Food What Is Available vs Favourites

Fingers are not the same, says an African proverb. It can be used to describe economic or social circumstances. Food for example. Some people eat what is available, others have food favorites because it is plentiful. Wealthy people have a menu in their mansions. It’s not written, like a restaurant menu. It’s in the cook’s head.

“Master, what would you like for dinner?”

Whereas, poor people in Rome, Italy eat what is available. They boil pasta, add pasta sauce and eat. In Nigeria, they boil yams and dip them in palm oil or buy salted Chinese noodles from the make-shift corner store. In South Africa, they boil water, throw in cornmeal and keep stirring until the hard grits is ready. They eat it with chicken feet or tripe.

I love watching movies because they send me to places I’ve never been, where kids are begged to eat. “I’ve prepared your favorite,” says the mother.

Favorite means options, choices and even mood swings. Mama didn’t have favorites. We ate what was available. Available was great news because there were days when bread and tea was the only option. Lots of cattle in Africa, so amasi (yoghurt) was also available because it is cheap. Meat was for Sunday. Later on in life, I went to Durham, England for further studies. I was surprised that working class families gave kids baked beans on toast for ‘tea’ most days, because it was what was available. They call supper/dinner ‘tea’ over there. It was quite a revelation because dinner is the most elaborate meal of the day for families that can afford a little piece (meat).

“I’ve prepared your favorite,” is a popular line in movies. Real life is something else. Most people all over the world eat what is available.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger