Nomads of Life

When you are following our blog from day one, you will probably know that we are true foodies. We love food with a passion! What we like about being in other countries, is that we get to experience the food culture. How do you make sure you try the best food in a country? Simply by going out, walk through the streets and try all the street food that is available!

Now that we are in Zambia for a long time, we have a lot of time to explore the food culture. We decided to make a list of our favorite must-tries when in Zambia:

1. Nshima: Nshima is popular basically everywhere in Southern, Eastern and Western Africa. It is also known as Pap, or Ugali. It is a dish made out of maize flower (corn meal) and you cook it in boiling water. The Nshima itself doesn’t have a strong taste, that’s why you eat it with meat, fish or vegetables. When we asked why so many Africans love Nshima so much, they all answered “Because it fills the belly well and it is nice to combine it with all types of other food”. Did you know that Zambia has 5 different kinds of Nshima? The most popular variations are made of maize flower (traditional), cassave, and millet. Important side note: if you don’t want to be laughed at by the locals, then never ever eat Nshima with utensils! Always use your hands.
   
2. Infinkubala A.K.A. caterpillars! Ok, we have to admit, it took a long time before we were mentally ready to try this, but it was actually quite oke. They are served deep-fried and basically comes as a crunchy little animal. Besides, they are full of proteins, so it can even be a healthy snack.
3. Chikanda: A vegetarian ham/polony. It is said that this dish is kind of hard to make as it can be difficult to get the right consistency. Chikanda is made out of wild orchid tubers, peanuts, chili and baking soda, so it is perfect for vegan.
4. Vitumbuwa: Basically a fried dough ball. You can compare this to the Dutch “oliebollen”. They sell this on the streets and serve it in a newspaper. People eat Vitumbuwa with a cup of tea.
5. Cassava and groundnuts: As this is quite filling, it can be eaten as a full meal. The cassava is soaked in water for 24 hours before frying it. Mixing cassava with groundnuts is a heavenly combination.

While writing this article, we had to think about our favorite Dutch street food as well. Many people think that the Dutch don’t really have a street food culture, but actually we do have that! Here is our favorite Dutch street food:

1. “Een Brammetje”: Fries can be eaten any day, any time, anywhere. There are many stands where you can get your portion of fries. However, if you want to experience the best fries of the Netherlands, you should definitely go to Bram Ladage. Bram Ladage is a family company and has multiple stores in The Netherlands. They are specialised in making the best FRESH fries. Once you have tried fries from Bram Ladage, you don’t want to eat it anywhere else.
2. Herring: A fresh raw herring with unions and pickles can be so good every now and then. Besides the fact that we find it delicious, it is also very good for you health.
3. Poffertjes: If you are more of a sweet tooth, then you should definitely try poffertjes. It is actually comparable to very tiny little pancakes. You can eat it with some powder sugar and a small piece of butter.

What is your favorite street food? Have you tried any of the above mentioned food yourself? let us know.