Away from Africa

Sao on the tree in Douala There were myriad consequences to colonialism in Africa, and as we know, most of the continent still hasn’t recovered. But I will leave that discussion for the experts in geopolitics and history. One of the consequences is not much discussed: the vocabulary of food products, in particular of fruits, leafy greens, and vegetables. If an item doesn’t exist in the “West,” i.e. Europe and North America, it didn’t get a name. For years, there was little travel within the African continent. It was more expensive and convoluted to go from Douala to Dakar than from Douala to Paris.  Nowadays there are many more African airlines, and even if you are on your way to Paris or London, from an African metropolis, you can make a pit stop in Addis Ababa, for example. But if you are going to another country, and would like to eat your favorite food, how do you know if you can find it in that country? For that matter, even when you travel to another town, and you are sure th...

Douala is not the same as when I left it over twenty years ago. The city has sprawled, rather than grown upwards; what used to be almost countryside, is now covered with construction, unfortunately mostly without any design process. Architects are perceived to be expensive, so any neighborhood, sometimes self-proclaimed draftsperson, will do the job of drawing up a building and finding a way to obtain a building permit (or not). Almost every square inch of sidewalk is taken up by tiny businesses. There is so much unemployment that it is totally understandable, and I salute the young person with a technical degree in electronics selling peanuts from a wheelbarrow. He is trying to make a living on his own, rather than sit home and ask for funds. Motorcycle rider with bags of bread Motorcycles are everywhere, and beware when you cross the street. The bus agency closed years ago, and now motorcycles are many people's preferred mode of public transportation: inexpensiv...

Aerial view of Douala Douala , Cameroon, has a long way to go before getting into a NY Times or AFAR must-see destination list. However, it is the gateway to the scenic Western portion of Cameroon. Douala is the commercial hub and the largest city of Cameroon (about 3 million inhabitants), albeit not the political capital, which is Yaounde. Unfortunately urban development went haywire, and it has become a very disheveled-looking city, with the exception of the administrative and diplomatic neighborhoods, formerly where the colonizers lived. The climate doesn't help, as it is very hot and humid. However, less than 10 kilometers out of the city, the scenery starts changing. Home on the road between Douala and West Cameroon On the road to the west, after the Wouri River bridge, post-colonial homes dot the roadside. By the time one reaches Melong, most people’s means of transportation is their feet. Many of these rural village dwellers work in small-scale agriculture. ...

A colorful display of lamps and towels Along the roads of Douala and on the way to the Western part of Cameroon, there are shops and market stands galore. Sometimes the road seems to be one uninterrupted marketplace. These are some of the  pictures I snapped from car windows, on the go. Oranges, hardware and more... I loved her headdress! Perhaps a daycare center? In the baskets: mystery. The kiosk: for cell phone refills. Even the historic Mandessi Bell House (below) in downtown Douala has become a market.... Grilled peanuts are sold in recycled whiskey bottles Apples and more Bread loaves and bobolo  (thick fermented cassava sticks, usually eaten in central Cameroon)

The road to Souza While we were in Cameroon in February, I finally traveled to "Abo," the region where my mother-in-law was born. Unfortunately we were not in her village in the northern part, but in Souza (Abo-Sud) to visit the cassava crop farm I wrote about in an earlier post . Sita Behle In Souza, we met Sita* Behle, who welcomed us with a big smile. Not knowing visitors were coming, she had not dressed up or anything, but that was the least of her worries! When I asked if I could take her picture, she readily agreed. By the time we finished visiting the cassava crop farm, it was incredibly hot, and it was lunchtime. Souza's "green house" Sita Behle's house is the original "green" house--the exterior wall is covered with greenery, an unexpected sight. I was standing outside and realized that everyone else in my travel group (5 people in all) had entered the house, so I followed them inside. Palm nuts Sita was in her kitchen...

Cameroonian finger foods: - boiled peanuts - grilled peanuts - grilled corn on the cob Grilled plantain and "prunes" (seed to the right) - grilled or boiled “prunes” - these are fruits that are savory rather than sweet, and as far as I know do not exist anywhere else than in tropical Africa. They do not travel well. You can now find them, for a high price, in Parisian African markets, but not in the United States, as far as I know. Chicken, miondo and fried ripe plantain slices - fried plantain slices, and/or plantain chips - fried fish and/or spicy grilled fish - fried chicken feet - skewered beef, spiced with hot ground pepper (called “soya”) - Corn flour and banana fritters And of course: Maggi™ along with (very) hot sauce made from Scotch bonnet peppers. Corn flour-banana fritters Photos of these foods can also be seen at MyWeku.com .