Most Congolese meals consist of a starch and vegetables and sometimes meat, kind of like our stew. The starch is kassava or corn flour and the meat is usually goat, chicken, insects or fish (if it is caught in the river, there are no fisheries). The people are not vegetarians, but since meat is so expensive most meals are only the starch and some vegetable. The vegetables are usually cassava leaves, okra or mushroom. Rice, yams, tomatoes, pineapple plantains and peanuts are also widely eaten. Our Baby probably eats a lot of bread as well.
Unlike Americans, most Congolese eat only once a day. It is usually the evening meal. Stew is common because it only uses one pot and saves on fuel. Women prepare most the food, and they usually cook outdoors. When food is served, it is placed on the floor or a table and the family gathers around it. They eat with their hands, taking some of the starch and dipping it on the stew.
Wealthier Congolese do eat a few times a day, and there are some Western delicacies, such as coffee and spaghetti to be found in the capital. I can't wait to go there, get Baby and enjoy some of the Congolese foods myself.
