In Bibi's Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean
SynopsisPlot
In this incredible volume, Somali chef Hawa Hassan and food writer Julia Turshen present 75 recipes and stories gathered from bibis (or grandmothers) from eight African nations: South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea. Most notably, these eight countries are at the backbone of the spice trade, many of them exporters of things like pepper and vanilla. We meet women such as Ma Shara, who helps tourists “see the real Zanzibar” by teaching them how to make her famous Ajemi Bread with Carrots and Green Pepper; Ma Vicky, who now lives in suburban New York and makes Matoke (Stewed Plantains with Beans and Beef) to bring the flavor of Tanzania to her American home; and Ma Gehennet from Eritrea who shares her recipes for Kicha (Eritrean Flatbread) and Shiro (Ground Chickpea Stew).
Story
About this book
In Bibi's Kitchen gathers 75 recipes and personal accounts from grandmothers in eight African countries that border the Indian Ocean: South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, and Eritrea. Somali chef Hawa Hassan and food writer Julia Turshen assembled the collection. Bibi is a Swahili word for grandmother, and these women stand at the center of every chapter.
Each dish arrives with the circumstances that shaped it. Ma Shara teaches visitors in Zanzibar how to make her ajemi bread with carrots and green pepper. Ma Vicky, who left Tanzania and now lives in suburban New York, cooks matoke, a stew of plantains, beans, and beef. Ma Gehennet of Eritrea contributes kicha, a flatbread, and shiro, a stew of ground chickpeas.
The coastline these countries share carried the spice trade for centuries, and several of them still export goods such as pepper and vanilla. That commercial history sits beside quieter subjects: families separated by war, the practical work of beginning again in another country, and the way a familiar meal keeps a household connected to the place it came from.
