Food for Thought

You might have guessed by now that I am really interested in the eating habits of people around the world (I’ve only posted about it 3 times!). Namibia is no exception. From my experience, South African and Namibian food is blander than American food. That is not to say that it doesn’t have flavor, it is just that the flavors are on a smaller scale with fewer extremes. In my opinion, food here tastes more “natural” somehow. Things in general are less processed. It is not unusual to pet a chicken in the morning and the eat it for dinner.

Fatcakes on the top, then macaroni salad, fish, and potato salad – all homemade by my host mom!

I’ve found that many people here don’t let many things go to waste. It is not unusual for people to eat every part of the chicken, including the feet and insides. Luckily people are also very understanding that those parts are not in the typical American diet.

I have also found some of my favorite foods here. I mentioned in an earlier post about the amazing ice cream. I have also had some delicious stews and potato dishes. Just the other night my host-sister and I made something that was a cross between a French fry (called “chips” here) and a potato chip (called “crisps” or “crispies”) by slicing potatoes into coins and frying them in oil. YUM!

One last comment about food: THERE IS A LOT OF IT! Especially at my homestays, I was stuffed full at all hours of the day. During my Soweto homestay, there were a couple times where I was having multiple lunches and multiple dinners in the same day. People love to cook for guests and serving food is one of the ways people welcome you into their home. You’ll never go hungry at a homestay!