Funje - A Traditional Angolan Breakfast Item
Here is a brief introduction to Angola for those of you who are foreign to Africa like me. Angola is a country sitting just above Namibia on the west coast of southern Africa. The oil deposit and wealth of natural resources including diamonds, iron ore and other minerals and metals has brought Angola the fastest climbing economy in the world for some years. However, the gap between the wealthy and the poor is very significant in this developing nation. More than half of Angolans are living below the poverty line and practise subsistence farming for livelihood, and about two-fifths of Angolans live in rural villages and follow ancient living pattern due to the lack of running water or electricity in most rural communities.
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Africa has always been a mysterious place for me. It is a place of spirited dances, incredible athletes, wild life, and...tropical fruit...yeah, that's really all I could think of. I felt very ashamed of my limited knowledge on African food culture, so I decided to do some research on this continent. So I searched online, and found all sorts of interesting names of food, and the one that grabbed my attention is funje from Angola.
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In terms of food, funje is one of the most consumed foods in Angola and is an essential accompaniment to meal eaten at breakfast as well as lunch and dinner in many rural families. It is made of cassava, which is a vegetable with hard and starchy white flesh. Cassava is made into a flour called gari to be stored and used for cooking. It is the most important source of energy and dietary carbohydrates besides cornmeal, especially for the poorer households. On the other hand, most vegetables and beans in Angola are imported and very expensive to purchase especially for the poor living in rural areas. Meat of chicken and goats is usually only served on special occasions due to the small-holding kept. Though an important food item, cassava is not as nutritious as other staples such as rice, cornmeal, or wheat. It is interesting to have funje from time to time, but it would not be the best idea to have it every day. |
Recipe
The ingredients you need for making funje is extremely simple. You need:
50g Cassava Flour***
150mL water
*** If you cannot find an African store near you that sells cassava flour, try going to a Chinese store and ask for tapioca starch. They are exactly the same.
50g Cassava Flour***
150mL water
*** If you cannot find an African store near you that sells cassava flour, try going to a Chinese store and ask for tapioca starch. They are exactly the same.
Directions
Keep beating until the mixture becomes smooth, yellowish and a little transparent.
Place the mixture into the preheated oven for 20 minutes until the mixture has thickened to a dough-like consistency. Now you have funje. It tastes bland on its own, so try serving it with some stews of greens, fish, meat, or maybe some delicious tropical fruits! |
Many rural families in Angola do not have modern kitchenware, and wives of the households make funje using very hand intensive labour. Want to see how they do it? Check out this video!
Sources Consulted
"Angola." Our Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://www.our-africa.org/angola/food-daily-life>.
"Cassava Mostly Underutilised." Afrol.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://www.afrol.com/archive/cassava.htm>.
"Funje - Cassava Flour Porridge - Angola." Angola Market. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://www.angolamarket.com/index.php?page=view/article/55/Funje---Cassava-Flour-Porridge---Angola%20recipe%20for%20funje>.
Raffle, Jennifer. "The Rhubarb Fool." The Rhubarb Fool. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://rhubarbfool.co.uk/2010/01/30/angolan-breakfast-of-champions/>.
Stead, Mike, and Sean Rorison. "Eating and Drinking." Angola. Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides, 2009. 80-83. Google Books. Google, 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://books.google.ca/books?id=kSSojQ8FOCMC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=Angola+breakfast+Funje&source=bl&ots=AdB3PK4EQs&sig=5RK35BTnmf7Cpe0_6mgj3zWJJkM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zQ7nUJnHErKF0QG2xYCQAQ&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=funje&f=false>.
"Cassava Mostly Underutilised." Afrol.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://www.afrol.com/archive/cassava.htm>.
"Funje - Cassava Flour Porridge - Angola." Angola Market. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://www.angolamarket.com/index.php?page=view/article/55/Funje---Cassava-Flour-Porridge---Angola%20recipe%20for%20funje>.
Raffle, Jennifer. "The Rhubarb Fool." The Rhubarb Fool. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://rhubarbfool.co.uk/2010/01/30/angolan-breakfast-of-champions/>.
Stead, Mike, and Sean Rorison. "Eating and Drinking." Angola. Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides, 2009. 80-83. Google Books. Google, 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2013. <http://books.google.ca/books?id=kSSojQ8FOCMC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=Angola+breakfast+Funje&source=bl&ots=AdB3PK4EQs&sig=5RK35BTnmf7Cpe0_6mgj3zWJJkM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=zQ7nUJnHErKF0QG2xYCQAQ&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=funje&f=false>.