Food Glorious Food!

Although we are by no means hungry here in Moshi...something is missing and for me it set in almost right away. What is missing? Choice...and I don't just mean President's Choice (Although when I speak to Patrick on the phone and he tells me he had a President's Choice Chicken Tikka Masala for lunch...I want him to slow down and say it again).

There are Chinese, Indian and Italian restaurants here, but they all seem to put their own unique Tanzanian spin on things. The other night I had chicken chow mein...the noodles were rigatoni. RIGATONI.....and served on a sizzling fajita plate. Although I just douse whatever they give me with pepper sauce and it all goes down nicely.

Tanzanians...tend to eat the same things for lunch, dinner and breakfast and for most Tanzanians going out to dinner is a luxury. So most of the non-Tanzanian food restaurants cater to ex-pats and the prices (even though they are still low to us) are exorbitant to the average Tanzanian. For example....An entire meal at the campus cafeteria where we have our weeknight feasts of wali (rice), maharage (beans) and pili pili (chili peppers) costs $1...it used to cost 50 cents...but apparently inflation has hit the cost of rice and beans. At the ex-pat places....an entree starts at $4-$5.

A typical Tanzanian food diary would read like this: (At least here in the northern highlands where Moshi is located)

Tea (Breakfast) 10:00am

Option A:

Chappati (same as the Indian) a flat fried wheat pancake or roti

chai or kahawa (coffee)

Option B:

Boiled Cassava or Banana

Option C:

Supu (A beef broth served with chunks of beef and a plate of salt and chili peppers on the side)

Lunch 1:00pm

Option A:

Wali (rice) or Ugali (cornmeal porridge like substance)

stewed meat (usually beef or chicken)

greens (local spinach or cabbage)

maharage (beans)

Option B:

Fried chicken (including a few feathers)

chipsi (fries)

Dinner 7:30-8pm

Same options as lunch

Yes I know there are people in this world who go to bed every night with empty stomachs...and I should be happy for whatever I can get...it's just that I have never in my life been so preoccupied with food.

Case(s) in point:

• I have been having dreams about cheddar cheese.


• I made Patrick (for those of you who don't know he's my poor suffering - but very very lovely in the British sense of the word -boyfriend) go to the grocery store, call me when he got home, and describe everything he bought in detail as he unpacked.


• When I see people eating salads on the TV in commercials...I can practically taste them.


• The other day I saw a mini-bag of Doritos in the grocery store....and almost wept.


• I have actually considered doing unmentionable things for a Diet Coke with Lime.


• I have considered the logistics of opening up a Tim's here...yes in a place that has some of the best coffee in the world...

If anyone in my family is reading this...don't worry...I have enough food and I am. There is no need to send care packages of chocolate bars, salads, cheese......aahhhhhhhhhh! Wait maybe there is...but the Tanzanian government will hold it hostage until I pay $100s in customs fees. I appreciate the thought though...