A Taste of the Unknown

A beautiful sunset over the back yard in Manguzi


Saturday, May 28, 2011

“Do you want to try some?”

In a show of good South African hospitality, my host Mama offered me the plate. It is a cardinal rule of homestays, international travel, and common courtesy that you say yes and graciously accept what you are offered. I smiled. “Yes, thank you for sharing.”

The plate she was holding towards me had a strange looking food that flopped over itself in folds, one side blackened from the open stove it had been cooked on in the house next door. I took a piece and with some effort bit a chunk off the corner. The food was completely unfamiliar to me with a rubbery texture and a somewhat unpleasant smell. My tongue recoiled from the taste. I took a big breath and swallowed the piece of food in my mouth preemptively before my gag reflex set in. An after taste like animal fat lingered in my mouth as I began cutting the remaining food in my hand into smaller pieces that were easier to swallow.

“This tastes like chitlins,” Lauren told our host Mama. “It’s hella good.” She eyed the plate. “Can I have another piece.”

Lauren happily took another piece as I struggled to swallow the small chunks I had chopped mine into. Elizabeth stood at the stove stirring our sautéing vegetables. Evidently she had turned down our host Mama’s offer – a smart move from her taste bud’s perspective, but she also knew the rules of courtesy. After all our first night in Manguzi she had her first pork meal ever because our host Mama had made it to welcome us. The former vegetarian was very wary of meat though, which was probably the cause of her refusal.

Only later that afternoon would I discover what I had eaten. “Why didn’t you eat that food Mama shared?” I asked Elizabeth. She made a squeamish face at me. “Mama came into the kitchen and asked if we eat the inside of cows, near the intestines.” Elizabeth put her hands over her own stomach to demonstrate. Although I half expected that at the time, especially when Lauren made the comparison to chitlins. I was glad I did not know at the time. Some information is best shared after the fact or left unknown.

An alternate view of the backyard. There is a garden where our host family and their neighbors grow some delicious vegetables. However, they also keep trash in the yard. This is the case with everyone here. I was surprised when during our bus ride here, people threw styrofoam food containers and other trash out the windows. The landscape is really beautiful, making the trash an unwanted addition.

Another surprise is that most people burn their trash. This practice is actually supported by the department of public health. Logistically, it is not feasible to collect and dispose of the trash, and standing trash can cause a major health threat in that it carries disease. So although I was surprised at first, it makes sense to burn trash.