Oshiwambojen ruoka houkutteli International Cuisine Daylla

A huge bucket of worms, brown stick porridge and the smells of 28 different kitchens make the visitor's head spin around. The beautifully smiling Oshiwambo people take the visitor's attention with real food and pride of their own culture.

Oshiwambos are presenting their traditional dishes at Polytechnic of Namibia's 15 th Cultural Festival's International Cuisine Day among all other national tribes and international countries.

"We have brought here the most traditional dishes for the Polytechnic students in order to get to know our culture." a young man called Shiim tells in the hustle and bustle inside the Engineering building at the campus area. After said this everything else disappears as Shiim concentrates on sharing his knowledge about his culture.

The Oshiwambo's origins from the northern Namibia and in their tribe families are big as all generations live together. Usually the women cook for the whole family but in Shiim's case there is an exception. His eagerness and skills for cooking can be seen from the way he tells of Oshiwambo dishes and his warm and intense look while explaining his culture to a white journalist.

Oshiwambo's basic ingredient for the meal is brown thick porridge. Shiim tells that it depends on the occasion what is served along the porridge. They can for example cook chicken, mopani worms or beans. They bake bread and cook spinach to give a little taste to the dried meat. All these dishes are offered at their table, and they really are popular as all the students line to buy special food.

A girl buys a piece of bread while I learn Oshiwambo's grow their own chickens for at least a month and take good care of them while they are growing. Shiim is proud of the fact that their chickens are strong and healthy. According to him it is not possible to break a bone of their chicken while eating. "When you go to the grocery store and buy a chicken that has only lived for one or two weeks, you see the difference with the structure of the chickens." Shiim explains.

The size of the mopani worms contributes to a child's little finger. The joints the worms have, remind of old people and their wrinkles. The taste on the other hand is for a foreigner better than expected. I get many curious looks as I try the worms for the first time. People smile to me like saying you can do it, go on, have a taste. The crunchy shield is followed by a soft and flour-filled taste and mixture of spices. Shiim tells that the difference between black and yellowish worms lies in the preparation. "You have to dry the black ones more, so they are crispier."

The bread the Oshiwambo's eat is made out of Omahango flour. First the flour, water and the few spices are mixed together. Shiim demonstrates with his big hands that after this the dough is put into a sealed plastic bag. Shiim tells that the bread has to stay in that plastic bag in boiling water for about half an hour before it is ready to eat. Shiim takes a piece of the bread and lets me try their delicacy. To me, the taste is a bit too dry; I can feel the flour in my mouth. I think I am the only one to think this way because the tray filled with bread, is already empty.

From the Omahango flour is also prepared the Oshikudu beer, Shiim seems to prefer a lot as he is sipping it throughout the interview. The traditional beer contains pieces of the flour which go around the mouth while tasting the light aroma of the beer.

"The beer is drunk in special occasions such as weddings, confirmation parties and christenings." Shiim tells and smiles with a blink in his eyes.

Polytechnic’s Cultural Festival is a special occasion too. The students want to try different meals and choose their favorites. Or maybe they are like Shiim, who prefers everything. The only thing that is certain is that one can't pick his or her favorite before trying all the dishes served at the International Cuisine Day. And that is the moment I wake up from the Oshiwambo world and head for other delicacies.

Written by Saara