Making Fufu with the Taylor's

We are posting a lot today because the internet at the church has finally started working again. We don't like to use our jump drives in the cafes because we don't want to get viruses. Here is a post of our Sunday dinner experience a week and a half ago. We went to eat with our friend Beatrice's family. While waiting for the food to be prepared we met several very cute children. We couldn't resist taking a lot of pictures and they loved to see themselves on my camera!











































We were preparing to eat fufu for dinner. Apparently that is the most traditional meal here, because people always insist on making us some. At first it wasn't so good, but it has been growing on me. They make fufu out of plantains and cassava. They pound them down in a big bowl at their feet with a heavy pole that is about four and a half feet long and about six inches in diameter. Amelia and I tried to help, but we were much less efficient than Beatrice and her sisters. Here is a picture of the plantains and cassava before it was pounded.

Here is a picture of the bowl that they crush the cassava and plantain in.














Here is our attempt at helping. After I helped for about thirty seconds Beatrice asked me to stop because I was making her tired. Apparently I didn't know how to pound the vegetables correctly. It looked to me like her sisters did the same thing as me!

Beatrice's family usually only makes fufu as a special meal once a week because it takes so much time and energy to prepare. Several other families were making fufu at the same time--they all prepare it in their apartment courtyard.

Here is the finished product: fufu with light soup

It was pretty good after all. I was able to finish mine completely and Amelia came really close. If you don't eat it quickly it seems like it grows. Amelia couldn't believe that she kept eating and it didn't get any smaller!