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Zimbabwean Food Tasting Evening
A report by Kay Collier
On Friday 14th October the Friends Group put on a traditional Zimbabwean food tasting
evening at Grace Community Church Hall in Stevenage.
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Two ladies, Joyce and Nitza, who are from Zimbabwe very kindly offered to help organise
the buying and cooking of the food and guiding us along in preparing the dishes. Rose,
from the Friends Group, went shopping with them so that we got a real understanding of
what they buy and where they get it. Some of the items such as okra (derere) and butternut
squash (mananga) came from Stevenage indoor market. Others came from a shop at The Oval –
pigs’ trotters (mazondo) and chicken gizzards (zvikanganwa hama), South African shop in
The Old Town – mealie meal or maize flour for sadza and Brookfield Farm Aston –
boerwors sausage (mabruvosi).
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Those who could help arrived late afternoon on the day to start chopping, washing, mixing
and cooking food. Joyce and Nitza had already done some at home. The hall was decorated
with a Zimbabwean flag and there were tables with cloths on from Zimbabwe to put the food on.
We had some things on display which had been made in Zimbabwe. We had pictures of a trip to
Kadoma which had taken place a few years ago and some letters which had been sent over this
year by school children whom the Link support by paying their school fees.
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Between 7 and 7.30pm people started to arrive. Anyone who was interested in finding out
more about the Link and the culture of the people were welcome to come. The event started
with a drink and then the food was brought in. It was all displayed extremely nicely with
labels for each dish both in English and in Shona, the main local language in Kadoma.
As the tradition is to pour water over peoples hands to wash them and then give them a
towel to dry them, we too went round with jugs of hot water, bowls and towels and did this
before they went to help themselves to the food. All the time there was Zimbabwean music
playing in the background.
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The food consisted of mashed butternut squash (mananga) with peanut butter, sliced butternut
squash (mananga), sadsa, the staple food of Zimbabwe, chicken gizzards (zvikanganwa hama),
pigs trotters (mazondo), dried “kapenta” or anchovies (matemba), cabbage, beef pot roast
(nyama yaka ngochwa), fat cooks, pieces of dough which had been cooked in fat (Mabanzi),
“ladies fingers” which is another name for okra (derere), rice mixed with peanut butter
(mupunga unedovi) and two dished with green vegetables, one was mixed with tomatoes.
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Everyone enjoyed themselves going back for more food. We ended with tea and coffee.
Jan, The Link Chairperson, then gave a talk all about the Link and the things that we do.
This was very interesting and informative.
I think the whole evening was a great success.
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