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Foo-Foo paired with a beef stew (Photo credit: Guyana Dining)
GNNL EMANCIPATION SUPPLEMENT Monday, August 1, 2022
Making traditional African dishes the Guyanese way By Naomi Parris FOOD and culture are interwoven. Traditional spices, recipes and food preparation techniques were passed down from generation to genera-
tion. This is true for cultures across the world. The processes of preparing, serving and sharing certain foods and drink might appear simple, but could be complex when considering the social and cultural significance of these foods. For Guyana, which is a melting pot of cultures, food plays a vital role in preserving culture across generations. The Africans, one of Guyana’s ethnic groups, make up a big part of the country’s culinary arts. While attempts were made by colonising powers to strip the enslaved Africans of their sense of identity during slavery, there was a spirit
corporates all of these ingredients, with a modern twist and Caribbean flare, making use of fruits and vegetables that are readily available in the South American county. These foods include Metemgee, which is a souplike dish with ground provisions, coconut milk and large dumplings, eaten with fried fish or chicken; Conkie, a sweet cornmeal-based treat cooked by steaming the cornmeal in banana leaves; and pumpkin and ‘Foo Foo’, which is a dough made from boiled and mashed ground provision. These dishes have become a staple in Africandescended households on
Conkie of resilience among Africans and African descendants to preserve remnants of culture and tradition. The art and science of food preparation is one such preserved remnant. African cuisine, as we know it in the West Indies, is a combination of locally available fruits, cereal grains and vegetables, and milk and meat products. In some parts of the African continent, the traditional diet largely includes milk, curd and wheat products. Africa is not, however, a single space nor a single culture. Comprised of more than 50 countries and many smaller ethnic groups, the continent’s diverse makeup is reflected in the many different eating and drinking habits, dishes, and preparation techniques. In Central Africa, for example, the basic ingredients in most dishes are plantain, cassava, chili, peppers and an array of vegetables and ground spices. In Guyana, our understanding of African dishes in-
Sundays, mostly, but especially during emancipation celebration. RECIPE GUIDE: Metemgee (Metagee) Ingredients: • 1 dry coconut • Three-quarter pound of mixed meat • Approximately one pound of fried fish or salted fish • One pound of cassava • One pound of plantain (you can choose whether green, ripe or ‘turning’) • One pound of eddoes, yam or dasheen • One large onion — cut into rings • A half-pound of ochro (okra) • Dumplings (optional) Preparation: • Cover the mixed meat with water and boil for half an hour. Put salt-fish to soak in water; if using fresh fish, this may be fried or placed on top of vegetables about 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time TURN TO PAGE 15