From one of the wealthiest provinces of Catalonia Spain, I flew to one of the poorest countries in the world to attend the Women Transforming the World conference to meet women leaders from 21 African countries. Indeed, women have power to influence and make the world a better place. They are resourceful, smart and hardworking. With rapidly changing gender roles in today’s world, it reminds me of Georgian cooking arrangements when men still work as chefs in fancy restaurants, yet women do day-to-day cooking.
After a long flight, I finally arrive in the "Country of the Good People" as the Portuguese used to call the area (Terra da Boa Gente) when it was colonized. From the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to the beautiful coast of Indian Ocean is quite a journey. With its miles of white sandy beaches, pristine islands and emerald waters, Mozambique can be another paradise on earth or perhaps the future African Riviera. Business development is there, but it hasn’t yet transformed the natural beauty into money making machinery. Very few luxury hotels in the capital Maputo host entrepreneurial businessmen from various countries. It is indeed the country of good people who face life hardships with a smile. Despite some development and rich natural resources, Mozambique continues to be one of the poorest countries in Africa, ranking 185 out of 187 according to the 2013 UNDP Human Development Report as of 2013. Local resilience is amazing. As I learned from the local people, one is lucky to earn $150 per month, and the people are left mainly to their own devices to create jobs for themselves. They work as taxi drivers, in hotels, as shopkeepers and in other small businesses to help them earn daily income to feed their families. Seventy percent of Mozambique’s population live in rural areas where poverty is even worse. In the 15th century the treaty of Tordesillas divided the globe into Portuguese and Spanish spheres of control. Vasco de Gama, Portuguese navigator, en route to India, was the first European who set foot in Mozambique in 1498. The Portuguese colonized the country for 500 years. Only in 1975 the Carnation revolution brought Mozambique independence; yet, the country soon plummeted into a 16-year civil war. After the war ended in 1992, Mozambique embarked on major reconstruction. Today Mozambique enjoys relative stability and peace; yet, peace not always means justice and equality. With so many ethnic groups speaking their own languages, Portuguese remains the official language of the land. Farming is the main occupation for many, especially women. Corn, rice and cassava are staple foods in Mozambique depending on the region. A traditional crop, cassava feeds millions of small farmers and their families in Africa. Local virtuosi cooks make a variety of dishes from it, including porridge from cassava flour. Cassava is also used to produce local beer. With irrigation systems in place since colonial times, rice grows mainly in the south, and corn/maize is cultivated in the central and northern parts of the country. Mozambique also grows cotton, tea, cashew nuts, sugarcane, and tropical fruit. Meat is expensive with chicken preferred by the locals. Delicious stews from locally grown vegetables, poultry, fish and seafood flavor the cassava porridge or ncima, thick porridge made of corn. Many countries have similar corn dishes under different names: gomi in Georgia, polenta in Italy, mamaliga in Romania, among others. This year prices for cassava are up; hence, locals eat more bread and rice today. Peri peri chili sauce made of crushed red chili pepper, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic is common , similar to Georgian chili paste ajika. Grilled Peri Peri chicken is all time local favorite. Try delicious seafood stew matata typically made with clams in peanut sauce. If you like seafood, Mozambique is your country. Stretched along the coast of Indian Ocean, it offers amazing variety of fresh seafood, including giant tiger prawns. Beach restaurants in Maputo serve grilled seafood which is an absolute delight to fish lovers. The first time I ordered a mixed seafood grill and, while waiting for my order, enjoyed the view of the beach through the window. It was low tide, and women and children used the opportunity to collect mussels from the ocean bottom. When my order arrived, my eyes couldn’t grasp the size of the giant crustaceans; they were at least seven inches long. Grilled in garlic and peri peri sauce their succulent taste was overwhelming, and each prawn felt like a meal in itself. My plate was the size of a small wheel, filled with sword fish, lobsters, mussels, calamari and clams plus a lot of rice and French fries. Barcelona was indeed a seafood paradise, and Mozambique another magical place. However, the views outside the hotel and tourist mecca were dramatically distinct. Abject poverty is abundant throughout the country side and fringes of the inner-city. Street peddlers sell coconuts, wood carvers create intricate designs and brilliant colored fabrics are sold for a pittance. The good people of Mozambique living under harsh economic conditions still beamed with optimism and smiles coming from their hearts. I left with hope for humanity and that one day justice would arrive in Mozambique.
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I am in a tapas bar in Barcelona looking at culinary delight around me. What a hard choice to make from all the tapas available: seafood, pastries, salads, olives, cheese, Chorizo sausages, Iberian jamón and so much more. Tapas are small size appetizers or snacks to enjoy with a drink, and they are big part of Spanish food culture. They can be simple or sophisticated, cold or hot, but they are all delicious. I decided to start with the classic Spanish tortilla, a potato and egg omelet style appetizer, spicy chorizo sausages, a plate of Iberian jamón (ham)- a staple of Spanish cuisine, plus clams in tomato and garlic sauce. Certainly, a glass of Sangria to complement the spiciness of chorizo sausages made with a good dash of paprika. Interestingly, a word tapa means a cover or a lid in the Spanish language. In Georgian tapa means a skillet. The beginnings of tapas go back as far as the 13th century when the Spanish king Alfonso the Wise, for health reasons, was advised by the doctors to change his eating and drinking habits, shifting from huge to small portions, more frequent food intake and never drink without a snack. Good advice! What was a wise doctor’s advice in the thirteen century developed into a culinary tradition. The king introduced small portions of food instead of gargantuan portions which his subjects and the medieval people at large were accustomed to. The tapas evolved a food culture that reminds me of Georgia because Georgians do not drink without food either. Although tapas imply no drink without a snack, they also call for socializing, conversation and fun. Eaten in between meals, tapas also function to sustain people during the period before late Mediterranean dinners. Cocktails or aperitifs before dinner are not a custom in Georgia. Georgians prefer seated dinners rather than buffets as they do not really feel comfortable, circulating, oozing intelligence with a plate and a drink in their hands. They prefer to sit down to enjoy their food, wine and company. Plenty of appetizers typically start Georgian supra, and toasts trigger interesting dialogue. Enjoying fine food and drink along with socializing is the principal of supra and idea behind tapas. The Catalonian region’s patron saint is St. George (Jordi), and the images of the saint killing the dragon appear everywhere. The brave soldier-saint is also the patron saint of Georgia. Coincidently, my arrival in Barcelona for a professional course on negotiating peace and justice occurred in the midst of the current Catalonian struggle for independence. The separatist movement preoccupies a large majority of the Catalonian population, sizzling and feeding the fire of independence from Madrid. Today is a general strike, everything is closed and I witnessed the peaceful demonstration. Later people walked in white in a show of unity for their country. The Spanish and the red-and-gold striped Catalonian independence flag were omnipresent throughout the streets. As a large Mediterranean seaport, fresh fish and seafood are common staples in Barcelona. With colleagues from my seminar I went out for dinner to an elegant beach restaurant, just a few minutes’ walk from the city center. As we were a party of thirty, we were seated at a long table with plates of fresh salmon garnished with salad leaves, hearts of palm and corn. The table also sported plates of large shrimp, fried calamari, mussels and octopus salad. Small servings of cold cuts, including jamón, the house specialty, followed as additional appetizers. Large jamóns dangling from the ceiling were within sight of our table. When I got up to further tour the restaurant, one of the chefs fished out a giant octopus out of a huge boiling vet. With its multiple, fat juicy tentacles spread out the octopus was easily three feet in diameter. Our main dish consisted of seafood paella served out of a hot skillet consisting of lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops mixed with rice seasoned with a savory seafood sauce. This exquisite spread of a seafood paradise from both Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea was supplemented by homemade red and white wines. The red wines boasted a heavy bouquet, while the natural white wines were light and arid. After such a feast our desert was perfect-a light sorbet served in a tall glasses. Slightly sour yet refreshing, it was ideal denouement at this Spanish paradise. One observation of note during my stay in Barcelona that despite the civil unrest the high point of meals remained uninterrupted. With the crowds in the streets and flags waving, Catalonians and tourists alike still enjoyed the wonderful foods the city offers. As I look back at my brief stay in Barcelona, I realize the unbreakable tradition of all cultures lies in culinary delight. La Boqueria market, Barcelona
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In the PressThe New Yorker:
The Culinary Muse of the Caucasus The New York Times: Putting a Fresh Spin on Traditional Georgian Cooking at Pirosmani Saveur: The Lost Cheeses of GeorgiaOF GEORGIA AuthorArchives
September 2019
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