MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMoshi!

So, here it is, arriving by popular demand...... my description of the food! First of all, dispose of all your inklings as to what the food I'm consuming each day is like, because I guarantee it is nothing of the horror and quantity you are picturing. The food here is awesome and plentiful. We have a chef named Primo. Really. That's his name. Seriously. I want to take him to school with me next year!

Traditional Tanzanian food is present at every meal, accompanied by a western option. The main staple in Tanzania is a food called ugali (oo-gah-lee). It resembles mashed potatoes by appearence, yet is far closer to playdoh in texture. Essentially it is flour mixed with water until the correct consistancy is achieved where you can mold it into whatever shape desirable. Playing with your food is allowed here. haha. Basically you eat it by grabbing a tablespoon sized piece of it, rolling it into a ball (using only your right hand as the left hand in Tanzania is associated with hygiene), making a dent in the centre so it resembles a mini bowl, and scooping another substance (lentils, sauce, small vegetables ect.) into the dent with your thumb. Then, consumption. It is awesome. I think part of my enjoyment comes from the fact that when I was younger, I really wanted playdoh to taste good because it looked so appetizing, but I always felt disappointed when I tasted how salty and unappealing it was. Now, I have a replacement!

Lentils are a big part of the diet as well. I believe this is because meat isn't very affordable for the general public, even though we usually have a meat component to our meals. The meat is almost always chicken or pork and typically comes in one of the amazing sauces Primo makes. (Ironically not spaghetti sauce). It is usually intended to be mixed in with rice, which we have at most meals as well. Fruit is not a dessert here. It is a part of every meal. Pears, fruit salads, pineapple, and BANANAS!! I will not be able to eat bananas when I return in the same way I could not appreciate orange juice after Cuba. They are just amazing here. Always! And I'm not even a big banana person. One thing I must address though.... papaya juice = amazing... papayas themselves are really gross. They may be the mushiest type of food I have ever eaten and have a very odd, bitter taste that one would not expect after sampling them in juice form.

To go along with the traditional dishes is often something more familiar to our taste buds, such as the rice and meat listed above, or sometimes for a treat grilled cheese, egg salad sandwiches, pizza, or spaghetti. All of course with a local twist.

The things they don't have here that I probably miss more than anything from home are milk and red meat. Diary is just not common here. I assume it's due to the fact that very few people actually have refridgerators. I miss it. I typically drink a lot of milk. I actually have been eating the powdered milk here. Yes, eating. I consume it in granule form from the tin. It is excellent now, but I feel like when I get home it will be one of those things that only seemed reasonable at the time because of my body's needs. I also crave a lot of ice cream and chocolate, which are expensive, but available here. If you know me well, you know that these are two things I eat very little of at home, yet here, I simply can't get enough.

Red meat is something I feel is more important to my daily life than inhaling oxygen. It to is dearly missed. Upon my return I may request a roast for my first meal... but for myself. The rest present will have to find something else to eat.

Breakfast here is made up of crepes, scrambled eggs, oranges, and toast. It's usually the same thing everyday, which is fine by me seeing as I have at the same type of food for breakfast for the past 10 years of my life.

So, in conclusion, those of you who were expecting to see a withered, very skinny Graeme upon my return will be quite disappointed. Primo lives up to his name.