Turns out, because Namibia is so diverse with different tribes and cultures that are isolated by the rough landscapes of Namibia, Namibian food as a whole is hard to capture. Each tribe and culture has quite unique foods compared to one another.
Pap is one food that stretches to many different regions in Namibia. It is considered one of Namibia's staple foods, and it consists mostly of carbohydrates to fill you up. Pap is very similar to a sort of maize meal porridge, and has the consistency of cream of wheat, so as you can imagine, it probably doesn't taste like the best thing in the world or like anything at all for that matter. The two main ingredients that make pap is either maize or mahangu (millet) depending on the region or the cook's choice. Pap is usually a large side dish, like rice or some other grain, and is most of the time serves with a meat, fish, or other protein food. Here's what it can look like on your plate:Meat in Namibia can be quite exotic. Some tribes eat zebra, oryx, springbok, warthog, ostrich, crocodile, donkey, goat, and kudu, which is kind of depressing after watching all of my classmates present on some these animals interesting and unique lives. Anyways, I wouldn't be surprised if one of us on the trip accidentally ate a piece of an animal that we really didn't expect we would eat. So get ready for some pleasant surprises!
For fish in Namibia, it is predominantly in communities along the main rivers on Namibia's northern and southern borders and Namibia's skeleton coast. Here, locals are constantly fishing spending hours at at time catching sardines, mackerel, or hake to name a few.
-- Romain Screve
Sources: https://shusko.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/traditional-foods-of-namibia/
https://www.google.com/search?biw=1179&bih=633&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=kiiwWv_aNIfc0gLDyLeIBw&q=namibian+game+meat&oq=namibian+game+meat&gs_l=psy-ab.3...20771.21163.0.21230.5.5.0.0.0.0.128.297.2j1.3.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..4.0.0....0.R82hALg46xg#imgrc=-1MbdyczZZSjgM:
http://www.worldsmartkids.com/namibia.php
You mentioned that some of the meat eaten in Namibia can be exotic, like zebra oryx, or springbok. Are there specific regulations for hunting these particular animals? And any major health risks associated with eating this meat, given their recent listeriosis outbreak? - Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteWe missed you at the dinner :D. But your information matches what we served at the dinner pretty well. Mostly some grain-based porridge and grilled meats.
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