Food Update

I have experienced two new things to add to my food repertoire.

The first was sugar cane. Before coming here I had never even seen a sugar cane. It stalk sort of looks like bamboo. They just hack off a 3-4 foot stalk and sell them at the market. You have to use a knife to remove the green outer casing. The inside is a soggy white matter. You rip off a section with your teeth - easier said than done. Then you chomp on it with your teeth. You are not actually chewing it or intending to swallow it. You are simply excreting the liquid and then spitting out the small piece of white leftovers. The liquid is not the abrasive sugar flavor that we processed sugar eaters are used to. It is much more subtle, although sweet and refreshing all the same. After struggling with my sugar cane and then getting a slight stomach ache from eating it, I was told it is good for your teeth. I still get a puzzled look on my face when contemplating this nutritional fact. Another folklore of Rwandan nutrition?

My second new experience was lemongrass tea. I don't think I can fully convey to you how much I LOVED this. You would probably have to see my face and utter childlike joy. Lemongrass is a kind of grass. You just pull off a piece and put it in your boiling water to make tea. When you add milk and sugar I swear to God and all things holy that it tastes like the milk after you've eaten a bowl of Fruit Loops (I can't take the credit for this comparison, but it's spot on so I'm stealing it). If possible, start growing some lemongrass and try it for yourself. I doubt you will be disappointed if you are a tea drinker to begin with. I would also like to give a shout out to AJ's nuns who introduced me to lemongrass tea and possibly grinned and snickered at me when I clapped my hands together in glee whenever they would offer me some. They have solidified my love for nuns for all time.