The first answer is NOT SADZA! Sadza is a staple dish here made from maize. It’s about the consistency of very stiff mashed potatoes, but not as mealy, and it has no particular flavor. It can be eaten plain or served with veges and/or meat. Most Zimbabweans eat mounds of the stuff three meals a day. They eat it with their fingers, rolling it into mouth-sized balls and then using it to scoop up whatever else is on their plate. I had some at the school cafeteria once, and was relieved to learn the next time I went that they also serve rice, which is much more to my liking. I carry my own silverware to the cafeteria, because if I ask for a spoon, it often takes five minutes to get one.
At the office, there is a small microwave, so I often take leftovers from home and reheat them there. Occasionally the electricity is out and I end up saving the leftovers and getting food at the cafeteria. Sadza or rice with one side (meat, greens, cabbage, fava beans) is $2 and with two sides is $3.
The photo above is a handy appliance in my apartment that’s like a small oven/broiler with two burners on top. I put the mug next to it so you can judge the size. The oven and grill (broiler) both work sometimes, as does the left burner. The right burner, thank God, works consistently. I have the bare bones of utensils: three enamel surfaced pots that look to be of 1950’s vintage. Two of them have one of their two little side handles remaining, the third has neither. One of the tops is missing its handle, so I have to insert a knife if a little gap at the side to take it off once I’ve begun to cook in it. I also have plates, basic silverware, mugs, cups and three very dull, very thin-bladed knives. The silverware doubles as my only cooking utensils. The main problem that I have is that things stick very easily to the enamel surfaces, and I’ve been unable to find anything like a tuffy pad or those 3M green pads to help with scrubbing. Basically, I soak and use my fingernails. This impacts what I cook a great deal, because I avoid any form of cooking that might cause something to stick.
Food prices in markets are not expensive, in comparison to the US, for the basics. A bunch of greens, a head of cabbage, 8 very small bananas, two small mangoes or 5-6 medium tomatoes, small onions or small potatoes can be had for $1 each. Eggs can be bought in a flat (36) for $4, or individually for 15 cents. Rice and flour are inexpensive. Almost everything else is very expensive. A can of tomatoes or corn or baked bean costs $1.50. Margarine is $4 for a ½ lb., and butter is $6.50 for a half pound. Cheese is a luxury item—about $16/lb. for basic cheddar. I got a small box of something that’s between muesli and granola, and that cost $8.50. Beef and pork run $5-6/kg, and chicken is more like $7/kg. I can get milk and large cartons of yogurt. I’ve got bread, PB and jelly. I also bought a simple can opener, which cost $18.50. I can also buy fruits and vegetables at one of the local markets. See picture below.
I’ve been making delightful stews with a little bit of meat, potatoes, carrots, onions and some kind of sauce (not as thick as gravy, because of the pan sticking). I can vary it by changing seasonings and by omitting potatoes and either mixing it with or serving it over rice. I’ve had green beans, butternut squash, which my oven has eventually favored me with baking, and a green I really like called tsunga. I can often make toast in the morning if my oven is working. I brought some packets of instant oatmeal from home, so I can have those occasionally. They’re available but very expensive in the store, and I can’t imagine cleaning regular oatmeal off my pots. I do eggs that are hard or soft-boiled, depending upon the vagaries of my stovetop. Last Saturday I had more time, so I scrambled an egg with a little ham (a splurge-- $3.50 for three ounces) and some onion. It tasted wonderful, but I’m not sure it’s an experiment I’ll repeat often, because even using a lot of butter in the pan and watching it carefully so it didn’t stick, the pan was very hard to clean.
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