By: Anelie Petrus
Nine years ago, I decided to leave home to explore a world of cultural diversity. I lived in Abu Dhabi for a year and another three years in Dubai.
I remember being so homesick, the feeling of sadness or anxiety that occurs when you are far away from home and loved ones.
My first three months were the hardest because I missed homemade food. Thanks to my director Mr. Dermott Degnan, we would do bake-offs and international cooking competitions in the commercial department where I worked.
I was always so proud to share my Namibian food with my friends overseas. Whenever I received my parcel from Namibia filled with goodies from home, it made me so happy.
I often requested the same goodies: Mahangu, kapana spice, biltong, canned fish, spinach and mopane worms. I always made sure that I included braids because taking care of natural hair away from home was quite costly.
Honestly, I wish I knew how to even braid my own hair. Not only was it costly but traveling an hour just to get to a salon was unnecessary. The fact that I was fortunate enough to freelance for a magazine gave me the privilege to attend different events and try out new cuisines.
While this was fun and exciting, I still had a strong longing for my familiar taste and comfort of homemade dishes. I grew up in Swakopmund and during holidays, we would go and visit my great-aunt in the north.
Those moments are priceless. The best moments are the storytelling sessions under the trees and by the fireplace.
The Owambo are predominantly crop and stock farmers. Our main crop is Mahangu – a type of millet. Within our Oshipale, you will find ‘Okaanda’ where we store our Mahangu.
In Oshiwambo, we call the main food Oshithima (Porridge). I love eating it with Omboga (green spinach), but my children prefer to eat it with Oshikandela. The best part is that it is so easy to cook and it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare it.
One of my favourite childhood memories of my time in the village is how we loved it when our aunties cooked porridge for us in a big pot and the burned part (omakoko) which remains in the pot was to be given to us children.
It is yummy and crispy just like potato chips. I also learned that most African countries have similar food. We just call it different names or cook it differently.
I am so proud of African culture. I do my best to represent it wherever I go. I am so happy to have represented Namibia at the Africa Festival in the United Arab Emirates as a volunteer. I love being an African storyteller and this is how I earned my nickname the ‘Beehive girl’ because I believe in collectively winning together.
Did you know that Omahangu is gluten-free? Mahangu can also be used to bake. Some people make yummy recipes with it. I recently learned how to make pancakes with it. My all-time favourite is our traditional cake called Oshikwiila.
Mahangu is healthy and can be used for so many recipes including cookies. As a mom, it honestly helps me to raise my children. They love their okatete (soft porridge).
I urge Namibian content creators to create more awareness on our culture including traditional food. Let us spread the love for our proudly Namibian products. Let us push so hard that we will find Mahangu on the shelves no matter which country we find ourselves in.
Being abroad can be a lonely journey for most and in most cases being able to eat the same food from home makes the journey so much easier.
Being an expat can be exciting as it provides new opportunities and allows us to learn about different cultures. While this is exciting it would be so much better when we can feel a bit of home no matter where we find ourselves in the world.
Anelie Petrus is the founder of the Beehive Foundation, which has a key focus on social entrepreneurship. The Beehive promotes collaborative opportunities for NGOs, SMEs and creatives. The views expressed herein are her own.
