That, I think, is what the 'street meat' in Uganda is called. The skewered meat is anyway. It is apparently goat although I had a guy offer me beef and then offer our driver the same skewer as goat so I really can't say.
On the drive from Kampala to Lira, about 5-6 hours, we passed many a town where roadside vendors tried to sell us nyama choma (meat on a stick), roasted maize (corn on the cob), roasted cassava or cool drinks. We stopped at a couple places to buy bananas and pineapples but for a while it looked as though my travelling companions were not interested in this street meat.
Then we stopped. There was a slight flurry of activity as street vendors approached the car offering nyama choma, cassava, soda and water. I hesitated and then relented and said yes to 1 skewer and 1 cassava tuber. Boy am I ever glad I did. It was delicious. If it was goat, it was great goat. Cassava is so good, although so so so dry. You have to eat it with a liquid or you'll choke. Paul, the driver, said, "We only ever stop here for food." Knowing the answer more or less, but wanting to be sure, I asked, "Why?" "Because it's the best," he replied. Obviously.
While in Uganda, I also took advantage of the high level of availability of fish sourced from Lake Victoria. There's a problem with tilapia and Nile perch taking over everything in the lake but at this time, that was not my concern. I had the 'whole fish' twice at the hotel in Lira switching up the side from rice one night, to chapati the other. The first night in Lira, Uganda, I went for the club sandwich. I confirmed that it involved chicken - my error was not confirming what would stand in for the bacon or lettuce - the neon pink vienna 'sausage' as it turns out - a rather unappealing meat product of questionable origins I had previously encountered at breakfast and in South Africa - and a fried egg. The fish was outstanding by comparison. It was definitely delicious. I think I did a reasonable job de-boning it and not eating the eyeballs too.
On the drive from Kampala to Lira, about 5-6 hours, we passed many a town where roadside vendors tried to sell us nyama choma (meat on a stick), roasted maize (corn on the cob), roasted cassava or cool drinks. We stopped at a couple places to buy bananas and pineapples but for a while it looked as though my travelling companions were not interested in this street meat.
Then we stopped. There was a slight flurry of activity as street vendors approached the car offering nyama choma, cassava, soda and water. I hesitated and then relented and said yes to 1 skewer and 1 cassava tuber. Boy am I ever glad I did. It was delicious. If it was goat, it was great goat. Cassava is so good, although so so so dry. You have to eat it with a liquid or you'll choke. Paul, the driver, said, "We only ever stop here for food." Knowing the answer more or less, but wanting to be sure, I asked, "Why?" "Because it's the best," he replied. Obviously.
While in Uganda, I also took advantage of the high level of availability of fish sourced from Lake Victoria. There's a problem with tilapia and Nile perch taking over everything in the lake but at this time, that was not my concern. I had the 'whole fish' twice at the hotel in Lira switching up the side from rice one night, to chapati the other. The first night in Lira, Uganda, I went for the club sandwich. I confirmed that it involved chicken - my error was not confirming what would stand in for the bacon or lettuce - the neon pink vienna 'sausage' as it turns out - a rather unappealing meat product of questionable origins I had previously encountered at breakfast and in South Africa - and a fried egg. The fish was outstanding by comparison. It was definitely delicious. I think I did a reasonable job de-boning it and not eating the eyeballs too.
No comments:
Post a Comment