Harvest Time {Malawi Mondays}

It's harvest time here in Malawi!  

Harvest time is all about the maize, {aka corn}.

The maize seeds were planted months ago, prayers were lifted for watering, and God sent the rains.

Then, came the time where I began to get squirm-ish and I began to silently question, "for the love of all things sweet and juicy" when are you going to pick the corn already?

But, maize here is not grown for that burst of sweet juiciness; it is grown for food that will hopefully feed the family for the next 12 months.

First, you wait until the corn stalks are dry.... like bent over to the ground dry.

Then, the ears are pulled from the stalks and dried some more in the sun.

 

Harvesting is such a community effort, neighbor helping neighbor. 

 

Next, the dried kernels of corn are pulled off the cobs, where another drying process in the sun takes place, and the kernels are treated to keep out critters. 

 

The maize is then stored in 50kg (110lb) bags at the home.

When a bag is used up, a new bag is carried (usually by women on their heads) to the mill  to be ground into a fine powder.

The powder is laid out on woven mats to dry for a third time.

 

 

The flour is then used to make Nsima (see-muh).

Nsima is a daily staple that Malawians eat (and other Africans- my girls called it Fufu).

 

 

Let's just pause here a sec. and talk about the process of making Nsima.

Above is one of our house moms, Maggie, whooping up some Nsima over an open fire.

 Notice Maggie balancing the hot pot with her flip flop clad foot. She was adjusting wood, balancing the pot AND working that porridge- like substance, with a force!

I really think nsima-making should be a CrossFit WOD.

Reason # 564 Malawian women are ripped!

 

I will admit that my first week here, I tried to help our cooks make nsima in the big pot that we use when we are cooking enough for all of our widows and orphans on Saturdays.

I may or may not have been able to even stir the semi-liquid nsima.

 

Our cooks were killing it with ease and I will just forget to mention both ladies are grandmas.

 

 

Nsima with fish and relish (vegetables).

It is a very thick substance, kinda like mashed potatoes.

You eat it with your hands by rolling it into balls and scooping up the relish.

 

This is the finished product of the Harvest!