dinner. Nshima is served with a second smaller dish,
or “relish” (ndiwo, ndiyo, or umumunani). The ndiwo
is often fish, beans, chicken, beef or vegetables.
Eating is always carried out only with the right hand.
Both hands are never used when eating nshima.
Using your right hand, grab a lump of nshima, gently
mould it with the one hand into a ball, and dip it into
the ndiwo or relish before eating it. Zambians usually
consider that only nshima constitutes a full and com-
plete meal. Any other foods eaten in between meals
consisting of nshima are regarded either as snacks,
temporary, less filling, an inadequate substitute, or a
mere appetizer.
Nshima is such a key factor loaded with such emo-
tional investment in the Zambian diet that many ritu-
als, expectations, expressions, customs, beliefs, and
songs have developed in the culture around working
for, cooking, and eating of nshima.
Nshima Recipe
4 Cups Water
2 Cups plain corn meal
Pour 4 cups of water into a medium size cooking pot.
Heat the water for 3 - 4 minutes until lukewarm. Add-
ing one tablespoonful at a time, slowly sprinkle 3/4
cup of corn meal into the pot while stirring continu-
ously. Keep stirring slowly until the mixture begins to
thicken and boil. Turn the heat to medium, cover the
pot, and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Cautiously remove the lid. Slowly pour 1 and 1/4
cups of corn meal into the pot and stir briskly until
smooth and thick. Stir vigorously. Sprinkle a little
more corn meal and stir if you desire the nshima to
be thick, or less if you want softer nshima. Cover,
turn the heat off and let nshima sit on the stove for
another 2 to 3 minutes. Serves 4 people
Must always be served hot with a vegetable, bean,
meat or fish dish or ndiwo.
Ndiwo Dish:
One of the most significant aspects of a traditional
Zambian meal, ultimately identified with nshima, is
the “relish.” The relish is a second dish that is always
served with nshima. The ndiwo (relish) is often made
from domestic and wild meats including beef, goat,
mutton, deer, chicken, wild pig, or vegetables like
beans, cabbage, squash, pea leaves, cassava leaves,
bean leaves, and kabata leaves, among others.
Ndiwo Recipe: Collard Green Leaves with Peanut
Powder
7 Cups or 1 lb. chopped collard greens
1 Large size chopped tomato
1 and 1/2 Cups raw peanut powder
2 Cups water
1/2 Teaspoonful of Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoonful salt
Pour 1 cup of water into a medium sized cooking
pot. Add half a teaspoon of pure baking soda and
stir until thoroughly dissolved. Place pot on burner
on medium heat. Add 7 cups of chopped collard
greens and the 1 chopped tomato. Cook on medium
to high heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of
raw peanut powder, a 1/4-teaspoon salt, and 1 cup
of water. Stir thoroughly and lower the heat to below
medium. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes stir-
ring every 2 to 3 minutes to prevent the bottom from
burning. Serve hot with nshima.
This is the most basic and popular recipe in Zam-
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