Mmm, funge!

One question I've gotten a lot while at home is, "What do you eat in Angola?" Well, my bouts with salmonella have made me wary of eating out, so I tend to eat at home and eat the same things over and over (beans, pasta, soups).

While in Luanda, my coworkers included me on their lunch order. Here's what we had:

FUNGE: The staple of the Angolan diet. It can be made with corn meal (funge) or with yucca/manioc flour (bombô- not sure if this is correct spelling). I've had both and prefer funge. People say it's like polenta- but it is not like polenta! Neither really have any flavor, so you eat it with whatever food is on your plate. It of course tastes better when eaten with your hands.

BEANS: Having spent two years in Honduras, you'd think I would have had my fill of beans, but I can't get enough of them! I especially like beans in Angola, beacuse they are made with dendem, or palm oil. (Yes, Brazilians, it's called dendem here, not dendê!) Dendem gives the beans a heavy, delicious flavor.

STEWS: Angolans love their stews, and I don't blame them! This particular one is made with goat meat- not my favortie, but it was good. A national favorite is kalulu, made with okra.