A trip to Lilongwe's famous open food market.

Malawi is an agricultural society. This means that in villages and cities alike fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs are plentiful. Processed foods (from cereal to cheese) are in more limited supply and are often more costly than what you would find in the US. For many volunteers it is very refreshing and enjoyable to have such ready access to fresh foods. Most volunteers keep a garden and find themselves eating food plucked right from their own backyard. Because everything is grown here in Malawi, the availability of items depends on the growing season. Tomatoes, onions, bananas and a few varieties of greens are available year round. Other fruits and vegetables include: pineapples, guavas, mangoes, papayas, tangerines, lemons, cucumbers, eggplants, carrots, green peppers, cabbage, to name a few are available on both a seasonal and regional basis. Malawi also grows peanuts and a variety of legumes (beans) as well. Malawi also imports produce from South Africa and Zimbabwe. This makes things not widely grown in Malawi like grapes, strawberries, garlic, broccoli and cauliflower, etc. available, though a bit costly.

Many volunteers in Malawi are vegetarians and are able to maintain a very healthy diet. In fact, it’s not uncommon for meat eaters to adopt a vegetarian diet inspired by the stark realism of the meat markets (picture bloody carcasses adorning open market tables). Most Malawians are not vegetarians and some volunteers find it challenging to explain the concept and tactfully turndown meat dishes which are often prepared for guests.

For meat eaters, there are more chickens than you can imagine roaming Malawi. Some volunteers even raise their own for meat and or eggs. You can also find goat, beef and fish (fresh from Lake Malawi if you’re close enough!).

If you have been uninspired by any of the information above, hang in there. In the major cities (Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu) one can find a number of restaurants serving Chinese, Italian and Indian food. Most volunteers, let me rephrase that, ALL volunteers find themselves thinking about food more often than ever before. Peace Corps will provide you with a great cookbook with tons of recipes to test your culinary skills.

Below are some examples of the recipes found in Peace Corp Malawi’s own “Where There is No Cook” cookbook.

		Flour Tortillas
		2 cups flour 1 tsp. Salt 1/4 cup oil 3/4 cup water
		In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour in oil and water and mix well. The dough should not be too sticky or too stiff. Add more flour or water to reach the desired consistency. Take about 2 Tbs. of dough and form into a ball. Roll* into tortillas on a lightly floured surface. Fry in a hot, dry skillet until both sides have brown spots. If you think you might make a lot of tortillas you might want to bring your own rolling pin.
		Refried Beans
		1 cup dry beans, washed and presoaked 4 Tbs. oil 1 large onion, chopped 5 large cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp. Mexican spices (cumin, chili powder or coriander)* 1 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. hot sauce
		Cook beans until tender, drain and mash. Sauté the onions and garlic in oil until tender. Add spices and mix well. Add spice mixture to mashed beans and mix together. Served topped with cheese or in your favorite Mexican dish. *To short cut the Mexican spices you might consider bringing packets of taco seasoning and hot sauce.
		Pancakes
		1 112 cups flour 1 Tbs- baking powder 1 Tbs. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 2 Tbs. melted butter or oil 1 cup milk 1 beaten egg 1 tsp. vanilla
		Combine dry ingredients. Mix butter, milk, egg, and vanilla in a bowl; add to dry mixture and stir until moistened. Pour spoonfuls into a hot, lightly greased skillet. When surface is bubbly and edges are slightly dry, flip and cook till other side is golden brown. *Note that maple syrup is virtually unavailable, so if you are a die hard maple syrup person you may want to bring your favorite variety.