Ugali is rather bland and tastes like eating raw dough; it is a staple food like rice or bread. I like the soft doughy feel of it in my hands.
I love eating all kinds of tropical fruit here; I have never had such good-tasting fruit anywhere else. The bananas and pineapples all taste sweeter and more tart than the ones I have had back home in Michigan. There are also new fruits I have tried like tree tomatoes, which tastes like a watery, sour tomato. Trying new, strange fruits is always exciting. Also, and here maybe elementary school students cannot relate, but the coffee in Rwanda is incredible!
Ugali is a simple dish. It is made from drying cassava melons and grinding them into a powder. You boil the powder in water until it is thick and pasty.
There is farmland everywhere, so I can see where my food directly comes from. The soil in the area is black from volcanic activity, making it rich for farming. It explains the variety of foods that can be found in Rwanda, and it could also explain why the fruits and vegetables taste so much more fresh.
Sharing a meal has always been one of the best ways to make new friends!
