The following mealtime experience may be used during fellowship gatherings, in small study groups, or as part of special programs.
Before the meal is served, you will usually be presented with a basin for washing your hands. Someone will hold the basin and pour water over your hands from a pitcher. You are offered soap, and afterwards, a towel.
(For more information about this Mozambique tradition, see Hand-washing Hospitality on the Children's Activity page).
Preparing for the meal:
Traditionally, guests eat first, followed by the men and older boys; then, the women and children eat. You may wish to begin the meal with a prayer and conclude the experience with a discussion about the meal:
Cover the table with African cloth or something that looks African. Set the table with ordinary dishes, not paper or plastic, since that is never done in Africa. Sometimes the meal is eaten outside under a tree with available chairs or seated on the ground. If only one kind of utensil is used it is a spoon, but it is not uncommon to eat with the fingers.
In small bowls on table:
Fresh pineapple pieces (with toothpicks beside)
Coconut pieces (with toothpicks beside)
Cashew nuts
Soup:
Fresh green beans cooked with chopped onion.
Remove to blender, keep liquid.
Use the liquid. Add chicken or beef bouillon cubes.
Add blended beans.
Collard greens:
Wash, cut spines out.
Pile leaves one on the other and cut in slices the size of paper from shredder.
Cook in large pot for 1½ hours or until tender. A pressure cooker makes them tender quicker. Collards are tough greens.
Chop onion and garlic. Cook in small amount of olive oil.
Add to greens. Add small can of tomato paste, a can of fish like sardines, tuna or salmon to flavor greens.
Cook until greens are very tender and most of water is absorbed.
Serve with rice.
Other recipes of Mozambique:
Mata -- stew combining shrimp, peanuts, coconut, and tender young spinach. Chopped red pepper may be added.
Frango a Cafrial (barbecued chicken) rubbed with hot piripiri sauce and roasted over open charcoal.
Sopa deFejjao (green bean soup). Fresh green beans cut across in thin slices, boiled and served in a thin tomato and onion puree. Serve over rice.
Traditional diet in Mozambique:
Rice, cornmeal, grits, tropical fruits, vegetables, coconut, peanuts, cashews. When possible, beef, fowl, fish, and seafood such as shrimp and lobster. They also eat cereal and eggs.
