Countries by Cuisine
First published in Sunday Times, April 2021
In numbers:
3 cooks
196 countries
Boundless inspiration
American author Kurt Vonnegut (1922-2007) once said: You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too – to somebody who understands that kind of food.
Talking about food at each other’s tables led to three home cooks starting a Cuisine by Country project just over a year ago. Always keen for a kitchen challenge three of us decided that we wanted to cook our way around the world.
Thus the names of 196 countries – minus a few islands as we reckoned we would get tired of fishy dishes after a while – went into a box. Rules were drawn up.
1: You have to cook the cuisine of the country that you have drawn.
2: The menu has to include: a drink, starter, main course with side dishes and
dessert.
3: No buy-ins.
4: No tweaking of recipes. It has to be authentic.
5: You have to enlighten your guests – we invite friends randomly – about
‘your’ country.
Country 1: Sudan, North Africa
Cook: Jolanda
December 2019
Jolanda offered to kickstart our Cuisine by Country cooking project.
A few weeks later, when we shared experiences, we realised that each one of us planned her menu and evening in a different way.
Jolanda starts off with reading up on the country. Wikipedia provides a ready reference on the country and its food. Next comes cross-referencing and a myriad YouTube videos on preparing traditional foods of the country.
She explains, “YouTube shows you things that a recipe doesn’t divulge. I like watching ordinary people (and the trends they follow), not chefs, as this is what traditional cooking is about.”
Her final step is to filter recipes and compile the menu.
Jolanda forewarned us that alcohol has been illegal in Sudan since 1983 (the law was amended in 2020). I packed a hip flask in my handbag just in case. I needn’t have worried though.
Over a glass of potent date wine – that bubbled over a week, rather than the 48 hours to ensure that it is halaal (Islamically legal) – Jolanda told us that Sudan, not Egypt, has the world’s largest collection of pyramids.
Jolanda outdid herself with a spread of goraasa (flatbread), al aswad (aubergine dip), mish (spicy yoghurt with feta), mahshi (stuffed eggplant, bell peppers and zucchini), shaiyah (panfried mutton) and basbousa (semolina cake). We were very relieved that she did not ‘surprize’ us with umfitit (sheep’s offal with peanut butter, eaten raw) as she threatened to do!
The conclusion:
Full marks to Cook Jolanda.
Date wine 1 – Guests 0.
Country 2: Algeria, North Africa
Cook: Ilse
January 2020
Our second round featured North Africa again. Algeria is the largest country in Africa; the Sahara desert makes up more than four-fifths of the country.
For my research I tend to cut to the chase – I google traditional foods right away. I compile a menu based on ingredients that I can find. And, I shun any recipes that require baking.
On the evening my nerves were soothed somewhat when I saw that some guests got into the spirit of things and wore burgundy fezzes.
The Algerian menu comprised limonaada (lemon beverage), cucumber and yoghurt soup, humra (a chicken and quince dish with nutmeg, eaten on Rosh Hashanah by the Jews of Algiers) and veggie couscous. Dessert was sweet couscous with rose petals and stuffed dates.
Country 3: Maldives, Indian Ocean
Cook: Melani
February 2020
Seeing that Maldives is almost 99% sea and that tuna is their most important staple, fish is what it was going to be.
When Melani starts planning she googles street food and vendors, food markets and supermarkets; she taps into numerous Facebook foodie groups and sources ideas from Pinterest and her large recipe book collection.
Melani is the first to admit if a recipe features spices, it inevitably lands up on her menu.
Melani created a Maldivian feel by laying her table under a palm tree with a view over the pool – Maldives in the Boland, ek sê – and set the island scene with piña coladas decorated with cocktail umbrellas.
Melani served bis keemiyaa (tuna and egg pastries), kulhi boakibaa (fish cakes), mas huni (tuna, coconut and chili salad), dhon riha (tuna curry), kukulhu riha (chicken curry), fihunu mas (grilled sea bass, obtained from a fish monger), and handulu bondibai (sweet sticky rice with mango) to finish off the meal.
This concluded the first round which made us realise that, although we regard ourselves as good cooks, this was by no way a means to showcase individual skills. A different playing field meant that we would be out of our comfort zone each and every time.
Country 4: Venezuela, South America
Cook: Jolanda
March 2020
With Venezuela we were ready to explore a new continent, South America.
It’s not like we would get to visit Venezuela anyway as it is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world. It is also home to over 2500 species of orchids and many interesting animals including manatees, giant anteaters, sloths, jaguars and the world’s largest rodent, the capybara.
A menu printed in the colours of the Venezuelan flag greeted us upon arrival.
Before filling our wine glasses – wine is always part and parcel of the evening as we live in the Boland after all – chicha (rice milk with cinnamon) was served.
Jolanda confessed that she felt excited when she drew Venezuela for her second round of cooking. Although cooking Sudanese was interesting she immediately had a feeling that Venezuela might have more to offer in terms of cuisine.
And so it did. We feasted on tequeños (fried pastries with cheese filling) and guasacaca dipping sauce (avo salsa), arepa (maize patties), pabellon criollo (beans, rice and meat), papitas de leche (milk potatoes) and quesillo (Venezuelan flan).
Alas,lockdown ensued…
Country 5: Paraguay, South America
Cook: Ilse
August 2020
To play it safe I issued a ‘No firearms allowed’ warning after reading that it’s believed that pistol duelling is legal in Paraguay provided both are registered blood donors.
Like Venezuela, Paraguay has wonderful exotic wildlife: the opossum, chinchilla, armadillo, panther and bear.
Once I’d checked everyone for contraband weapons guests were issued with Paraguay Passion cocktails.
I challenged myself and baked … and managed to pull off a cheesy corn bread starter called chipa guazú.
The main course was beef cheeks – the cut revealed only once everyone had tucked in – simmered for hours with onions, roasted garlic, oregano and tomatoes bife koygua-style. Most guests at the table had not had beef cheeks before.
Specialist butchers usually have beef cheeks in stock.
The beef cheeks were served with mescla (rice salad, reminiscent of local recipes from the 70s) and kiveve (pumpkin mash with cheese and sugar).
We ended off the evening with caramelised papaya served with more caramel and herbal tea sipped through silver bombilla straws.
Country 6: Bahrain, Middle East
Cook: Melani
October 2020
In Bahrain there are nearly twice as many men as women; co-incidentally the guests around Melani’s Bahraini table portrayed the opposite.
We sipped on saffron wine and nibbled chebeh rubyan (shrimp balls), tzatziki and hummus; for mains we had chicken machboos (spiced chicken&rice) and spicy baked fish with sweet muhammar rice.
Bahrainis, like Algerians, enjoy stuffed dates for dessert. More and more we were beginning to discover how cuisines from different parts of the world overlap.
Country 7: Samoa, Polynesia
Cook: Jolanda
October 2020
Tattooing is part of Samoan culture. If only Jolanda’s guests had known they could have visited a tattoo parlour. Instead they made do with tropical attire.
In true island style we started with ‘otai (a watermelon rum drink), followed by pani popo (coconut buns) and oka i’a (fish salad), thereafter keke pua’a (pork buns) and a chicken dish called moa fa’asaina. We rolled home after pai fala (pineapple meringue pie).
Country 8: Eswatini/Swaziland, Southern Africa
Cook: Ilse
October 2020
Although Eswatini might be close to home I thought it would be interesting to take my guests, as far as eating unusual ingredients, out of their comfort zone.
Thus I served mageu (a fermented maize drink), crocodile tail, marinated in buttermilk and crumbed in cornflakes, boerbok stew with pap and fried banana to round it all off.
Only once their plates were nearly clean, and after guessing games were played, I revealed what was had. There were some gasps of disbelief but nothing that another glass of wine couldn’t fix.
Everyone giggled at my expense when I confessed that I forgot that there is a crocodile farm in our home town so I drove to Cape Town after a google search.
Country 9: Eritrea, North Africa
Cook: Melani
November 2020
Although Melani could have chosen Italian Eritrean cuisine, a mix of Eritrean dishes and spices with Italian dishes, she didn’t choose the easy way out. Eritrea was colonised by Italy and still boasts beautiful art deco buildings in the capital, Asmara.
The evening started off with a bun, an Eritrean coffee ceremony where ebaba (popcorn) is served as an accompaniment.
Eritrean stews are much like Ethiopian stews. While we enjoyed mopping up zigni berbere (beef stew) and doro wat (chicken stew) with injera (sourdough flatbread) Melani fervently hoped that she wouldn’t draw Ethiopia at a later stage. Spoiler alert: that is exactly what happened!
Her blow was softened somewhat with makleel (sweet dumplings).
Country 10: North Korea, Asia
Cook: Jolanda
December 2020
With a tumbler of rice wine in hand we giggled when Jolanda told us that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered all male citizens to copy his haircut.
Over kimchi (fermented vegetables) we heard that our host for the evening drove nearly 100 km one-way to source Korean ingredients. The drive paid off we mumbled, with mouths full of mandu (dumplings), ggoma kimbap (seaweed rolls), kimchimari-guksu (kimchi noodle soup) and yakgwa (sesame cookies).
We agreed to disagree on kimchi – you either love it or hate it.
Country 11: Ethiopia, Africa
Cook: Melani
January 2021
Whether Melani jinxed herself when she declared that the last country she wanted to draw next was Ethiopia, we will never know.
Both Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisines feature a lot of vegetable and spicy meat dishes; the recipes and their berbere spice blend are very similar. As Melani had already cooked an Eritrean meal for Cuisine by Country, it was a challenge to offer her guests a totally different taste experience.
We were delighted with a refreshing ‘energy booster’ of layered mango pulp, avocado, pineapple pulp and passion fruit to counter the hot summer day. Next came doro wat (chicken stew) combined with black lentils simmered in berbere (a red pepper spice blend that includes cumin, fenugreek and paprika). The winner of the day was kitfo, a dish of minced raw beef marinated in chilli powder and then infused with spiced butter, enjoyed with ayib (traditional cheese made with fresh milk) and sautéed greens.
Ethiopians and Eritreans mostly eat without using utensils; they use their right hands but we chose to forego the custom.
Instead we ended off lunch with mango, natural yoghurt and pistachios.
Country 12: Iceland
Cook: Ilse
March 2021
Think of Iceland, think of cold. Indeed, the climate is cold, windy and cloudy for most of the year. Their lowest recorded temperature is −39.7 °C.
Thus I decided to make my 7 guests feel some of Iceland’s cold too. The evening started off with a contest.
Everyone had to stick their hands into a bowl of ice cold water. The one who lasted longest would win. No talking allowed… though many participants were unruly as far as the rule of silence went.
The first one out lasted 18 seconds only, the winner 1 minute 15 seconds.
Then we did it a second time, with the hand not used before. This time guests were allowed to swear. Apparently swearing helps with endurance…
After 3 minutes there was a tie.
A starter of prawn curry soup helped everyone to warm up again. So did the plokkfiskur, a traditional simple fish stew most Icelanders grew up with, served with turnip slaw. I made the fancy Saturday-night version with cheese melted on top.
The rye bread ice cream (rye crumbs are caramelised before it’s stirred into the ice cream) served with whipped cream and honey was a winner too.
***
We love what we are doing. So do our guests. Friends and acquaintances have become afraid of eating the closed door soup, a Chinese proverb that means you are kept out of a party or gathering. Next up we are cooking Iceland, Pakistan and Ethiopia.
- This project no longer continues.
- The photographs don’t do the fabulous illustrations by Sunday Times justice.
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