The Hometown Beverage; Ocissangua

Amongst the traditional Ovimbundu people in southern Angola, the homemade beverage ocissangua or kissangua is regularly consumed and plays an important part in the culture of the people.  The drink is made solely of corn flour and water and is permitted to ferment slightly for a better taste.  (I have often been offered the drink as a guest when I thought that it was let to ferment far too long!!)

According to culture, the drink is required to be on hand at all times in order to be given as the 'first meal' to visitors and to other special honorable guests in the home in order to quench or 'kill' their hunger and thirst.  Considering the economic limitations of the rural Angolans and their large supply of corn, this drink is often consumed more than water if the water supply is contaminated.

What's for Breakfast? Cassava Porridge!

In rural Angola, the cassava plant is one of the most important foods because of its availability and adaptability to the Angolan environment.  This root vegetable can be transformed into flour, tapioca or even alcohol. Cassava porridge is a common Angolan breakfast.

Cassava is a potato plant that grows to a height of 5-8 feet. It is grown in most of Africa’s countries and other tropic countries in the world. The root is very starchy and that is the portion of the cassava plant used for human consumption. The Cassava root varies from 50-70 cm long. It grows in clusters of 2-6 and is covered with a brownish bark fibrous that is removed by peeling.

The cassava roots are peeled, washed and cooked, boiled or grated and squeezed dry, fermented and then toasted, made into cassava bread or processed into foofoo, a moist foodstuff. Foofoo is prepared by boiling the starchy cassava flour to a thick paste or porridge in water and mixing until the desired consistence is reached. The roots are also used for animal feed and the starch for laundry starch and glue.

Cassava can also be sourced in North America and in Europe . Following, I have added a common North American Cassava Porridge Recipe from TriniGourmet.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cubed cassava
4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tin condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

METHOD:

1. Blend cassava with 2 cups of the water.
2. Boil the other two cups of water with the salt.
3. Slowly pour in the cassava liquid and lower heat.
4. Simmer until creamy (whisk rapidly until the texture thickens and the liquid appears glossy. Don’t be surprised if translucent ‘bits’ appear to settle at the bottom, they are tasteless and can easily be reintegrated through extra whisking or putting the mixture in a blender before continuing to the next step) recipe. 

Foods: Using the Fruit of the Palms

Among the coastal and tropical regions of Angola, palm trees can be found in abundance.  Often locally called the Molala, these trees grow between 5 to 7 meters (15 -21 feet), but sometimes up to 15 meters (45 feet) in height.

Beyond the aesthetic views, rural Angolans value the tree for its fruit.  The fruits are small, oval and somewhat pear-shaped, ripening from green through orange to glossy dark brown. A thin layer of sweet-tasting, ginger-flavoured, spongy, fibrous pulp surrounds the seed. Fruits are produced in large quantities, up to 2000 per tree, each taking two years to mature and up to two further years to fall. 

A local and national dish called 'muamba' is made from the fruit. The palm nuts are boiled, pounded, mixed with water, sieved again and then boiled to become a 'sauce-like' consistency. It is usually served with funge, a manioc puree and is often served with fish on occasions.

Additionally, the fruit and sap of the palm tree is used to make wine and locally home-brewed beer, often called 'cuca'.

Angolan Food: Pearls of the Palate

Many storied travelers and cultural analysts have raved that, "Amongst Angola's greatest riches are encountered some real pearls for the palate. Angolan gastronomy is delicious and varied.”

The aspect of food and cuisine plays a significant part in defining Angola's collective identity as part of the ideology of nationalism; a country is supposed to have its own distinctive cuisine which all its citizens can enjoy together and yet claim as their own derivation.

In those countries which were part of the former Portuguese empire, such as Angola, cuisine has become an important part of the national culture. In examination of Angolan cuisine in detail, it is essential to recall the role played by the Portuguese in introducing new foodstuffs to Africa. Many of the common foods now eaten in Africa, for example manioc (cassava), maize, peppers, peanuts, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, beans and tomatoes, originated in the Americas and spread around the globe after Christopher Columbus discovered the New World in 1492.

Interesting Angola Foods - Mopane Worms. Yum!

Mopane worm is the colloquial name for the caterpillar form of the mopane emperor moth. Widely distributed throughout the Cunene River region of southern Angola, the caterpillars feed on the leaves of the mopane tree and are popular with people as a food item.

Angolans living in the rural areas in the southern region like to eat these worms because they are highly nutritious and are a good source of protein. Mopane worms are often hand-picked by children and women and when it is picked, it is pinched at the tail end to rupture the inwards. The picker then squeezes it like a tube of toothpaste or lengthwise like a concertina, and whips it to expel the slimy, green contents of the gut.

The traditional method of preserving these worms is to dry them in the sun or smoke them, giving additional flavour. The industrial method is to can these caterpillars (usually in brine), and tins of mopane worms can be found in rural supermarkets and markets around southern Africa.

Angolan Food: Desserts. Yum!

For the most part, dessert is not a part of the traditional Angolan meal. Most Angolan desserts consist of simple fruits, but there are also western-like puddings like Cocada amarela, which was inspired by the Portuguese cuisine; since Angola was previously ruled as a Portuguese colony, some of its food and cuisine owe much to the culture of Portugal.

Cocada amarela (yellow coconut) is the best known Angolan dessert and its main ingredients are: sugar, water, whole cloves, coconut, egg yolks and ground excellence.  The yellow color is derived from the abundance of egg yolks in the recipe. There are several recipes for this dish, but the differences between them are represented mainly by the cooking technique. Since Cocada amarela is a very sweet and heavy dessert, it is best served in small portions.  ENJOY!

Cocada Amarela

Ingredients
2 cups Sugar
4 whole cloves
12 egg yolks
6 cups water
4 cups grated coconut
ground cinnamon

Directions
Combine the Sugar, cloves and water in a 4 to 5 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling and stir

Angolan Seafood Resources = Great Food!

After oil and diamond mining, the fisheries industry is the third most important sector in the country. Along the entire 1650 kilometer coastline, a rich fishery exists. Since ancient times, fishing has been important right up to colonial times when Angola was one of the biggest producers and exporters in the region.

Although the majority of fish is harvested by industrial and semi-industrial fleets using nets and trawling methods, there is also a large 'hand-labor' fishing industry estimated to employ around 25000 fishermen using 3000-4500 "chatas", or small motorised or un-motorised boats.

Main fishing resources include sardinellas, horse mackerels, sardines, dentex, shrimps, crabs, lobster and other valued tropical bottom species. Since Angolan seafood is abundant and very good, the Angolan coast is a special place to purchase fresh shrimp or lobster right off the fisherman's boat.
 

Shrimp is one of my favorite seafoods and Angolan shrimp stew (bobo de camarão) is one of the typical seafood dish made with shrimps, cassava (manioc), dendê (palm) oil and coconut milk.

Check out the recipe for bobo de camarao here....  If you make it the recipe the Angola way, beware, it is a little spicy with the peppers and chilies!

More Food in Angola!

The lingering and re-emerging Portuguese influence on Angola, this former Portuguese colony, is greatly evident in the area of cuisine. Many of direct Portuguese descent and the emerging Angolan 'modern'culture living in the largest cities have embraced more of Portugal's culinary tastes. I will cover just a few of the prevalent items and some of the favorites served at Christmas here. (Since I love foreign food and think that it is a major part of cultural assimilation, I will cover it frequently here in this blog)

Starting off with coffee, the strength of the coffee drunk is much stronger than normally used in some countries. This full-strength expresso coffee, or bica as it is commonly named, is normally combined with lots of sugar and gives a good jolt!  It is commonly consumed as a start to a daily routine at pastry shops before work.

he Portuguese national dish, the soup "caldo verde", has kale (or collards ) as it's key ingredient. Soup is commonly eaten as a starter at the beginning of the meal or even after a meal to 'get that full feeling'. The dish is brimming with potatoes, onion, garlic and filament-thin shreds of kale and often fortified with slices of "chouriço" or "linguiça" (sausages).

Bacalhau, a fish dish with the main ingredient of salted, dried codfish, is a traditional dish served at Christmastime.  There is said to be 1001 ways to serve bacalhau, but it is most commonly served with potatoes and eggs.

Leitao, or suckling pig, is another Christmas delicasy though young piglets are often hard to come by in Angola.  The month-old young piglet is seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted whole on a spit for two hours in a wood-fired oven.

Bolo Rei, literally translated 'King Cake', is normally served during the Christmas season. The cake is made in a round design with a large hole in the centre to intentially resemble a crown. Crystallized and dried fruit are placed on the top to resemble jewels.  Tradition dictates that a fava bean be baked into the cake and that whoever finds the fava has to pay for the Bolo Rei next year.

Angolan Food. Yum!

One question too that I am asked a lot from my previous experience in Angola is, "What do you eat in Angola?"  This is an important question, since the palatability of the food in a different culture really affects the longevity and enjoyment of serving in that culture.  I believe that a country's food also tells a lot about their culture and their history and eating it helps you to identify with the people better.  One elderly wise African would repeatedly tell me to: "Continually eat more of our food and you will speak our language better!"

Now since the war has ceased there in Angola, foreign food imports have begun trickling in, allowing one to purchase now some normal 'western-type' food such as Kelloggs Corn Flakes.  So a expatriate living in an urban center could purchase foodstuffs now that very much like what is available in North America.

But the Angolan food that is distinct and interesting is what I want to cover here.

Funge: This is the staple of the Angolan diet and it can be made with corn meal (funge) or with yucca/manioc flour (bombô).  Some say that this food is like polenta or very thick grits, but realistically, no. The texture of funge is very sticky and neither version really has any flavor, so I find that it is best eaten with the gravy or beans that come with your meal.  I actually don't mind eating this.

Rice and Beans:  This an easily prepared and regular staple for Angolans, and the low cost and starchiness of the rice provides a cheap, stomach-filling meal.  Most of the beans are grown locally, but all the rice is imported since it is not grown in the country.

Frango (Chicken) or Cabrito (Goat):  It seems that since Angolans always have chickens or goats running around their properties that they eat it regularly. In reality, because of their price, these animals are generally saved to be served for special occasions.  On various occasions while on visits to very rural areas, I learned that our hosts slaughtered their only chicken or goat in order to prepare a meal for us.  It humbled me to realize the sacrifice that they made.  Though  both chickens and goats are essentially free-range, very often the meat is very tough or rubbery.  The both meats are often served with a bean sauce which makes it very tasty.