The Savour of the Lord

Typical Zambian Breakfast that we had in Lusaka (Beans, Sausage, Toast with Jam, and Juice)

Typical lunch we had in Lusaka (chicken, beef, veggies, Nshima, rice).

The Beloved Fruitree

Another lunch in Lusaka (chicken, rice, veggies, fruit, and Nshima)

Samosa and Chicken Pie with a Pineapple Fanta at a side shop on our way to Choma

Choma- potatoes, beef with veggies, rice, and banana

Lunch in Choma (red sausage, cookies, veggies, banana, and chips)

Dinner in Choma(meat sauce, rice, veggies, and banana)

Dinner in Choma (hot dog, noodles, rice, and veggies)

Traditional meal in Choma (Nshima, beans, pumpkin leaves, and banana) 

Fanta- the only way we could get a cold drink in Zambia

For the entirety of this trip, we have been feed. Whether spiritually or physically, we were filled with the “fruits of the Lord”, and each day we have been blessed so much.  I can begin to explain how grateful I have been for the many blessings throughout this trip. I wish I could share so much with you all but for today (and for time’s sake), I am going to be sharing about being feed physically from the minute we stepped on the plane in Washington DC till our last few days here in Livingstone. Welcome to our Zambia Abroad ’14 Food Blog!

Plane Food

Well, we were fed multiple times on the plane. Let’s just say we were feeling like we ate so much. Every time I went to sleep and woke up, it was time to eat again. Some food choices were better than others, but overall there wasn’t much to complain about. The one aspect of the plane food that I loved the most was all of the different drinks they gave us. I could have as much soda or as little soda that I wanted.

Lusaka

While we were in Lusaka, we were introduced to the fruit juice Fruit Tree. It automatically became our favorite. This is also when we were introduced to traditional food of Zambia, which consisted of a lot of Nshima, rice, vegetables, and chicken (which is not always included in a typical daily meal). We also were able to drink Five Roses Tea.  I know some of the girls on the team liked it so much that they were planning to bring some for friends and family to taste. I know I brought some for my family to try.  

Choma

The food in Choma was excellent. Mrs. Botah, our favorite cook during this trip, cooked for us three times a day. She truly blessed us and she even tried occasionally to make some American food for us.  While in Choma, we often ate rice, vegetables, red sausages, spaghetti, noodles, and chicken. One night we had traditional food and she cooked us chicken, Nshima, pumpkin leaves, and rape (which is a common vegetable in Zambia). Mrs. Botah caught on to our eating habits and saw that we loved fruit so she made sure we had plenty for each meal, especially apples and bananas. At times, we grew tired of the Zambian food so we learned to be creative with our meals. Some on the team resourced to the variety of red sauces available while others added spices, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper. For me, I tried to stick with things that I could add peanut butter such as fruit and bread when I need something more familiar. Overall, we grew to love Mrs. Botah and her cooking. She taught us so much about the culture and people of Zambia. When we walked through the kitchen, she was always so welcoming and caring. She loved when we tried to greet her in her native language. My favorite memory is when she sang the Tonga(one of the Zambian languages in Choma) songs with us and also when we were able to gift her with the Zambian chitenge (African skirt) that she had been wanting. We will all miss her so much!

Zimba

ICE, ICE, ICE!!!

Coke!

Cookies

When we arrived in Zimba, we were so happy to find out that we would be having food similar to home. There were literally screams when we saw ice cubes in the fridge because we were so hot and we missed cold drinks so much. The excitement was contagious and practically, everyone was smiling. It was the simple things like the ice cubes, coca-cola, and chocolate chip cookies that blessed us so much. I think the timing of this trip to Zimba was just perfect because we were starting to feel a bit homesick since the two and a half months were about halfway over. The highlight meals for Zimba included Mexican and pizza. Gertrude, our cook, was so sweet, and she realized that we loved cookies right away. She made us so many good cookies. It was so hard to turn them down.

Macha

Let’s just say that there is not much to talk about when it comes to the food in Macha.  The food was simple: chicken, rice, noodles, and vegetables. We loved having the fruit salad, which consisted of apples and oranges, and also the different types of bread that they gave us with our meal. One meal we didn’t quite understand was the cornbread and red sauce that they served us for a few meals. For lunch, all we saw was a bowl of red sauce with pan of cornbread next to us. However, we managed to have plenty to eat, and I am so thankful that we were able to have nutritious and filling food to eat in a country that has so many people that die from starvation or from diseases attributed to malnutrition.

Livingstone

The food in Livingstone has been EXCELLENT. We have had the opportunity to go out to restaurants a few times and other times we have stayed home and made homemade salads. What a treat it is to have salad again! It was so funny to see so many on our team get so excited for fresh, raw veggies and lettuce. The team was also able to go to a gelato shop and try multiple flavors of delicious gelato.

Home:

Although we have had the privilege of eating some amazing (or not so amazing) Zambian food, we do miss our favorites from back home. I have taken a poll to see what each team member has been missing most and would like to have the first few days we return home. You might want to pay attention (hint, hint…)

Me: Chips and Salsa, Chicken Tortilla Soup, COLD Gatorade, and Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks

Joy: Thai Massam Curry, Sushi, and Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks

Shannon: Large Diet Coke from McDonalds, Mom’s homemade Gluten-free Mac and Cheese, Chipotle, and Buffalo Wild Wings

Kristen: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream from Oberwise, Pepperoni Pizza from Lou Malnati’s, and Fresh Veggie/Fruit Juice from home

Andria: Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks, Pumpkin Granola, Pumpkin Pie (basically anything else Pumpkin, without Pumpkin I practically wouldn’t exist J)

Hannah: Dairy Queen Oreo Blizzard or Anything from Culver’s

Katie: Applesauce and frozen Gogurt

Sara: Chocolate Milk or Milk in general

Lindsey: Chipotle and Strawberries (but not together J)

Emily: Mexican food and a Carmel Macchiato

Danielle: Skim Milk, cheese and crackers, Thanksgiving dinner, beef jerky, guacamole, chocolate chip cookies, chicken tortilla soup, and anything pumpkin

Paige: Chipotle and either Starbucks or McConn coffee

Alesha: Cheesy Bean and Rice Burrito from Taco Bell

Melissa: Chocolate Milk, Mac and Cheese, Strawberries, and an apple pie chai from McConn  

Ashley: Chicken Balls, Applesauce, Corn, Grape Juice, Arroz con Pollo, and Salsa

Jenna: Chipotle

Dana: Yatz and blueberries

Professor Baird: Ivanhoes, specifically a pumpkin milkshake

Anna: (Although she is staying here in Zambia with her husband) She misses Olive Garden

Mweende Kabotu (Stay Well, a goodbye saying in Zambia)!
Love, Lauren Wolfe (Team Member)