I came up with the idea of sharing my favorite holiday with my new family a few weeks ago when I stumbled upon a can of jellied cranberry sauce in a small Moshi supermarket. So on Wednesday night I purchased ten live chickens from a mama in Boma to complete my stockpile of thanksgiving ingredients. It may sound funny that I purchased chickens rather than turkeys, but since white people are the only ones who eat turkey, the price of purchasing even one is through the roof. While one turkey can cost somewhere between the equivalent of sixty to ninety US dollars, one chicken only costs about three to five dollars. So in the interest of having enough food to feed the entire family, I settled for purchasing extra chickens.
On Thursday morning Makulata and I killed and cleaned the chickens with the help of the older sisters. I then spent all afternoon cooking a true thanksgiving meal with all the necessary elements including stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, and of course jellied cranberry sauce (the kind that maintains the shape of the can after you open it. Cooking for thirty eight people is a lot of work and I gained a new appreciation for all of my family members that have prepared the thanksgiving feast. With the help of many young hands who are already on Christmas break from school we succeeded in cooking the meal without any burns and only a few minor expletives.
The kids were so intrigued with each foreign element and asked me many questions as we cooked. “Is this juice (pronounced jeweece)?” they asked about the cranberry sauce. The idea of cooking with spices was completely foreign to them. They also got a huge laugh out of stuffing the birds with oranges and stuffing. They leaned over my shoulder (more literally under my shoulder) and giggled with curious smiles as I did this. When we served the food they were wide eyed and quiet. I don't think they've ever experienced a meal of such variety and scale. With smiles on their faces they thanked me and dug in. They finished with food to spare saying for the first time in a while that they were full and couldn't eat any more. Many of the children ate out of trash piles before they came to Kao la Amani and while they always have food now, it is tightly budgeted. Considering this, the feeling of being full is quite a welcome experience.
I also found it hilarious to watch Tanzanians eating food that was out of their comfort zone. It was a complete role reversal as they, rather than I, were now the ones trying foreign food. Pastor nearly had me on the floor laughing as he did not understand the concept of gravy and congratulated me on making a delicious soup. He asked for a bowl so that he could eat it separately. The smiles and thanks I received from the children was incredibly rewarding and made the experience entirely worthwhile. On Friday they asked me when I was going to cook “food for America” again. It was a happy thanksgiving for all.
Half of the food for the Thanksgiving feast! Don't worry the stuffing is at the end of the table.
