Cooking For Monrovia

Many people are saddled with the mind warped idea that nations coming out of war have nothing to offer the world. Some also continue to say that, citizens of such nations would be psychologically traumatized for centuries to come. Though these are true there are some exceptions to the rule.

Liberia is a country coming out of a long and hard fought civil war for over fourteen (14) years running. Many lives including the elite have been snuffed in the course of the civil war leaving the country with a little close to four million populations. Tourist sites, the hydro-dam, buildings, electric poles, cables, and cars were all destroyed. The intervention of the international community saw many Liberians relocating to Ghana as refugees in the Bujumbura camp. Apart from those of them who went to Ghana, the rest who stayed in the course of the war had to make do with some food like eating raw cassava with coconut, cooked cassava with palm oil, rice and consume much pepper.

Potato Green Soup with Rice

Fast forward into 2013, it’s been close to a decade since the Accra Peace Accord that ushered in peace and reconciliation in the country was signed and Liberians have enjoyed peace under the presidency of Her Excellency Madam Sirleaf Johnson. With exceptions to those who have had international exposure in countries like Ghana, Nigeria, America, China and Britain, majority of Liberians still eat raw cassava with coconut, cooked cassava with palm oil and take in much pepper. An average Liberian does not consider himself satisfied at the end of the day if he/she has not taken in rice (their favorite food).

Another thing too is that, meat such as cow meat is not expensive here. As a result, some of the youths in the country prepare “soup” filled with meat and carry them out for sale on a daily basis. One is likely to spot Government functionaries stopping their vehicle by such cow meat sellers and lower their tooth pick inside the meat bowl just to pick their victim. On average a meat prepared by those youths costs less than $0.20 (20 cents).

Palm butter Soup

Here too food such as rice coming from countries like America, China and India etc. is subsidized for the citizens. Oral tradition has it that, Liberians fought one of their presidents and “booted” him out of office for withholding bags of rice belonging to the citizens. Chicken meat is less expensive here enabling the average Liberian to get access to protein in a day. If protein gives wealth then all Liberians would be millionaires since chicken is abundantly accessible for cheap here.

The first time I got to Monrovia I was elated to taste their rice and palm butter “soup” (People here do not differentiate between soup and stew). To them, everything is soup (be it light or thick) and pepper is eaten on a casual note. “Liberians eat pepper”, said my apartments landlady. “We don’t take much tomato like Ghanaians and Nigerians”; “we always want something hot in our mouth”. 

As someone who is not a fan of pepper I had to “fan my mouth” every time I take in both rice and palm butter soup or rice and bitter leaf soup as a result of the pepper. So yes pepper is the substitute for tomatoes here in Liberia. The next time you visit Monrovia, be careful of what you bargain for in terms of food else you would end up “fanning your mouth” and requesting for much water as a result of the pepper.