Zambia was one of my favourite places to live. There are about 72 tribes living in 9 provinces in Zambia. While English is the official language of Zambia, many tribal languages are still spoken. The main tribal groups are Bemba, Nyanja, Lozi and Tonga with Bemba being the most widely spoken native language. My sister and I learnt to speak Nyanja.
We obviously also loved to eat two lovely Zambian recipes: nshima and ifisashi.
Nshima is the staple food eaten by not only Zambians but many other African neighbours. Almost all indigenous African languages in Zambia probably call nshima by a different name according to the specific area language and dialect variation. The Chewa, Tumbuka, andNgoni of Eastern Zambia and Malawi call itsima or nsima, the Bemba of Northern Zambia call it ubwali, the Tonga of Southern Zambia call it Insima and Lozi of Western Zambia call itBuhobe. A similar staple meal is called Sadzain Zimbabwe, Milli Pap in South Africa, Ugali is eaten in East Africa including in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. A similar staple meal called Fufu is eaten in West Africa particularly in Nigeria.
In traditional Zambian fairy tales, Kalulu the hare is the celebrated trickster. In many fairy tales, Kalulu the hare will visit lion who will cook him nshima with delicious chicken.
The Lion and the Nshima
The Lion had a reputation all over the earth that he was a good doctor. The Lion had all kinds of medicines to treat all kinds of illness.
One day, the Lion received word that the Leopard was stabbed and injured by a wild pig while hunting it. When he heard this word, the Lion called the Zebra and said:
One day, the Lion received word that the Leopard was stabbed and injured by a wild pig while hunting it. When he heard this word, the Lion called the Zebra and said:
"Friend, the Leopard is sick. Would you like to come with me and visit him?"
The Zebra agreed and said:
"Yes king, I will come with you."
So, the Zebra carried the Lion's baggage.
Before they could walk very far, the Lion stopped and said to the Zebra:
"Look here my friend. You should remember this wild ndiwo green vegetable for our nshima when we arrive at the Leopard's home. When the Leopard gives us meat, you should come here and get this relish."
The Lion pointed out the type of wild vegetable to the Zebra. After they had walked for some distance, the Lion stopped again and said.
"Look here friend, when the Leopard cooks us any food, come here and collect that ndiwo vegetable over there." The Lion again showed the Zebra the type of ndiwo.
When they arrived at the Leopard's house, the Lion rubbed his medicine on the Leopard's body. Soon afterwards the Leopard was healed.
The Leopard then gave wild pig meat to the Lion and said:
"King, this is yours. Eat it." The Lion then told the Zebra:
"Look, friend, we cannot eat this meat unless we have some extra ndiwo. Would you go and get some of that ndiwo vegetable I showed you on the way when we were coming."
"King, this is yours. Eat it." The Lion then told the Zebra:
"Look, friend, we cannot eat this meat unless we have some extra ndiwo. Would you go and get some of that ndiwo vegetable I showed you on the way when we were coming."
Without delay, the Zebra ran to go and fetch the ndiwo.
When the Zebra returned, he found that the Lion had already eaten all the meat. The Zebra slept hungry. The following morning, the Leopard cooked them a nice nshima meal again. The Lion played his trick again. He sent the Zebra to go and collect the same vegetable from the bush. While the Zebra was away, the Lion again ate all the food. When they both returned home, the Lion was very fat from eating all the good food while the Zebra was very thin because of hunger.
After several days, the Elephant fell sick. So he summoned the Lion for help. The Zebra refused to go. Therefore the Lion had no one to carry the baggage for him. When the Lion saw Kalulu the Rabbit walking along the road, the called him and said:
"Kalulu, come here! You walk around all day stealing other people's things. Come on! Let's go. You can carry my baggage."
Kalulu the Rabbit quickly agreed and said:
"King, put the baggage on my head. Laziness is really a bad thing."
The Lion and Kalulu walked away together. On the way, the Lion stopped and said:
"Look Kalulu, when the elephant gives us food, you should come here and get this ndiwo vegetable."
"Look Kalulu, when the elephant gives us food, you should come here and get this ndiwo vegetable."
Kalulu the Rabbit replied: "That's alright King. I understand what you say. But I have never seen ndiwo of this kind before!"
After walking for a distance, Kalulu the Rabbit stopped and said:
"I am sorry chief. I think you should be the one in front to lead the way. I forgot my knife where we stopped a while back."
Quickly, Kalulu ran back and collected the vegetable and put it in his pocket.
When they arrived at the Elephant's house, they were warmly received. The Elephant cooked food and served it to his two guests. The Lion sent Kalulu the Rabbit to go and fetch the ndiwo vegetable from the bush.
Kalulu took out the green vegetables and said:
"Here King! I got the ndiwo already so that there would be no delays when we eat food."
In this way the Lion's trick failed this time because Kalulu the Rabbit also ate the food and was satisfied.
When it was dark in the evening, the Elephant showed the Lion and Kalulu a place where they could sleep. The Lion got a nice mat where he could sleep. But Kalulu only slept on hard tree fibers. At dawn, Kalulu began to sing a song.
When it was dark in the evening, the Elephant showed the Lion and Kalulu a place where they could sleep. The Lion got a nice mat where he could sleep. But Kalulu only slept on hard tree fibers. At dawn, Kalulu began to sing a song.
"Those who sleep on hard tree fibers are tough; yea! yea!
Those who sleep on a nice mat become tired; yea! yea!"
Those who sleep on a nice mat become tired; yea! yea!"
When he heard Kalulu's song, the Lion woke up and said:
"What are you singing about Kalulu? Would you stop it because I am trying to sleep!"
But Kalulu the Rabbit said:
"Forgive me King, my grandfather taught me this song. He said if you are on a journey and you want to sleep comfortably, you should sleep on tree fibers."
"Forgive me King, my grandfather taught me this song. He said if you are on a journey and you want to sleep comfortably, you should sleep on tree fibers."
In this way the Lion was attracted to Kalulu's idea. and said:
"Please Kalulu let me try to lay down on the tree fibers."
The Lion fell asleep very deeply. Kalulu the Rabbit woke up and used the tree fiber to tie up the lion. After tying up the Lion in this way, Kalulu got some fire and set the fibers alight. When the Lion felt the heat and the pain from the fire, he tried to free himself but could not.
The Lion began to shout: "Oh! My! Oh! My! I am dying. Kalulu please untie me!"
But Kalulu the Rabbit ran away out of sight as fast as he could.
But Kalulu the Rabbit ran away out of sight as fast as he could.
Nshima recipe
6 Cups Water
3 Cups plain corn meal
Method: Pour 6 cups of water into a medium size cooking pot. Heat the water for minutes or until luke warm. Using one tablespoonful at a time, slowly sprinkle 3/4 cup of the corn meal into the pot while stirring continuosly with a cooking stick. Keep stirring slowly until the mixture begins to thicken and boil. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pot, and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Cautiously remove the top. Slowly, a little at a time, pour into the pot 1 and a quarter cups of corn meal and briskly stir with the cooking stick until smooth and thick. Stir vigorosly. Sprinkle a little more corn meal and stir if you desire the nshima to be thicker or less if you want softer nshima. Cover, turn the heat off and let nshima sit on the stove for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serves 5 people
Nshima hould be served hot with a vegetable, bean, meat or fish dish on the side.
3 Cups plain corn meal
Method: Pour 6 cups of water into a medium size cooking pot. Heat the water for minutes or until luke warm. Using one tablespoonful at a time, slowly sprinkle 3/4 cup of the corn meal into the pot while stirring continuosly with a cooking stick. Keep stirring slowly until the mixture begins to thicken and boil. Turn the heat to medium, cover the pot, and let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Cautiously remove the top. Slowly, a little at a time, pour into the pot 1 and a quarter cups of corn meal and briskly stir with the cooking stick until smooth and thick. Stir vigorosly. Sprinkle a little more corn meal and stir if you desire the nshima to be thicker or less if you want softer nshima. Cover, turn the heat off and let nshima sit on the stove for another 2 to 3 minutes. Serves 5 people
Nshima hould be served hot with a vegetable, bean, meat or fish dish on the side.
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