I cannot believe we are in our final week of this amazing 13 month journey! It is actually a little bittersweet that this has come to an end. I have had such a wonderful time learning about these 52 cultures with my children. It has truly incorporated 3 of my favorite things in the world-My Girls, Cooking Diverse Cuisines, and Learning about Cultures of the World.
Zimbabwe is a land locked country that lies in Southern Africa, between South Africa and Zambia. It is slightly larger than the state of Montana and has a population of about
13 million people.
Zimbabwe is a beautiful country, rich in resources and hardworking people. It is home to the magnificent Victoria Falls , the mighty Zambezi River and Hwange National Park, one of Africa's best safari destinations . But political mismanagement in the past decade has plunged the country into economic catastrophe, turning a once rich country into a desperate one.
More than two-thirds of the population speaks Shona as their first language. Shona-speaking people (made up of the Karanga, Korekore, Manyika, Ndau, Rozwi and Zezuru, groups) live mainly in the eastern two-thirds of the country, including the capital of Harare.
Other ethnic groups in the southeast, representing around one percent of the population each, are the Tonga in the Zambezi Valley, the Shangaan or Hlengwe in the Low Veld, and the Venda on the border with South Africa.
About two percent of the population is of non-African ethnic origin, mainly European and Asian.
Art and music are highly regarded. Much of the music is still influenced by traditional rhythms and sounds, which are created using local instruments such as the mbira and marimba (a type of wooden xylophone).
The mbira is a small hand-held instrument (belonging to a family known as lamellophones). Commonly referred to as a 'thumb piano', it is actually played using both thumbs and forefingers.
Mbiras have been played for over a 1,000 years in Zimbabwe. They come in different sizes and normally have between 22 to 28 metal keys. These keys or iron prongs are mounted on a hardwood soundboard which is often placed inside a large gourd/calabash skin. The calabash shell acts as the resonator (or deze).
Christianity (of many different denominations, including Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist and Dutch Reformed Churches) is practised widely across Zimbabwe. But many people also hold traditional beliefs in ancestors, as well as in prophecy and divination, where divine inspiration is sought through communication with the spirits. The Shona have been monotheistic (holding a belief in one supreme deity) for centuries, calling their deity Mwari.
We decided to cook three very traditional dishes of Zimbabwe. Our First was a Braised Oxtail in a spicy sauce. This dish was by far the hardest and took the most time. Oxtails are very tough, so they require lots of slow cooking time to break down the muscle and make the meat tender. We coated the oxtails in egg and then dipped each piece in spiced flour. We used Black Pepper, Coriander, Garam Masala, Turmeric, and Allspice. After we sautéed in pan to sear the meat. Then added onions, carrots, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, beef stock, and wine. We lowered the heat and let it cook for about 4 hours. The result was fall of the bone tender and juicy meat in the most amazing sauce ever! It was spicy, savory, and slightly sour. So delicious!
Our second dish Nhopi Nanga which is Roasted and Mashed Spiced Pumpkin. This was absolutely delicious! We purchased a small pumpkin from our local grocery store which was perfect given this is Pumpkin Season. We cut it into small chunks and cooked it with brown sugar, water, and milk. Finished it off with some fresh cream and this was a sweet and satisfying treat! It was like pumpkin pie in a bowl. So yummy!
Our Final Dish is called Mabhanzi, which are basically sweet rolls. They were perfect with our oxtails! The soft pillowy buttered rolls sopped up all the meaty sauce from the oxtails beautifully!
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