Our Angolan Meal
Our Angola meal was…interesting. It consisted of Camarao Grelhado Piri Piri (Grilled Prawns with Peppers), Muamba de Galinha (Angolan Chicken Stew), Bâton de Manioc (Yucca/Cassava Sticks) and Cocada Angolana (Coconut Dessert).
Camarao Grelhado Piri Piri had a little bite! The prawns were basted with a garlic, onion, habanero pepper, and cumin sauce and grilled. The remaining sauce was used for dipping and had a little kick! Unfortunately, Rob could not try this shrimp due to his shellfish allergy.
The chicken stew was flavorful with garlic, chili powder, tomatoes, diced pumpkin, and okra. The chicken was first browned in Red Palm Oil which we have never used before. We liked everything about it except the okra – it was the texture.
Making the Bâton de Manioc was quite a production! First, we had to find cassava root. We went to several Eastern European and Middle Eastern stores but could not find the cassava root or banana leaves. We ended up ordering the cassava root online. We then started to look for the banana leaves. A Google search found banana leaves in the freezer section at Walmart! Turned out they also had frozen cassava root!!
The cassava tubers were peeled, soaked for 3 days, shredded (avoiding the fibrous center that contains arsenic), run through the food processor to make a paste, wrapped in banana leaves, and then steamed for 6 hours. After all that the taste and texture was different (which is the whole point of trying foods from other countries). It was OK when added to the chicken stew as suggested in the recipe.
The Cocada Angolana coconut dessert was very sweet!! It was just sugar, coconut, milk, water, cloves, and cinnamon. The sugar was cooked with cloves until it was dissolved and then the coconut added. It was then cooled and served with cinnamon. It was so sweet we could only eat a small amount.
About Angola
Angola is a coastal country in Africa. Luanda is the coastal capital of Angola. It is incredibly expensive to live there because so many items are imported. It is said that a sandwich can cost $26 and a pair of jeans $240. Angola was a Portuguese providence until it gained independence in 1975. It is the second largest Portuguese-speaking country behind Brazil. It is the seventh largest country in Africa.
The Kalandula Falls of Angola is one of the largest waterfalls in Africa. It looks amazing.
Tigres Island (Ilha dos Tigres) is the largest island off the coast of Angola. Tigres Island used to be a peninsula that was home to a fishing village, but in March of 1962, the ocean broke through the isthmus of the peninsula. An isthmus is, “a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land.” I learned a new word! After the peninsula was gone there was no water supply and Tigres was abandoned.
What about you?
Please post your comments below. We love hearing other’s experiences and thoughts!
Do you have a favorite meal, recipe or drink from Angola?
Do you have a favorite place that serves food from Angola?
Are you from Angola or have you ever visited?
Antigua and Barbuda is Up Next!
Do you have a favorite meal, recipe or drink from Antigua and Barbuda?
Photos
- Paulo César Santos, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dguendel, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- David Stanley from Nanaimo, Canada, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Shutterstock
- juls26, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- juls26, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Country Reports
References
Britannica, Country Reports, Geography Now, Global Table Adventures, The Travel Book, Shutterstock and Wikipedia.
