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bian traditional cooking as it, and its many variations
are used for cooking the majority of the many green
leaved vegetables including squash or pumpkin
leaves, bean and pea leaves, cassava leaves, and
wild mushrooms. The peanut powder has multiple
uses in the cooking of many traditional Zambian
foods such as Bala lotendela (a porridge cooked
with peanut powder) and Mpunga wotendela (a rice
cooked with peanut powder).
Once the person preparing the food has finished
cooking the nshima, it is served according to the
number, ages, and types of people partaking in the
meal. The diners sit around the meal usually in a cir-
cle. The oldest person washes their hands first and
begins to eat, while the youngest does so last.
Fried termites:
At the beginning of the Rainy season (November),
the first rains bring out termites from their nests as
they start to seek out appropriate mates. The ter-
mites are attracted to light and only live a few hours,
losing their wings after such a time. Termites are
collected, have their wings fully removed, and are
then fried with cooking oil and salt. The termites are
cooked until they are crisp and golden brown (about
one minute). A true Zambian relish!
Kapenta sold in central market
Local drinks
Most spirits and South African wines are available
in the cities. Major soft drinks and juices are also
found throughout the country. There are also sev-
eral types of beer or Mooba (in Nyanja) produced in
Zambia. Mosi lager is a bottled beer reflecting the
local name for Victoria Falls (Mosi Oa Tunya – The
smoke that thunders). It is one of the most popular
beers in Zambia.
The local beers, made of fermented maize meal,
extremely thick in consistency can be found in all
markets and township bars, but be warned, it’s quite
the acquired taste!
Shake-Shake, a more opaque beer is a favourite
amongst other less affluent Zambians.
Zambia has a long tradition of homemade brew and
distilled beverages. The most popular and strongest
local alcohol is Kachusu, a distilled spirit made of
sorghum, maize, sour beer, sugar and yeast. This
highly alcoholic drink is brewed in villages or at she-
beens, and is both highly dangerous and illegal as it
can damage your liver and kidneys. Drinks such as
Kachasu or “catch us all” are also aptly referred to as
“bomb” because it ranges from 20% to 30% alcohol.
URBAN LIFE – RURAL LIFE
As in the rest of the world, the trend of increasing
urbanization is no stranger to Zambia. The principle
urban centres of Lusaka, Livingstone and the towns
of the Copperbelt are the destinations of choice for
most rural Zambians seeking better social and eco-
nomic opportunities than their villages can provide.
The rapid growth and expansion of these cities has
been dramatic. A ring of peripheral shantytowns has
emerged around nearly every major urban centre,
with no electricity or adequate sanitary conditions
they pose as breeding grounds for disease and
crime. However, such neighbourhoods are filled with
people who have made a fine art out of surviving with
very little. Start-up small scale businesses spring up
everywhere from tailors, cobblers, vegetable sellers,
and money exchangers. There are also hundreds of
walking salesmen selling anything from frying pans,
electric plugs and batteries to fruit, vegetables and
nuts. All of this makes these community dwellers ex-
tremely resilient and innovative.
Since such little money is actually made by the rural
migrants, usually young men, who flock to the cit-
ies, little money is ever sent back to their home vil-
lages where women are left to raise children, tend to
the fields and make a living on their own. Zambia
faces an enormous challenge to cope with this trend,
not only to ensure opportunities are available in ru-
ral areas, but also to ensure that the people, who
won’t leave the cities, are meaningfully employed.
However, Zambia’s rapid growth across all sectors
of the economy is slowly addressing the many fac-
ets of this problem. In addition, a steadily growing
well educated, middle-class, is forging a new white-
collar workforce and is producing an unprecedented
amount of new Zambian entrepreneurs. Many wom-
en are increasingly taking over management posi-
tions in various companies, have developed their