Lunch at Zak’s

We enjoyed some amazing meals while in Mungari camp, including this exquisite fresh tuna appetizer…..

And yes….we were completely spoiled!

But, we wanted to understand more about the villager’s lives, so asked if we could visit one of the family lunch preparations. In this case, we visited with Zakarea’s family. This is Zak…..

…and he has 3 wives and 16 children, so it proved to be quite an experience!!

When we arrived, the cook du jour had already put chunks of buffalo meat into a pot to boil. It was first heavily salted and then left to boil for about an hour.

While it was tenderizing, she continued to prepare the rice. This rice was gluggy (or “stodgy” as the British say), and was dished up in great big clumps.

Then some of the meat water was poured over the top to moisten the rice and each plate received one or two chunks of buffalo.

Then the family….women and children…..gathered in groups on bamboo mats and the plates were distributed…..

The families gathered together to enjoy their repast…..

Things got quieter as they all dug into their meals…..

The “kitchen” was a mostly open-sided shed. It was extremely smoky under the canopy and, when you looked up to the “ceiling” it was solidly covered with soot.

There was a basket of maize in one corner…..

…and a few “future meals” wandering nearby……

There was a cup of small, apple-like fruits that they often use as well….

They were tasty, but tart, and immediately dried your mouth out…

Please enjoy this video of the serving process. You can hear Dylan in the background as he talks about other ingredients that they use, including Casava…..

Be sure to come back tomorrow for my favorite photos from this banquet, including the newest drummer for REM!!