We are half way through the month of fasting. Here in Barat it feels quite different than in the big city. Many of the people, particularly the kids, will ask us if we are fasting. It seems to be a pretty common question among themselves as well. All restaurants are closed until the evening and people seem to do a lot more staying inside than usual. All in all the town is pretty quite, opposed to the big city which remains pretty busy even during this month. Each afternoon local women set up tables on the main road near our house to sell home made goods usually eaten to break the fast. I, Erin, had the opportunity to learn the process of two of these treats with a friend. We made a local sweet treat called 'green bananas' (literally translated) and a fried snack that looks a lot like a turnover but is filled with potatoes, carrots, and small noodles.
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| The kitchen in my friend's house. She does have a two burner gas stove off to the right. She used the wood burning one against the wall to steam the dough for the 'green bananas.' The dough consisted of flour, water flavored with palm leaves chopped in a blender, salt, and a little margarine. It was thinner than pancake batter, but turned into play dough consistency after steamed for 15 minutes. |
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| Various ingredients. |
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| The steamed green dough is flattened and filled with a slice of banana. |
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The dough is wrapped around the banana and shaped. Later it is eaten with thickened coconut milk flavored with more palm leaves.
I had a great time learning about the process and spending time with a friend! A few days afterward we had a group of elementary teachers over to break the fast and we served her treats! |
