Chibwete, anyone?
Photo: Chibwete, a cucumber-like fruit of Mozambique.
I discovered this fruit for sale in the market in Vila Ulongwe. I asked the guy selling it, “What’s it called?”
He replied, “I don’t know.”
“Well, OK, I’ll buy some. How much is it?”
“1.50 each.”
That’s about a nickel, (USD 0.05). So I brought them home to see what the kids would think about them. One of the students at the school said they are called chibwete.
When you open up a chibwete it is full of little yellow seeds like a cucumber and the pulp around them is translucent green. Eating chibwete is like a mouthful of sunflower seed shells and lime Jello. It’s actually pretty tasty.
The amazing thing to me is that all my kids just tried it without hesitation. I tried to imagine myself as a twelve-year old being given this bizarre looking food on my plate. No way would I put that stuff in my mouth! My kids have spent so much of their life living in strange houses, listening to strange languages and eating new kinds of food. They munch on baobab seeds, South African biltong and more. They draw the line at roasted termites, however.
Photo: Henry has a taste for life in a strange country.
mmmmmm….roasted termites…
Mary and I were in the grocery store tonight and saw this fruit (imported from New Zealand.) We recognized it from your blog and Mary wanted to buy it. She took a sniff and decided it smelled delicious. At $4.00 each I decided it was an experience she could live without for the time being!