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FastingandFeastinginAfricaReasonedResponsestoRadicalChangesinClimate
andCrops
Postedon10/11/2009

Thequantitiesofmeatourmendevourisquiteastounding.Theyboilasmuchastheirpots
willhold,andeattillitbecomesphysicallyimpossibleforthemtostowawayanymore
InapreviouspostCuisinesandCropsofAfrica,19thCenturyTheLimitsofPastoralismasa
LifestyleTheexplorerSpekedescribedtheeatingandfastinghabitsofSomalipastoralists,whose
fastfeaststyleofeatingwasseentobedirectlylinkedtotheirspartanlifestyle.
SimilarextremesofeatingarealsodescribedbyLivingstoneintheZambeziriverbasinofsouth

ProteinEnergyMalnutrition.Wikipedia

centralAfrica,wherehetraveledinthemid19th.Century,(MissionaryTravelsandResearchesin
SouthAfrica)sectionsquotedbelow.
SuchfastfeasteatingpatternscanstillbefoundinAfrica,eitheronaseasonalbasisordirectlylinkedtocropfailuresorotherdisasters.Thatisbecause
subsistencefarmersaregenerallysocloselydependentupontheirannualcropharvestsfortheirdailyfoodthatcropfailureorfightingcanspellmalnutritionfor
partoftheyear.
Aswell,evenduringgoodyears,familyconsumptionduringthedryseasonmaybelimitedtostarchessuchasyams,sweetpotatoes,andmaniocwitha
correspondinglackoffreshvegetablesorfruits.Increasingly,too,becauseofwar,displacementandotherproblems,mothersherefeedtheirweaninginfants
porridgemadeofmanioc,whichisarecipefornutritionalproblems.Theresultscommonlyleadtonutritionaldiseases,thetwomostcommonformsfound
throughoutthethirdworldbeingmarasmusandkwashiorkor.
MarasmusisassociatedwithmoderatetosevereproteinenergydeficiencythatleadstoextrememuscleandtissuewastingVoraciouseating,ofthetype
describedbelowbyLivingstone,isoftenassociatedwithmarasmus.

Ontheleft,3casesofmarasmus
andontheright,onecaseof
apparentkwashiorkor.Source:
GeorgeGrenfellandtheCongo.a
historyanddescriptionofthe
Congo1908

Kwashiorkorisamorecomplicatednutritionaldiseasethatincludesdeficienciesinmicronutrients,inadditiontoproteinandenergydeficiencies.Thisisthe
formmostcommonlyseehereinBurundi,especiallyduringtheleanmonthsand,inthe1990s,duringthewaryearsinrefugeeanddisplacementcamps:

Girlsufferingfromkwashiorkorinahealthclinicwhere
wehaveprovidedassistance

Thesearenotrecentproblems.Colonialrecordsmentionthesamesymptoms,whichwereoftenconfusedwithvenerealdiseases,becausecausesandsymptoms
ofnutritionaldiseasescanbesimilarandthiswasnotwellunderstooduntilthelastfewdecades.

SchoolchildreninEasternCongo,early20th.Century.
Virtuallyallareapparentlysufferingfrommarasmus,
andmanyalsofromparasites,forwhichswollenbellies
arealsoanindicator.

Tohelpcompensateforextremesoffoodavailability,whatwewouldcallbingeeatinghasbeencommonlypracticedduringtheperiodofamplefoodsupplies,
whichcanresultinstoredbodyfattobeusedduringthedryseasonfastingperiod.Unfortunately,smallchildrenareunabletoprocessandstorebodyfatin
thesamewayasadultsandthusaremostvulnerabletothesenutritionaldiseases.

Bingeeating,oftenassociatedwithlongperiodsofleanfindings,wasperhapsmostnoticeablyseenamongsttheKhoihuntergathersofsouthernAfrica,where
thestoredfatinthebuttocksandstomachareaonwomencausedcuriosityandsomealarmamongstcolonialexplorers:

Khoisanwomen,KalahariDesert
193549Source:Royal
GeographicSociety

ItiswithinthiscontextthatthefollowingeatingpracticesinsouthcentralAfrica,describedin1864byLivingston,canbebestunderstood.Inaddition,asheis

talkingabouttheconsumptionofanelephantasmuchaspossibleofthebeastmustbeeaten,becauseinatropicalclimatethemeatwillputrefyinavery
shortperiodoftime:

Thequantitiesofmeatourmendevourisquiteastounding.Theyboilasmuchastheirpotswillhold,andeattillitbecomesphysically
impossibleforthemtostowawayanymore.
Anuproariousdancefollows,accompaniedwithstentoriansongandassoonastheyhaveshakentheirfirstcoursedown,andwashedoffthe
sweatanddustoftheafterperformance,theygotoworktoroastmore.
Ashortsnatchofsleepsucceeds,andtheyareupandatitagainallnightlongitisboilandeat,roastanddevour,withafewbriefinterludesof
sleep.
Likeothercarnivora,thesemencanendurehungerforamuchlongerperiodthanthemereporridgeeatingtribes.
Ourmencancookmeataswellasanyreasonabletravellercoulddesireand,boiledinearthenpots,likeIndianchatties,ittastesmuchbetter
thanwhencookedinironones.

CynthiaBertelsenhasalsoputupanexcellentblogtouchingonsomeoftheseissuesandiswellwortharead:
Hunger,Starvation,FamineandtheSweepofHumanHistory.
IwouldalsoliketomentionthattodaysblogwasinpartinspiredbyinformationreceivedyesterdayfromIRIN(IntegratedRegionalInformationNetworks)
aboutrecentbreakthroughsinaddressingtheseseriousproblems:
Fortifiedflourandchewinggumnewapproachestomalnutrition
NAIROBI,9November(IRIN)Someofthemostwidespreadformsofmalnutritioncanbestbereducedbydeliveringmicronutrientsand
fortifyingfoodinnew,costeffectiveways,incombinationwithcommunityoutreachwork,expertshavesaid.
Approachescouldrangefromtheobviousaddingirontoflourtothenovel,suchasvitaminenrichedchewinggum,aNairobi
conferenceheard.
VitaminA,ironandiodinearethemostimportantmicronutrientsinglobalpublichealthterms,accordingtotheWorldHealth
Organization(WHO),particularlyforchildrenandpregnantwomeninpoorcountries.
VitaminAdeficiencyaffectsmorethanhalfofallcountries,especiallyinAfricaandSoutheastAsia,anditisespeciallyimportantwhere
underfivemortalityishigh,SueHorton,amalnutritioneconomist,toldtheconference.
Theconferenceonnutrition,heldinNairobion3November,wasorganizedbyDanishthinktankTheCopenhagenConsensusCenter
(CCC).
CCChasrankedmicronutrientsupplementsasatopdevelopmentpriorityfollowingfindingsofastudyitcommissionedin2008to
identifythebestwaystospendaidanddevelopmentmoney.
ProvisionofVitaminA,itadded,tochildrenagedsixmonthstofiveyearseveryfourtosixmonthscouldreducemortalityby23percent

Nutritionaldeficienciescanbecuredwithproperfood.
Verysimpleandasthesekidsshow,veryachievable.

Relatedarticles
The10MostImportantCropsInTheWorld(businessinsider.com)
PepsiCosChickPeaPlanIncludesTakingOnFamine(nytimes.com)
PalmOilFamilyProductioninCongo(lokoleyacongo.wordpress.com)
PlantainsandBananas:TheStaffofSavageLife(dianabuja.wordpress.com)
SmallseedpacketscouldplaybigroleinAfricasbattleagainstdrought(guardian.co.uk)
CuisinesandCropsofAfrica,19thCenturyZambeziRiverWatershedinSouthernAfrica
(dianabuja.wordpress.com)
TradingStatesoftheCongoRiverBasinduringthe19thcenturyinAfrica(egrejeen.wordpress.com)
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Aboutdianabuja
WithagroupofBaTwa(pygmy)womenpotters,withwhomwe'veworkedtoenhanceproductionandsalesoftheirwonderful
potsfantasticforcookingandserving.Toseethe2blogsonthisworkenter'batwapots'intothesearchenginelocatedjust
abovethispicture.BlogentriesthroughoutthissiteareaboutAfrica,aswellasabouttheMiddleEastandlifeingeneral
reflectingover35yearsofworkandresearchinAfricaandtheMiddleEastComeandjoinme!
Viewallpostsbydianabuja

ThisentrywaspostedinAfricaGeneral,Agriculture,Colonialism,Cuisine,Europeanexplorers,Explorers&exploration,Food,FoodAid,HumanitarianAssistance,John
HanningSpeke,Nomadiclifestyle,Somali,Somalia,ThirdWorldandtaggedAfrica,Agriculture,GeorgeGrenfell,Kwashiorkor,Marasmus,SouthernAfrica,Speke,Zambezi.
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13ResponsestoFastingandFeastinginAfricaReasonedResponsestoRadicalChangesin
ClimateandCrops
Pingback:ATasteof2012TopPostsFavorColonialEraFoodAncientEgypt|DIANABUJA'SBLOG:Africa,theMiddleEast,Agriculture,History&Culture

Xandisays:
15/10/2011at12:31pm

yeah,wevetochangesth,therearetoomanypeoplesuffering!

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Pingback:MostPopularBlogPagesWhy?!Dianabuja'sBlog

BelliniVallisays:
18/11/2009at1:25pm

Wehavecreatedacookbookwhichfeatures139recipesfromfoodbloggersaroundtheworldtoraisefundsfortheSchool
MealsProgrammesothatkidscanattendschoolandinsomeofthepoorestcountriestakehomefoodfortheirfamilies.
Childrenareourfuture.

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dianabujasays:
17/11/2009at10:01am

Mariaregardingfortifiedfoods,hereisthelinkforadocumentputoutbyWFP,onfortifiedfoodpreparationdueto
poverty,seasonality,militaryincursions,etcfortifiedfoodsdoofferacriticallifeline,eventhoughrelianceonlocal
producewouldbethebestsolution:
http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/humanitarian_assistance/ffp/50th/wfp_recipes.pdf

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Yolandasays:
13/11/2009at7:41pm

Thisisalittleofftopic,butitisBurundifoodrelated
WheneverourcookmakesisombeheusessomesortofsmallhardishorangethingwithbrownishbottomsIthinkitis
calledibigazi.DoyouknowwhatitwouldbecalledinFrenchorEnglish?Orsimplywhatitis?

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dianabujasays:
14/11/2009at10:36am

YolandaThosewouldbeindigenouseggplants,sometimescalledgardeneggsinEnglish,whicharefound
throughoutthetropicsandhaveamuchmorepiquantandarelesswaterythannorthernhemisphere
eggplants.TheyareacentralfeatureofcookinginWestandCentralAfricainsaucesandalsosometimesinmeat
dishes.
Alwayshappytotryandanswerquestions!

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Yolandasays:
15/11/2009at3:15pm

Thanksforansweringquestions!IdontknowthatIdescribeditwell,sinceIknewwhatgarden
eggs/eggplantswere.Thisonehasapitinthemiddle,isaboutaninchlong,andisveryfibery.Itisbright

orangeyredandsomehavesomebrown.
Itriedsearchingagainthistimetimewithfasterinternet(yeah!)andthinkingthingsthrough(Iamterrible
atKirundi).Tryingthesingular,ikigazi,Igotsomeresults,buttheyreallydontmeanmuchtome.
thisdictionary:http://www.webstersonlinedictionary.org/translation/Kivinza/ikigazisaysitsanoilpalm?
Ialsofoundthis:http://www.metafro.be/prelude/view_plant?pi=05270&cat=Vwhichhasapictureof
whatIamtalkingabout.Thisseemstolistitasatraditionalmedicineinsomeplaces?

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dianabujasays:
17/11/2009at4:23pm

Yolanda,nowIknowtherecipeyouretalkingabutitisIsombeyumwamba.Andyoureright,
thoseareoilpalmnuts.ThedishisactuallyCongolese,andisfoundinbothCongos.Herearethe
ingredientsasIknowthem:
Isombe(maniocleaves),wellpounded
Oilpalmnuts(crushedandthenthejuicesqueezedoutitisthejuicethatisused)
Crushed,freshpeanuts,mixedinwiththeisombe
Leeks,poundedtogetherwiththeisombe
Garlic,alsopoundedwiththeisombe
Asmallamountofoilofpalm
Itmakesaverytastyrelishtoeatwithapateofmanioc,maize,sorghumormillet.

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Yolandasays:
19/11/2009at7:31pm

Thanks!Youareright,itistasty.Definitelyoneofmyfavouritedaytodaydisheshere
whichiswhyIwascuriousaboutit.

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dianabujasays:
20/11/2009at3:03pm

Yolanda,youarewelcome.Iwillincludethisrecipeinpart2ofmyblogabout
Batwapygmypottermakinganduse,thanksforthequestions.

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HistoryofGreekFoodsays:
10/11/2009at5:46pm

Withsomanypeoplesufferingfrommalnutrition,fortifiedflourandchewinggumofferasolution.Ontheotherhand,can
theybeeffectivewithouttheeducationaboutbetterdietandlocallyprotein/vitaminavailableplants,provisionofsafe
drinkingwater,qualityhealthservicesetc.orduringthewaryears?

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dianabujasays:
11/11/2009at8:50am

MariaYouare(inmymind)quitecorrect.Thedifficultyisthegapbetweentheillnessesandthedeathsonthe
onehandandthelongertermtrainingandotherneededinputsontheother.chewinggumandfortifiedflour
offerstopgapsolutionsinthemeantime.Though,withincreasingnumbersofpersons,globally,turningtowheat
products,fortifiedflowerislessofstopgapandmoreofaneededinput.also,withfortifiedmaizeflourandother
fortifiedproductsincludingiodizedsalt,asiodinedeficiencycontinuestobeagraveprobleminsomeThird
Worldareas.

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