I Found My Yoghurt

You win some. You lose some. I lost my tuna in olive oil, but found my yoghurt in the dairy section of a nearby store, yesterday. I used to go to the other side of town to buy it, at a store that also carries pumpkin sold in pieces, sweet potatoes, okra, greens, jerk chicken seasoning and other hard to find food items.

It’s my favorite because I tried other plain yoghurt but they didn’t cut it. This one hits the spot. I also use it for amasi, a South African dish. Like all immigrants before us, there is food you cannot find in a new country. Early immigrants from Ukraine and Russia could not find favorites like perogies. They improvised, made them for home consumption and sold the rest. Today, you pick them up from major stores.

I prefer plain yoghurt because I don’t like those injected with ‘taste.’ I chop in strawberries, banana, peaches or apples if I want a fruit flavor, but the main reason is to make amasi. Here is the recipe. Let’s start with a small portion to see if you like it or not.

RECIPE Amasi South African Dish

1. Get plain yoghurt from the store.

2. Crumble a slice of whole wheat bread into a bowl.

3. Use brown bread if you like, but whole wheat is best.

4. Add 3 heaped up tablespoons of yoghurt.

5. Stir the mixture and taste.

6. Add another spoon if you can still feel the bread.

7. Stir again and let it sit for a minute.

8. Your brand of plain yoghurt might be on the sour side, so add  a pinch of sugar.

9. Teach the kids so that they can prepare it for themselves, if you are not home.

WARNING: You might be drowsy after eating amasi, as they say in Zulu: a-ya-la-li-sa.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.