sorting rice and shaving coconuts

We cooked a Tanzanian feast!  The preparation took 5 hours, and we did everything without electricity.

Here's Jeannette with her friends and teachers organizing our supplies.

then Jeannette sorted the rice (removing rocks and other debris)

The Swahili language has multiple words for "rice" in its various stages.  Also, there are different words for the different steps in preparing rice.  For example, one single verb means "the process of separating rice from rocks by soaking the rice in water and then allowing the rocks to sink and then pouring off the rice and water leaving the rocks behind."  Beautiful!  We're learning that language and culture are interconnected.

shaving the coconut

We know it sounds curious but Tanzanians have a tool designed specifically for shaving the inside of the coconut to collect all the meat.  Brilliant!

making coconut milk

We mix the cocout meat with water by hand and then filter the chunks out of the coconut milk.  Yummy!  Coconut milk is then cooked with rice and beans for extra flavor.

rolling chapatis

Chapatis are similar to tortillas, but made with a lot more oil.  SO GOOD!

She's having fun!

the finished product...enjoy!

We had so much fun cooking together.  It was hard work and hot and dirty but we talked and laughed and even practiced Swahili.  One of our most enjoyable days in Tanzania.  Jeannette is excited to start cooking Tanzanian meals for our family.


Stay tuned next time for slaughtering the chicken...