Book report7

Summary of the book
   The introduction provides basic information concerning sub-Saharan Africa, which helps readers when reading following chapters. Each of four chapters has detailed information in regard to four regions in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from geography to food and culture. In addition, glossary, resource guide, appendix, and bibliography are written after the forth chapter, from which we can get a lot of related information and deepen the reading and enhance knowledge in regard to food culture in sub-Saharan Africa.

After reading
   Having read this book, I was able to enjoy reading and learn about food and culture in sub-Saharan Africa. I found some features similar to or different from the culture familiar to me, such as food from which people take carbohydrate. This book is well-organized and really helps further and widen our knowledge as regards food culture. Hence, I highly recommend the book.



    And actually, I found the book called "Food Culture in the Near East, Middle East and North Africa." Although I haven't read this book, I think it will helps me with widening and enhancing further my knowledge. You can find it in the library at the Junior college.
       

Food Culture Quiz

Quiz results

Your score	Average reader score
12 Correct 13 Wrong 48% You answered 12 of 25 questions correctly for a total score of 48%.

Although I already know some of the answers such as the information related to eggs, I did not know, or am not sure which answer is correct. Especially, I was surprised at the fact that bananas, watermelons, and blueberries are thought as berries but strawberries is thought as an accessory fruit. The quiz tells me a lot of information and helps me to further my knowledge related to food and culture.

The comparison between "Food For All" and "Second Harvest Japan"

Q1. What are some of the features that the groups have in common or that they have individually ?

A. They both donate food to those who can’t afford money to buy food because of the facts such as poverty or homelessness. Food for All helps homeless people not only by donating food but also supporting to enable the people to have self-confidence and responsibility and find the solution of the problem. Second Harvest Japan supports people suffered from a natural disaster such as an earthquake.

Q2. What are the main activities or events that these groups carry out?

A. Food for All’s activities

Celebs For Camden, Food Bank, Eco Garden

Second harvest Japan’s activities

Harvest Kitchen, Harvest Pantry, lectures or talks about what the group does to develop “food bank” in Japan and to cooperate with other groups.

Q3. From what you saw on their web sites, what surprised or interested you the most?

A. Food for all’s activities of helping homeless people not only to have food but also to have self-confidence is surprising for me and I think it is a great concept.

  

Q4. How would you be able to offer help to either organisation -- as a volunteer or supporter?

A. ・Go to the place where food is distributing and help supplying.

・Donate money, clothes, or other things I have.

Q5. Which group seems to be more active? Why do you think so?

A. Although each group has a good aspect individually, I think Second harvest Japan appears to do more various activities than Food for all.

Restaurant review3

Book report6

Today,  I want to show a video related to eastern African foods.

The first part shows how food culture in Kenya is, and the latter is the introduction of Kenyan foods. I think this video is good for those who are not familiar to African culture along with food to know how the foods are different or similar to whose cultures, and widen the knowledge of foods and cultures around the world.

As I read the book introduced on this blog, beans are used in many foods, as well as corns and bananas. And actually, I'm curious about the taste of Kenyan tea.

This video is from YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkUc9htFjxU

Book report5

Central Africa

I am going to write about the last chapter dealing with central Africa.

Central Africa, which is often called the heart of Africa, consists of the countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, Gabon, Angola, Burundi, and Rwanda. Chad can be included in central Africa as well. In central Africa, there are tropical rain forests that account for 8 percent of the continent's surface, and Congo River, the fifth longest river in the world, is located.

Congo river

Major foods and ingredients
 Basically, people in central Africa use almost the same ingredients as people in western and eastern Africa use. Yet, in central Africa, the names of the ingredients or foods are often different from other regions since the names came from French or local names. For example, Poulet Nyembwe is the name of the food that is chicken with palm nut sauce. Nguba means peanut in Kimbundu.

Poulet Nyembwe

 In east-central Africa, sweet potatoes are important in the cuisine. There are various ways to eat them, such as boiled and roasted. Bananas and plantains are eaten as well. As seasonings, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and salt are necessary. 

Book report4

Eastern Africa

Today, I will write the summary of the third chapter of the book, which deals with "eastern Africa."

Eastern Africa is often divided into two parts; Horn of Africa and East Africa. Horn of Africa includes Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Somalia. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, Sudan, Kenya, and Uganda have often considered as East Africa since the 1970s, because these three countries were colonies of Britain, having had common services, such as airlines and railways.

Coffee bean

Major foods and ingredients
Coffee (coffee Arabica)
 Coffee originated in eastern Africa, specifically, Ethiopia. Nowadays, coffee is the most prominent export in the country. Its bean traveled from Ethiopia to Arabia, to Constantinople, to Europe, to England, to South America, and beyond. It came back to east Africa the 1800s, when British people brought it to introduce Brazilian plants on their plantations.

Coffee in Ethiopia

Ensete tree

Ensete
 Ensete is considered to have originated in the lowland area located between Uganda and Tanzania. It is now grown in the gardens of the western Gurage and others in the southwest of Ethiopia.
 Its stem and leaf are traditionally fermented for weeks of months, then cooked into bread or a porridge.

Restaurant review2

The evaluation of the restaurant "Fuka"

1. Location 7/10
It has a bit distance from the nearest station, so you may have to walk for a while.

2. Atmosphere 10/10
Thanks to the owner's wonderful personality, the atmosphere is homelike, which is pleasing and relaxing to stay.

3. Clerks 10/10
The clerks are also friendly  working in Fuka. They serve either water or corn tea (whichever you like) as soon as you take a sit.

4. Service 9/10
Drinks are served before ordering, and Korean seaweeds are catered after the order. If they are not so busy, they talk with you about Korea, and its cuisine, or any other topic.

5. Facilities 9/10
Everything is clean in the restaurant, including tables and restroom.

6. Foods 27/30
Variety: 9/10
Taste: 9/10
Price: 9/10
As I mentioned on the first review, there are various Korean foods on the menu. The prices are inexpensive, but they, at least the dishes I have ever eaten, are delicious.

Total 72/80

Satisfaction: 9/10
Recommendation: 9/10

Overall: 90/100

Every time I go to Fuka, I enjoy not only the dishes, but also its atmosphere and talking with the owner and the clerks. It is a great place to both eat and stay in.

Restaurant review1

I'll introduce the Korean restaurant "Fuka." Written in Chinese characters, it is "風香."　"風" means wind, which is necessary when making Korean barbecue. "香" means smell, which wind brings. These are where the name comes.












Fuka is the restaurant in Mitaka, Tokyo. It is around 600 meter from Mitaka station, where Chuo Line, Sobu Line, and Tozai Subway Line stop.

The restaurant is open at 11:45 am to 2: 00 pm for lunch on weekdays, and at 5: 00 pm to 1:00 am for dinner every day.

She is the owner of the restaurant. She is so friendly that many people have had great time and come to the restaurant again and again, including me. When one enters the restaurant, she herself comes and takes one to a table. She often talks with customers while waiting for dishes coming. 









One can choose either usual table or a Japanese-style table.

Zashiki(Japanese-style) tables

Next, I'll introduce three Korean traditional foods we can eat at Fuka.

1. Korean lettuce salad

Carrots, onions, and cucumbers are also added. The dressing is actually made in Korea.

2. Jijimgae
It is also called Jeon. The jijimgae on the picture is Asian chive jijimgae. The restaurant serves Natto jijimgae, which is the original one.

3. Samgyetang
It is Korean traditional soup, consisting of chicken, Korean ginseng, rice, and jujube.












Because of its homelike atmosphere, everyone is, I'm sure, able to have great time at Fuka. Furthermore, there are various Korean foods, which are wonderful. Fuka is the best restaurant I have ever been to, and I, hence, highly recommend to go.

Book report3

The second chapter is about "Southern Africa."

 South Africa consists of not only the country of South Africa, but also Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Swaziland, and Mozambique. In addition to these countries, Madagascar could be included.

 The climate of southern Africa is generally opposite from other regions in Africa since it is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, summer starts around November until April, and winter starts around May until August.

Major foods and ingredients
Beans and greens

Mongo stew

 As well as the other regions in sub-Saharan Africa, various kinds of legumes, such as beans and lentils, are important for meals in southern Africa. Greens are used as relishes with the main starch. Mongo is the name of greens cooked in stew. There are diverse names of greens, such as matapa in Malawi, cacani in Mozambique, and rape in Zambia and Zimbabwe.



Corn
 Corn is nowadays used more often than sorghum and millet in southern Africa. Almost half of the arable land in South Africa is planted with maize.

Amarhewu

 Corn(or maize) is either yellow or white and is not sweet. Corn is usually eaten boiled or roasted. Maize is usually cooked into porridge or maize-rice. Beer like Zulu's amarhewu  is made from corn.

Southern Africa

Book report2

Hello everyone!

This time, I'll write the summary of the first chapter of the book.

The first chapter is about "Western Africa", which is consists of 11 countries along the Guinea Coast from Senegal to Nigeria; Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte D'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. Cape Verde could be included, which is the island located in the west of Senegal.

 Since this book considers western Africa widely, Sahelian and semiarid countries, such as Mali and Chad, are included as well.

The baobab tree

Major foods and ingredients

1. Baobab (Adansonia Digitata)

 The tree of baobab bears scented white flowers and has a gourd-shaped hairy fruit. The low and spreading baobab grows in dry savanna areas and has various ways to use. For example, its leaves are used to make soups and relishes. The ashes from its wood can be used as salt. Its seeds taste like almonds, which can be used as a spice.

2. Cola (Kola Vera)

Cola nuts

 Cola nuts are seed kernels from a cocoa tree in west Africa. They contain much caffeine, thus, they are necessary for lives in Africa. before artificial ones were able to get, cola nuts were often used for flavoring foods or drinks, such as Coca-Cola.

On the next post, I'll write about ""Southern Africa."

Western Africa

Book report1

 I'm so sorry for my late posting. Although this is my first time to make a blog, I'll try my best to make a blog that everyone can enjoy.

 This time, I'll write the introduction and outline of the book "Food Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa." I chose this book to read because, since I'm a runner, I'm quite interested in the food and culture in Africa such as Kenya and Ethiopia, where most top middle and long distance runners were born, grow, and live.

This book mainly focuses on two parts
1. the similar and different points of cultural and culinary              landscape in sub-Saharan Africa
2. the conflict between the needs for keeping the traditions and      for flexibility and adaption in culinary realm

 Although there are many things that are unfamiliar for westerners (and surely for Asians), there are many cooking methods which are introduced by sub-Saharan African and which we use nowadays, such as deep-frying, slow cooking, the use of ingredients like peanuts and okra. On the other hand, the food form the new world, such as corn and tomatoes, are essential for sub-Saharan African cuisine and culture. This food is called, "Colombian Exchange."

 The most interesting feature of sub-Saharan Africa's cooking is the fundamental format of a meal. It usually consists of a thick starch or porridge, and people eat them with sauce or stew. Another feature is the multipurpose reliance on the humble gourd or calabash, which have been used for hundreds years or more in sub-Saharan Africa.

On the next post, I'll write about "Western Africa."