On Sunday last week, we went for lunch at Ceru's place. She is a powerful leader of the NGO we are working with here in Liberia. It was a long drive there, to a place called New Georgia Estate. New Georgia because Liberia was the place which was colonised by the slaves leaving America after the abolition of slavery. On the way we passed the White House convenience Store! There are other places here referring to those southern parts of North America, Maryland and New Georgia are just two. The way they speak is very similar in fact to the long slow drawl of those southern states.
A lot of the names of the food are reflective of that are a too.
Ceru made traditional Potato Greens (sauce made with potato plant leaves and palm oil), with fried plantains and corn bread. In the main dish was the sauce of potatoe greens over a mixture of a dish of all kinds of pieces of fish and meat which to look at is quite unidentifiable, in the dark green sauce. Its like minced spinach with palm oil, and it is thick with the pieces of meat and fish in it. I am always nervous of eating it...... not sure what it is; toungue, heart, pieces of brain... and every now and then a small "craw fish" (prawn/shrimp) finds its way through the dark green sauce and shows its orange skin to me....and I sigh. Delightedly I gobble the whole thing up!
The food is also really hot, very small peppers are added. On wednesday it felt like my lips were all blown up -like I had just had botox!!!
We have been eating this kind of dish with variations all week. I'm getting quite used to it, but that is the reason for the longing for a big bowl of veggies, hot steamy orange and green veggies!
Today we went to a Lebonese coffee house and I had some houmos, olives, cucumber and pita... a welcome relief.
Although my heart is sad to leave, I think my diet has suffered, and I cant wait to get home and eat properly. It just has not been possible.
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