Acheke

For probably the last 5 out of 6 days I have eaten acheke.  It’s become an obsession.  If there was an award for 'most love of acheke,' I would win.  I am now known in my training group for my love of acheke, and get many nods of understanding whenever I say “All I want right now is acheke.”  What is acheke you ask?  Well, prepare yourself for a food explosion.  Acheke begins with gari.  Side note on gari: Gari is made from cassava root (a white tuber) that has been crushed, then dried, then fermented.  Other than that I don’t really know how to describe it.  So, you start with some gari at the bottom of a bowl.  Add a little gravy (I’m never really sure what’s in this gravy sauce.  Pretty sure it changes from person to person.  My tactic is to never ask if it tastes good.).  Next, pile on top some spaghetti noodles; not too many, just enough to make it good.  Then sprinkle on a little magi (MSG), for good flavor.  Nothing in Sierra Leone is cooked without magi.  (Another side note: I saw a kid the other day put some magi on his hand and start licking it straight out of his hand.  I almost vomited for him.)  On top of the gari, gravy, pasta, and magi, you add one sliced hard boiled egg, tomato, and cucumber.  You may wonder how you fit so many random things in a bowl and make it taste alright, but we haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.  On top of everything, the final touch is a healthy portion of mayonnaise and ketchup.  No, not one or the other, but both.  And not just a little dollop, but a hearty scoop from the jar.  I understand that this amalgamation of foods may seem odd, and utterly revolting, when looking merely at the recipe, but let me tell you, it may be the best thing in the world and I’m making every one of you try it when I get home.  You may be skeptical now, but I vow to convert you all.

Other notes on food in Sierra Leone:

-I have already commented on the magi, so no more need be said there (other than the fact that the two flavors are shrimp and fish, when everything already tastes like fish.  Seems unnecessary to me.)

-Everything here is boiled into oblivion.  I’m pretty sure all the sauces they make to put on rice are cooked over a coal pot for at least 4 hours.  I don’t know what it is, but maybe Africa makes it harder to cook things.

-There is not a dish in Sierra Leone that doesn’t include palm oil.  I think the copious amounts of palm oil have to do with the bowel issues for the first few weeks; my body just didn’t know what to do with so much yellow oil in my body.  It’s also pretty funny because you can tell whenever someone has eaten something with palm oil because there’s a yellowy film all around their mouth.  It’s the Salone equivalent to a milk moustache.

-Fish balls: sounds good?  Well, I would say it might, if I didn’t watch how they’re prepared.  Here’s how you make a fish ball: put a whole fish (skin, bones, eyes, and all) into a bowl, then pound it to a pulp.  Then form little balls.  Easy.  Except not so easy to eat because it takes 20 minutes to get all the fish bones out of each bite.  In all honesty, they’re pretty disgusting.

-A bit of a continuation on the last one, but there are fish bones in pretty much everything that is cooked in Salone.  I wouldn’t be surprised to find a fish bone in a mango.

We’ve got a week and a half left of training, then we swear in as real volunteers on August 12!!  We then spend the next few days being carted out to our sites in groups of two on the Peace Corps vehicles.  They graciously offered to transport us to site with all our belongings (which are rapidly growing as we buy pots, pans, beds, mattresses, and buckets for our sites).  Peace Corps doesn’t usually take people to site, but since PC is new back in Salone they decided to be nice and help us on this one.

Hope everything is going well back in the states.  I love hearing from you all, so keep up the comments and emails!  Sending my love.