The long mashujaa weekend and recent plastic bag ban conspired to land me one of those heart warming treats. Thanks to folks back in Ingo when my city dwelling family went visiting the land of Mulembe. Nothing beats home made food. Ubusuma, seveve , engokho or even chisindu cooked over amaica. The delicate flavor of smoke that cooking over an open fire infuses into food. Did I say nothing? Well, nothing beats the rituals of the journey back to the city.
At both my parents (in laws and biological) the morning of the journey back is usually consumed in ‘shopping’. Filling the car boot with farm fresh food from their farms. The joy in their eyes as they pick traditional vegetables – seveve, miroo, zimboga, you name it – from the farm. The smiles as they pack send away gift helps blunt the pangs of the heartbreak of the impending departure.
As this goes on, uneasy jokes fill the air. How will baba nani know you are from home if you don’t take this jogoo to him for slaughter? Do your children still call murere, mboga ya makamasi? Does your kitchen have the necessary ingredients (read: munyu musherekha) to transform your muduya, seveve and the goodness of mum’s irungu into real Luhya food?
City Life, Forgotten Ways
All in good faith. All meant to make the goodbyes less traumatic. This ritual during my last visit to mums almost got ruined. Right at the end when I realized that the plastic paper bag meant that I had insufficient places to carry my loot with me. Silly me. I had forgotten how grandma used to pack freshly picked vegetables for the 12 hour bus ride to the city when we were little, no plastic bags and all.
With a smile and another joke: “You are going to a grandma soon. They grow so fast.” Mum took the moment to pass on an age old tradition.
Preparing Seveve – Pumpkin Leaves Vegetable
In this video, we learn how seveve (pumpkin leaves) were traditionally prepared before cooking. Particularly how this loved vegetable was packaged so as to keep it farm fresh for longer.
Aside from seveve and vegetables, it is always welcome looking forward to carrying back to the city whatever fruit that might be on season. This methods works well with chimbunwe, chingayu, mikadu, guavas and the likes. Especially if it was one of those quick trips that meant the kids didn’t get to travel to granny’s.
My mother-in-law is especially particular about this “muende kuanzishia maisha food package. ” She offers that she got similar treatment from her mum-in-law whenever they went visiting. Pointing at my son with the pouted mouth, “You never know which one he will bring! Better learn these tricks as you’ll soon be a mother-in-law. ” We both laugh out laughing. Indeed it is true that the hand that gives, receives and there is much more joy in giving than in receiving.