If you've never been to Somalia, there's a good chance you've never tasted its cuisine. Sophisticated and subtle, Somali food follows in the great nomadic Berber traditions handed down over thousands of years and is a joy for the eye as well as the palate.
These recipes are from various warring factions' warlords' wives' collections of recipes and were obtained at various ambush gatherings over several months. (Ambush parties are a mainstay of the social scene, where recipes and hostages are traded, helicopter pilots are dragged through streets, and much Somali palm whiskey is quaffed.) Many thanks to the charming ladies of the Warlords' Cooking Club of Belet Huen, Farhat and Dhoum Wadi.
Dried Wattle Twigs roasted with Wood Chips and Crevice-Algae Salsa Dip
This is a super topper, perfect for when you or the kids want something different or fast.
Ingredients
Twigs from a wattle bush, preferably gathered some distance away from the communal latrine
4 1/2 C. wood chips, hacked from the bark of a Chana tree
Scrapings of red and green algae from between rocks on the crags at Kumra Basin
Preparation
Julienne the wattle twigs and mix well in a small gourd. Marinate the wood chips in goat urine for one hour at room temperature (52° C/135° F), uncovered, using a hair whisk to keep away camel flies and sand fleas.
For the dip, chop the algae, taking care not to mix the two colors, then wring head towel into the two piles. Set aside.
In a medium gourd, mix the wattle twigs and the wood chips (which should now be moist and dark-colored).
Set out small decorative Red Cross soup can husks, cut in half, and sprinkle a little salsa in each.
Serve.
Per Serving
Calories 4
Total fat 0
Saturated fat 0
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 604 mg
Medallions of Camel Dung Spit-grilled and Rolled in Sand
Zesty sand coating adds zing to this signature dish from the table of Reza Farah Aidid.
Ingredients
4 medium-sized camel droppings, de-strawed and de-flied
2 C. Sand
Preparation
Skewer droppings on wattle-stick skewer. Grill over a hot fire until hard and very dark brown. Sprinkle sand on hut floor and roll droppings in sand until evenly coated.
Serve with a little thin gruel.
Per Serving
Calories 12
Total fat .04 g
Saturated fat .02 g
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 766 mg
Warm Locust Salad
Crunchy and moist, this crowd-pleaser is perfect for a summer's day picnic
Ingredients
25 medium-sized African locusts
Hemp leaves
Preparation
Remove legs and wings. Set aside.
In large gourd, mix hemp leaves and locusts and toss with a little spit.
Garnish with legs and wings.
Serve.
Per Serving
Calories 220
Total fat 2 g
Saturated fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0
Sodium 488 mg
Baked Chicken with Grubs and Moss
Southern flavors team up in a colorful and delicious lunchtime favorite
Ingredients
One chicken (if you can catch it - it belongs to the Jafra clan) or substitute large toad salamander
Clump hardy perennial moss
Dung-beetle grubs
Preparation
Bake for 40 minutes in the hot sand. Mix well.
Serve.
Per Serving
Calories 339
Total fat 4 g
Saturated fat 2 g
Cholesterol 2 g
Sodium 1088 mg
Looks good, we'll have to try this! : )
ReplyDeleteI call it the "Pirate Diet."
ReplyDelete