Tag Archives: food

Happy May Day – A Great Burundian Holiday

Posted on 01/05/2013 by

May Day is enthusiastically celebrated here in Burundi – a great parade of workers from different organizations, families visiting and strolling the beach, and lots of food and drink.   Boy-Boy - a huge Burmese cat who accompanied me when I came from Kenya – … Continue reading →

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Posted in Burundi, Cats, Living here | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Social Life of Beans in Burundi – Part 1

Posted on 01/03/2013 by

Dry beans are the most important food in Burundi.  Being Burundian is associated with beans – their growing, processing, sales and eating.  Consumption of beans  cuts across all socioeconomic and ethnic lines in the country; they are a truly unifying, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Central, Africa-General, Agriculture, Burundi, Colonialism, Crop harvests, Cuisine, East central Africa, Social Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Amaranth Greens (Lenga-Lenga) – Politically Correct, Easy to Grow, and Delicious. Recipes Included

Posted on 16/11/2012 by

Heidi, one of our readers, has asked for a recipe using lenga-lenga (amaranth).  Here are some recipes, together with information on lenga-lenga – its use, cultivation and value as a key indigenous food. The crop: Lenga-lenga is one of a hand-full … Continue reading →

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Posted in Burundi, Contract-Farming, Food, Food Security, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Vinegar in Ancient Egypt: Sour Wine or Tasty Condiment?

Posted on 14/10/2012 by

 Although there are many tomb drawings and small models representing agriculture, kitchen activities and banquets, knowledge of specific ways by which food was prepared is practically non-existent.  As N. Millet commented:   An area of ancient Egyptian life about which we are poorly … Continue reading →

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Posted in Cuisine, Egypt-Ancient, Food, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Lessons in Pasta-making at the Hotel Lac Tanganyika

Posted on 08/09/2012 by

Chef Richard decided to give lessons to his senior cooks on making various pastas, which could then be featured on the menu on a regular basis.  Pastas are  not a known (traditional) dish in Burundi, where they will be found mainly … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Central, Burundi, Contract-Farming, Food, Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika2, Living here, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Sorghum Beer in Colonial Burundi and Now

Posted on 18/06/2012 by

Continuing past blogs on the production of local beverages that are fermented, let’s move on to sorghum beer – which until recent times was the most important local brew in Burundi.  It’s production is described by Hans Meyer, in Les … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Central, Beer, Burundi, Cuisine, Explorers & exploration, Fermentation, Food, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants, Living there | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Banana Beer and other Fermented Foods in Africa

Posted on 16/06/2012 by

Fermentation is one of the most important technologies used in pre-industrial societies to transform agricultural and wild products into highly edible and nutritional products.  The fermentation process is associated with a variety of attributes, some of the most important being … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-General, Agriculture, Appropriate technology, Fermentation, Food, Food Security, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants, Research & Development | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments