| Food |  |  |  |
 Sadza is the Shona language name for a cooked corn meal that is the staple food in Zimbabwe and other parts of southern and eastern Africa. Other names include isitshwala (Ndebele). This food is cooked widely in other countries of the region. It is known as nsima in the Chichewa language of Malawi, and pap in South Africa. In Kenya, it is called ugali. Sadza in appearance is a thickened porridge. The most common form of sadza is made with white maize (Mealie-Meal). This maize meal is referred to as hupfu in Shona or impuphu in Ndebele. Despite the fact that maize is actually an imported food crop to Zimbabwe (circa 1890), it has become the chief source of carbohydrate and the most popular meal for indigenous people. Locals either purchase the meal in retail outlets or produce it in a grinding mill from their own maize.
Before the introduction of maize, sadza was made from millet flour instead. Preparation is a more complicated process than it may first seem from the appearance of the food. The sadza is usually served in a communal bowl or separate plates and is taken with the right hand, rolled into balls, and dipped into meat, sauce, gravy, or stewed vegetables.
Meal Time Customs Before eating a meal, a dish of water is placed on the dining table for diners to clean their hands. Rudyi is the Shona word for right hand, which means the "one used for eating." Even if a person is left-handed, it is considered impolite to eat with the left hand. Zimbabweans typically sit in a circle on the floor and eat food from one dish or bowl. The practice of sharing is the communal way of eating, so diners have to pace themselves accordingly while eating with others. Older children, learn to pace themselves at the same rate as their younger siblings so that they will not eat too much or too fast and everyone will have a fair share. Guests, however, are served instead of helping themselves. It is considered polite to leave a small amount of food on your plate to show that you have been more than sufficiently provided for. In general, wooden plates and spoons are used along with Western utensils. In some rural areas, Zimbabweans eat with their fingers. When eating sadza , Zimbabweans clean their hands, then using their right hand, pinch off a chunk from the bowl and roll it into a ball in their palm. They dip the ball into relish and bite off a piece, then roll it again and continue the process. Three meals are typically eaten a day. Breakfast is simple and may consist of sadza , porridge made from cornmeal or oatmeal, cereal or bread, and tea. Sometimes leftovers from the dinner before are eaten. Lunch and dinner are simple as well. Sadza with relish is common, served with vegetables and meat, if available. Sour milk and sugar sometimes replace meat or vegetables with sadza . Rock shandy, a refreshing beverage, is a mix of lemonade, soda water, and bitters (made from herbs and other plant extracts and used to flavor drinks). Foreign food such as macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes are now part of Zimbabwean staples. Certain taboos are associated with Zimbabwean food. For instance, the Ndebele people discourage eating corn out of season. Many ethnic groups do not eat an animal, plant, or other forms of food that bears their family name. For example, if a family name is Nkomo (cattle: cow or oxen), they should not eat beef. Â |