By Lucinda Frye
Diverse and indigenous cuisine brought by the many ethnic people to St. Maarten from all over the world piques our interest. To this end, we are on a quest to find where it comes from, if it is used for celebrations, if it is exotic to some but normal food to others. Anything to do with keeping the body and soul nourished with what is produced from good old terra firma is what makes the world go around.
Mali – the land where “superman” came from.
A man – without a second thought – climbed up the outside of a building to save a dangling child. Goodness! He was not wearing a cloak and mask; he apparently does not suffer from vertigo and he put the safety of another before himself! Hailed as a hero, he was called “superman”. One wonders where he came from.
Turns out, he is originally from Mali, a landlocked country in Northern Africa. Not knowing much about this country; it has been fun to do some research. The cuisine of the country is similar to many throughout Africa, but there are some special dishes too.
While Mali today isn’t one of the leading African economies, it was once one of the largest, richest and most powerful empires in Africa. During the height of the Mali Empire, it had one of the largest in the world at the time. Mali was the biggest and strongest country over generations of any other African country and Mali was also ruled by the wealthiest ruler throughout the world, Mansa Musa!
Mali is bordered on the north by Algeria, on the east by Niger and Burkina Faso, on the south by Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea, and on the west by Senegal and Mauritania. Mali is home to Timbuktu – Timbuktu is not a made-up city from a fairy tale, it’s a real place that grew tremendously during the Mali Empire. There are some of the most unique architecture to be found anywhere in the world in Mali.
Rock paintings and inscriptions as well as Paleolithic and Neolithic remains have been found throughout the country. The Neolithic human skeletal remains have been dated to 5000 BC. Gold was the draw card with rich deposits being found there and so trading centres and trade routes wound their way across the land. The first known trading centre is recorded as being near the inland delta of the Niger River from 250 BC through until the 11th century when it declined until once again becoming a trading centre in the 13th century.
Back in those days, there was a lot of trading taking place with gold, ivory, gum Arabic and slaves, who were trekked across the Sahara in camel caravans over the course of a thousand years. This trade was controlled by the Soninke kingdom of Ghana (4th–11th century). Back and forth went the control of the region until eventually the Mandinka empire of Mali (13th–15th century) was founded around the upper Niger. The trade routes took a different path and the trading posts got the names of Djenné and Timbuktu. Again, control of the region changed hands, but the towns started to flourish as centres of both trade and Islamic scholarship.
In 1591, a Moroccan army of 4,000 men armed with muskets succeeded in crossing the Sahara and easily defeated the Songhai, who were in control at that time (they had no guns)! Back to battles and warfare for the region and eventually new trade routes in gold and slaves were established. These trade routes were direct in another direction – more towards where Europeans were beginning to establish trading posts.
The Moroccans exiled or executed the Timbuktu scholars (because they represented a political threat). In 1737, the Moroccans were defeated by the Tuareg and the Bambara established a powerful kingdom at Ségou beginning in the early 17th century.
Warfare and mayhem existed through the centuries and still continue:
By the 19th century, French colonial expansion from Senegal in the west and Islamic jihads led to the establishment of theocratic states. By1864, the then Muslim leader was killed, and his vast domains were divided among his sons and commanders. The French, who established a fort at Médine in western Mali in 1855, viewed this empire as the principal obstacle to their acquisition of the Niger River valley. The French (who were concerned that the British were intent on colonizing this region) engaged in a series of diplomatic overtures and military operations and eventually between 1880 and 1881 succeeded in expanding their control from Médine to Kita. The expansion did not stop there, more warfare continued until the southern Sahara was finally brought under French control by 1899.
This region was then known as French West Africa. What is present-day Mali became a part of French West Africa, although the territory was called French Sudan. Then the world entered into the 1st and 2nd World Wars. The French recruited and drafted in French Sudan as Bambara (the name of the original people of the region) were known to be reliable and brave. (And our “superman” surely came from this tribe!)
The Empire of Mali spread along the Niger River across 1,200 miles. The land spread from the Northern border, just south of the Sahara Desert, to the Atlantic Ocean. The Empire covered regions of modern day countries of Mali, Niger, Senegal, Mauritania, Guinea, and The Gambia. The Empire of Mali was huge – established around 1235 -1600 AD. Over time, the Mali Empire became stronger and took over surrounding kingdoms including the Empire of Ghana. The religion of Islam played an important part in the government and many of the government administrators were Muslim scribes.
People are divided into castes with the most respected castes being the farmers. Farmers are highly regarded because they provided food. Just below the farmers were the artisans then came the fishermen, scribes, civil servants, soldiers, and slaves.
Mali is one of the largest countries in Africa but has a relatively small population. The Bambara (Bamana) ethnic group and language predominate (several other groups include the Fulani “Fulbe”, Dogon, and Tuareg tribes). Agriculture is most important – cotton production, cattle, camel herding, and fishing are among the major activities.
Cuisine in Mali is similar to other countries in the region. Millet, rice, yams, plantains, beans, and cassava (manioc) being staples. Fish, dried or fresh are enjoyed and fruit from the baobab tree is used as porridge when drought conditions exist, the leaves are also eaten. A variety of sauces/stews are served with the grains/porridge. These sauces can be made with peanuts, okra, baobab leaves or sweet potato leaves. Meats that could be added to the sauces are beef, goat, lamb, chicken, and fresh or smoked fish. Vegetables that are added to these dishes are onions, tomatoes, eggplant, plantains and yams. Mangoes, bananas, lemons and watermelon finish off meals with a sweet touch.
All meals in Mali are prepared by women; food is eaten with the right hand. Meals are often finished with strong, sweet tea. Tea service in Mali, as in many countries, is a highly ritualized affair. Three rounds are served: the first for life, the second for love, the third for death.
Recipes
My plantain trees are bearing a lot of fruit right now (as long as the monkeys do not get to them, this is one dish I am making quite often).
Made with yams or cassava in northern Africa - called: fufu, fofo, foufou, foutou, ugali (in South Africa, it is made with corn and called “mielie pap.”) Made with plantains or cornmeal in the Caribbean – called: foo-foo, foofoo and coocoo (in Barbados.)
Plantain Mash
Ingredients
2LB white yams /plantains
2 TBL butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Place unpeeled plantains in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil
Boil 15 to 30 minutes
Drain, cool, peel
Alternatively peel, then boil
Chop into large pieces and mash with butter, salt and pepper until smooth
(In Africa, the mash is placed on a plate and formed into a ball with wet hands)
Serve
Timbuktu Stew – You can use beef, goat or lamb in this recipe. This can be cooked in a slow cooker.
Ingredients
4LB stewing meat, cut in 2-inch chunks
3 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 onions diced
1stick cinnamon
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 TBL ground cumin
6-8 cardamom pods, split
2 TBL ground ginger (I prefer grated fresh ginger)
½ TBL ground black pepper
1 TBL cayenne pepper (I prefer fresh chili)
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 x 28oz can whole tomatoes
2 cups water
½-1 cup dates, pitted and pureed in a food processor
2 TBL chopped fresh parsley and coriander for garnish
Method
Season meat with salt and pepper.
Heat oil and sear meat till golden.
Add garlic, cumin, fennel seeds, cardamom, ginger, black pepper, stir-fry for a few minutes.
Place meat and spices in a large pot (I prefer a cast iron pot over the open fire).
Add tomatoes and enough water to cover, bring to a boil.
Lower heat, simmer, covered, for about 1 hour.
Add onions, cinnamon and dates, simmer, uncovered, until beef is tender, and sauce reduced and thickened, about 40 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, sprinkle with garnish leaves.
Serve with couscous.
