Eating in Zambia

Eating in Zambia 

I love Zambian food. Once a week, I have the privilege of eating supper at a school with the boarding kids where I can have typical Zambian meals. A typical Zambian meal includes something called inshima which is kinda like mashed potatoes made out of maize and various sides to accompany it. Inshima doesn’t have a whole lot of flavour but I love it! It really fills you up and is fun to eat with your hands. The kids can eat an impressive amount and still be in good shape. 

When eating at one of my friends houses, I was very full after consuming a pile of inshima, sausage, soup and pasta. They asked if I wanted more to which I replied, “I am getting full I don’t think I can eat any more.” 

    “No! Just have a little more.”

    “I can’t. Do you guys want me to get fat?” I said.

    “Zambian food won’t make you fat!” Was his response.

    Is this a dream? To be able to eat as much food as I want and never get fat? If that’s the case, I never want to leave Zambia! 

A yummy drink made out of maize.
Drink too much and you might not be hungry for lunch.

Even if you do get fat though, it is not a bad thing. Zambians freely throw around the word when talking about people who would fit that description. During the after school program I was sitting with one of my friends and a little chubby boy walked up. “Look at that fat kid!” She said as the began laughing. My immediate reaction was to stand up for him and ask why she was laughing at him. She said it was not a bad thing and she just thought it was funny. A place where eating food won’t make you fat and being out of shape is not always a bad thing. What a dream. :-)