Bon Appetit

Alrighty, so here it is, the skinny on the food here.  I am finding myself getting tired of traditional fare and my preoccupation with finding alternative food sources and types is largely responsible for this post.  I have been finding more restaurants to go to however, and, with the help of new friends, have been able to deviate slightly from my routine.  Yes I will update you further on what I have been up do for the past week, but this is a little 'taste' (haha, get it?) of my every day life.  

Throughout Burundi, Brochettes, are a local delicacy and seem to have garnered as much community adoration as the Tambouriers (what I thought was Burundi's only claim to fame).  These meats on a stick come in the goat, beef, chicken, fish and sausage variety, although true nature of the meat is sometimes questionable.  In all honesty, these are pretty yummy, although eating what is basically a kebab every night can get a bit tiring.  Other than this, people eat a lot of eggs and peanuts, available for very little from street vendors throughout the city.  Coming soon to a car window near you.....

Here are a few ideas to give you an idea of our typical lunch:  

I usually go to a nearby restaurant with Raissa, or alternatively, we sometimes have Violette, our office assistant go for take-out. Regardless of where we eat, the food remains relatively the same.  Rice (also sometimes called pilau if it has yummy spices in it, peas, and bananas (the savory kind, which are super delicious) are often on the menu. 

Also, variation on the same theme: 

pilau with a leafy vegetable/manioc mix known as linga linga.  The manioc is pretty much for texture and to give the linga linga a bit more substance.  In all, it looks like sloppy canned spinach, but I really like it!!!

Beignets:  A food that is probably not too far fetched if you have been to New Orleans, or other former French colonies.  These are amazing as a snack and are pretty much African donuts.   We have these with tea, as a frequent afternoon treat.  

Lastly, a Burundian classic: Bugali.  Not to be confused with Ugali, found in other regions of East Africa, Bugali is made from Manioc rather than from wheat flour.  I don't particularly like this difference, as the manioc gives a bit of a weird aftertaste to the whole experience.  If you have never had Ugali/Bugali before, just eating it is a process.  The actual Bugali, the beige colored mound in the middle, is really elastic and you have to separate a lump of if, roll it into a ball and then use it as a sort of spoon (think Tosito's Scoop Chips) to eat the sauce (aptly named, sauce) and linga linga.  The other stuff...fine...bugali...not so much...

Other than these few things, I buy a lot of fresh fruit: papayas, pineapples, bananas, marachuja (no idea how to describe this), passion fruit, and, of course, avocados as big as my head. 

 On a final note, the French word avocat means both avocado and lawyer...food for thought?