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American Embassy Kinshasa Newsletter March 11, 2010

Overview of Congolese Cuisine

In this Edition 2 Congolese Cuisine 5 Recipes Congolese Food 6 CLO’s Line 7 FLO Weekly Update 8 AERWA 9 What’s Going On 11 Classifieds 16 Calendar SOURCE: Wikia Lifestyle http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/ Congolese_Cuisine Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Congolese_cuisine

Countries and Their Cultures

http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/ Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo.html

EMERGENCY

Congo, which is situated in Central Africa, stretches from Tibesti mountains in the north to the vast rainforest basin of the Congo River, and has thereby been largely free of culinary influences of the outsider world, until the 19th century, with the exception of the widespread adoption of cassava, Peanut and chilli pepper plants which arrived along with the slave trade during the early 1500s. These food ingredients have had a huge influence on the local cuisine. The Congo cuisine has remained mostly traditional. The cuisine of Congo presents an array of exotic dishes. The Congo cuisine reflects indigenous traditions, as well as influences from the Arabs, the Europeans and the Asians. The continent of Africa is the second largest landmass on the planet and is home to thousands of tribes, ethnic and social groups.

This diversity is reflected in the Congo cuisine, in making the use of basic ingredients as well as in the manner of preparation and cooking techniques.

Traditionally, as in almost all cultures globally, the cuisines of Congo uses a combination of locally available fruits, grains and vegetables, milk and meat products. Most of the restaurants in Congo provide mishmash of its traditional cuisine as well as a bit of the French cuisine. Excellent fish, giant oysters and shrimps are a part of the cuisines of Congo. A few of the most popular cuisines of Congo are Piri Piri, (with pepper), Mouamba Chicken in palm oil, served with cabbage salad and cassava leaves, saka saka (ground cassava leaves cooked with palm oil and Peanut paste) and the famous Maboke (fresh water fish cooked in large marantacee leaves). Most of them are traditionally cooked with a tinge of the way the French cuisine is cooked. Many of the cuisines that you will find in the Cuisines of Congo are mostly influenced by the customs and traditions that are prevalent in the region.

Preparation Methods for Congolese Cooking Locally purchased fruits and vegetables should be peeled or cooked while preparing your Congo cuisine. You should use the right amount of spices and other ingredients in your cuisine as it works best. When making a soup from the Congo cuisine in the traditional Congo style, then try being creative by making your soup pot to sit on three stones that are arranged in a triangle, with fire wood beneath it. For less complication a stainless-steel pot over your stove is fine too. Make sure that while you are preparing your soup from the Congo cuisine, the fire is not ignited at a high-level, as the soups in the Congo cuisine requires time to simmer and best results always come out with the soup left under a low heat stove. Some of the recipes that you will see in the Congo cuisine ask for very simple preparation methods such as, steaming, grilling, barbequing etc.

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Special Equipment for Congolese Cooking Apparently, no ‘special’ equipment that you do not have in your kitchen already would be needed for cooking a recipe from the Congo cuisine. Common stoves, ovens, non-sticky pots and pans are some of the useful utensils that you will need for your Congo cuisine cooking.

It is always recommended to use wooden stirrers rather than the stainless steel ones. You will find many meet dishes in the Congo cuisine; therefore metal skewers can play to your advantage. Grills are also very handy for a few of the meat dishes. You can find most of this equipment for cooking your scrumptious traditional Congo cuisine, in almost all food departmental stores around you. A few sharp edged knives for threading meat, a medium sized pot for the stews and soups are also helpful utensils that you might need while preparing your Congo cuisine. Cooking a Congo cuisine is not a tedious job at all, it is fun, and with having all the right equipment at hand can make your cooking even more enjoyable.

Congolese Food Traditions and Festivals The food traditions and festivals in Congo are rich and some of them are extremely traditional. Christmas is celebrated with much warmth in Congo. People traditionally prepare special Congo cuisines and place it on tables outside their houses. This is where they entertain their invited guests to share the joyful celebration with scrumptious cuisine of from the Congo cuisine. On the eve of Christmas, most of the people in Congo go to Christian churches and it is a custom there to present the Child Jesus on His birthday with a gift. There is a “March Around offering” in which everyone takes part. Each member marches around the altar and lays the gift on a raised platform. Most of these gifts comprise of traditionally prepared Congo cuisines, some of them also lay fruit and vegetables. Some ceremonies such as the initiation rites, funeral, daily temple liturgy, blessing of the spears, fisherman’s Prayer, weddings, births etc all involve a grand feast being served. The feast is hot and spicy and is extremely traditional in these traditions, customs and festivals in Congo.

Picture by FINCA, DRC

You will find some really traditional and lip-licking recipes in the Congo cuisine. From the popular meat dish recipes, soup recipes snack recipes to delicious vegetable recipes. Some of the most popular recipes to scrumptious meat dishes that you will find will be like the, Beef and Greens in Peanut Sauce, Beef in Cumin sauce, Boko-Boko, Coupé-Coupé, Domoda, Kitoza etc. In the vegetable category some very uniquely made dishes can be found. The vegetable and side category contains recipes that use little or no meat, fish, fowl, or use them more as a seasoning than as a main ingredient in the cuisine.

These dishes maybe served as side dishes in a Western-style meal; in Congo these dishes, along with a staple food or Fufu-like dish often constitute an entire meal.

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Typical DRC foods and dishes Less than 2% of the land is cultivated, and most of this is used for subsistence farming. People gather wild fruit, mushrooms, honey etc; hunt (see bushmeat); and fish. They will often sell these crops at markets, or by the roadside. Cattle breeding and the development of large-scale agricultural businesses has been hindered by the recent war and the poor quality of the road system. Congo's farmland is the source of a wide variety of crops. These include maize, rice, cassava (manioc), sweet potatoes, yam, taro, plantain, tomatoes, pumpkin and varieties of peas and nuts. These foods are eaten throughout the country, but there are also regional dishes. The most important crops for export are coffee and palm oil.

Congolese meals often consist of a starchy ingredient, along with vegetables and meat in the form of a stew. The starch can come in the form of a paste or mash made of cassava and/or corn flour, called fufu or ugali. When eaten, the fufu is rolled into golf ball-sized balls and dipped into the spicy stew—often an indentation is made with the thumb in order to bring up a thimbleful of sauce. A type of fermented bread, kwanga, made from cassava, is commercially produced throughout the country.

Lituma is a popular plantain dish made from mashed plantains which are formed into balls and baked. Sweet potatoes are prepared in a similar way, and mixed with roasted peanuts in some parts of the country. Rice is often mixed with beans. To accompany these starchy ingredients, green vegetables such as cassava leaves, tshitekutaku (a spinach-like plant) and okra are often added. Mushrooms, especially prized amongst the Luba people, are often seen as a substitute for meat in times of shortage. Though actual vegetarianism is unknown, most meals are eaten without meat due to its high price.

Fish are plentiful along the River Congo, its tributaries, and various lakes; and are baked, boiled or fried for immediate consumption; or smoked or salted when preserved. Markets often sell ready-to-eat peppered fish baked in banana leaves.

Goat is the most widely consumed meat. Mwambe is a common way of cooking chicken with peanut sauce. Edible insects such as grasshoppers and caterpillars are eaten; they tend to have a nutty flavour. Sauces to mix with the ingredients above can be made with tomatoes, onions, and the local aromatic herbs.

Vegetable oil, together with salt, hot red chili pepper and sweet green pepper are used to impart extra flavour. These spices are less frequently used in the far south.

However, unlike 1980s advert claimed, Um Bongo, a tropical mixed fruit drink, has never been available in Democratic Republic of the Congo or any of its previous names.

Fufu

This delicacy is a sticky dough-like dish made of cassava flour. This is considered as a staple dish very much like rice or potatoes.

Mwambe

It is made of eight ingredients to make it sumptuous and tantalizing

Chikwanga

This dish is made from cassava and stored in banana leaves

Sombe

It is prepared with boiled, mashed and cooked cassava leaves

Ndakala

This small dried fish preparation is simply mouth watering

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Recipes Mwamba SERVES 4 (change servings and units) Ingredients 1 whole chicken, cut up or 2 lbs beef or lamb or fish fillets 2 large onions, cut up 2-4 chili peppers, mashed or dry crushed red pepper 6-7 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and mashed Directions  Season the chicken, meat or fish well with salt.  In hot oil in a large and heavy stewing pan, saute the meat with the onions until well browned.  Add chili peppers, tomatoes and enough water to barely cover.  Simmer until tender and nicely cooked.  Serve with boiled rice or fried plantain.  VARIATION: You can mix 1/4-1/3 cup peanut butter with a little boiling water until smooth and add to stew 15-20 minutes before it is done.

African Tomato Sauce SERVES—1 cup (change servings and units) Ingredients 3 teaspoons oil (for frying, palm oil is most authentic) 2 medium onions, finely chopped 1 (4 ounce) can tomato paste 3 tomatoes, chopped and mashed 1 bay leaf grated nutmeg (to taste) salt (to Taste) cayenne pepper (to taste) Directions  Heat oil in a frying pan.  Fry onions for a 3 minutes.  Stir in all other ingredients.  Add water as necessary to make a smooth sauce.  Season to taste.  Stir.  Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat, simmer for ten minutes.  Serve with grilled or roasted chicken, fish, or meat, or fried Plantains or Yams.

Congo Chicken Moambe (Stew) SERVES 6 (change servings and units) Ingredients 3-4 lbs chicken parts, cut in serving pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 onion, minced 1 dash nutmeg 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup peanut butter, creamy and unsalted Directions  Place chicken in a 6 quart soup pot with water to cover; add salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, lower to simmer and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Remove chicken and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth.  In another pan, sauté cayenne pepper, onion, nutmeg, tomato sauce and butter for 3 minutes.  To the pan, add the cooked chicken and the 1 1/2 cups of reserved broth and simmer covered for 15 minutes.  Add peanut butter to thicken, place in a 350 degree F. oven for 30 minutes, uncovered.  Serve warm with cooked rice.

Mbisi Ye Kalou (Fish Stew) SERVES 3 -4 (change servings and units) Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs firm white fish fillets 1 large onion, sliced 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced 4-6 tablespoons butter or oil 1 chili pepper or crushed red pepper flakes 1 lb fresh greens or kale or spinach or collard greens or swiss chard or beet leaf 1 (10 ounce) package frozen greens 1 cup water Directions  Cut fish into thick pieces.  In a stewing pan, sauce the onion and green pepper slices in 2 tablespoons of the oil or butter.  Add chilies, greens and water.  Simmer, covered, about 10 minutes.  Add 2-4 tablespoons oil or butter and fish.  Continue to simmer, covered, until fish flakes easily, about 20 minutes.

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Calling all sandwich lovers!

Starting Monday, March 8, you will see a new sandwich offering on the African Queen menu. It will be called: The Todd Roe Sandwich. This Todd Roe Signature Sandwich will be a whole Baguette with Laughing Cow Cheese Spread, Crunchy Lettuce and Onions, Delicious Sliced Tomatoes, and lovingly covered with Ham, for the great price of $5. Another version of the sandwich: Baguette with Laughing Cow Cheese Spread and Delicious Sliced Tomatoes will also be available for $3.

If Todd’s signature sandwich turns out to be a success (and how could it not with a name like Todd Roe?) we will then add it to the menu for delivery to your location!

African Queen Restaurant International and Congolese Food Monday to Thursday 12:00 - 2:00 pm For delivery please call X2300 Place your order from 9:00 to 11:00 am

Good prices!

You too can have a menu item in your name give us your ideas!

African Queen Delivers The following cold sandwiches to the designated POC at the Embassy and USAID. Receiving orders NLT 9:30 a.m. will ensure prompt same day delivery.

Sandwiches currently available for delivery: Tuna Salad Sandwich $5 Chicken Salad Sandwich $4 BLT $5 Additional cold sandwiches may be added in the future. Enjoy!

Of course, Rodney’s Muffins Extraordinaire are also available at $1 each.

AERWA presents St. Patrick’s Day Special Lunch

Wednesday, March 17 At the African Queen - 1200-1400 Menu: Green Salad, Bread, Irish Stew (for meat lovers) and Cabbage and Potatoes (for vegetarians), Surprise Dessert

Price: $12

(Regular lunch items will still be available)

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National Museum

By Pat McCarthy & Susan Vogelsang A group of 15 people went to the National Museum on Friday, February 30. The title “National Museum” is rather grandiose, since it’s actually a series of hot, dark, dusty storage rooms (and it was a fairly cool day; I can’t imagine being in those rooms when it’s 90 degrees outside). The Museum Director was our guide. He showed us 5 rooms, which contained artifacts crammed onto open shelving units, tucked inside cabinets and drawers, and placed atop shelving units & cabinets, so there were a lot of items that we, unfortunately, couldn’t see. The “mask room” was extraordinary, with ancient, elaborate masks on the numerous open shelving units. A couple of full head masks (on the floor) were at least 4 feet wide. And there were two mannequins propped against a wall behind one of the shelving units, decked out in full dance regalia -- seriously cool! There were many beautiful pottery pieces in the second room, with intricate molded or painted designs (snakes, lizards, turtles, etc.).

Spears filled two long walls in another room, the beauty of which display was severely diminished because of the large identification numbers (in bright white) painted on the metal tip of each spear. In the same room, several coffins (shaped like tall, misshapen men) sat atop the metal cabinets, along with more spears and other things which we couldn't really make out. Another room contained old photos, some colonial items (ceramic bowls, etc.) and some prehistoric items. The Director implied that many of the prehistoric arrowheads were, unfortunately, spirited off to Europe.

The museum also has a drum room consisting of huge drums which looked as if they had been carved from tree trunks, as well as traditional lap drums. The bodies of the drums were made not only of wood, but also of crocodile skin. The variety of sizes and types was impressive.

Some of us also visited the restoration room, where two men are employed to repair the museum pieces that crack or begin to disintegrate.

Don't miss the music room, where they have made CDs of music from each province in DRC. Our driver recognized his home area’s music and displayed some of the dance moves associated with that music.

The Museum Director provided stories and histories to bring the objects to life. If you go to the museum, ask the Director to take you around himself, as he seems to know each piece and the part of the country where it originated. Outside of the museum we saw several huge metal statues of Leopold and large wall murals. There was what looked like a recently-built patio with a concrete “gazebo,” overlooking the river. Zhoe kindly brought soft drinks and beer, which we drank in the gazebo when the tour was finished.

It was interesting, seeing the many beautiful and extraordinary artifacts, but maddening to realize that everything is deteriorating in the heat and humidity, since there is no climate control.

We would advise others to go (on a not-too-hot day) because there are many interesting pieces to see. But bring a flashlight and a bottle of cold water with you!

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The International Women’s Club of Kinshasa (IWC) Newcomer’s Guide to Kinshasa is an excellent resource for life around here.

Please contact the CLO is you are interested in buying one for $10 Congo Bongo March 11, 2010

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Hail & Farewell 6:00—8:00 pm Ambassador's Residence

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Awards ceremony & Holiday Party at the Residence

Saint Patrick's Day

(Irish: Lá ’le Pádraig or Lá Fhéile Pádraig), colloquially St. Paddy's Day or simply Paddy's Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick (circa AD 385–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland, and is generally celebrated on 17th of March. The day is a national holiday of Ireland. In Canada, United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland), Australia, the United States, Argentina and New Zealand, it is widely celebrated but is not an official holiday.

St. Patrick's feast day was placed on the universal liturgical calendar in the Catholic Church due to the influence of the Waterford-born Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding in the early part of the 17th century, although the feast day was celebrated in the local Irish church from a much earlier date. St. Patrick's Day is a holy day of obligation for Roman Catholics in Ireland.

The feast day usually falls during Lent. The church calendar avoids the observance of saints' feasts during certain solemnities, moving the saint's day to a time outside those periods. St. Patricks Day is very occasionally affected by this requirement. Thus when 17th of March falls during Holy Week, as in 1940 when St. Patrick's Day was observed on 3 April in order to avoid it coinciding with Palm Sunday, and again in 2008, having been observed on 15 March.

St. Patrick's Day will not fall within Holy Week again until 2160 - when it will fall on the Monday before Easter.

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