After arriving in Lilongwe, I was provided temporary housing for the first two weeks while in search of a permanent residence. I was staying at a very nice modern-style hotel called Sunbird Capital located in the heart of the city center, only a 10 minute walk from my office. The location was absolutely ideal for work, but while it seemed like the city center would be where all the action and hustle and bustle was happening, it turns out that it was rather quiet and underwhelming. As I usually prefer to do when coming to a new city for the first time, I attempted to venture off into the city by foot in search of some local food to try for dinner. It was about a half past 6 and starting to approach sunset. I asked the concierge at the hotel where to go for some food and they mentioned to walk a few blocks southwest and I should find several places to eat some local nsima, chambo, and salad.
First night dinner from Sunbird Capital restaurant: chambo and nsima and boiled greens
While doing my research before coming to Malawi, I had read several places that the typical food eaten in most of the country is nsima and chambo. Nsima is a thick porridge made of maize flour and water. It is a staple starch in eastern Africa similar to Ugali (essentially the same thing eaten across several African countries) and Fufu (Western African starch made of cassava, yams, or plantains). It isn’t uncommon to find people eating nsima with all three meals of the day. Nsima by itself is quite flavorless and dry, but it is meant to be eaten with side dishes consisting of vegetables and some sort of protein, such as chambo (a tilapia fish native to Lake Malawi). Just don’t get chambo confused with chamba, the Chichewa (commonly spoken Bantu language spoken across Malawi) word for marijuana. Ideally, because nsima is dry, it is best served with a gravy or curry to dip in.
Local lunch from office restaurant: Rice with Beef Liver curry and Okra and Boiled Rape Leaves
In poorer regions of the country, meat can be very expensive and hard to come by, so the side dishes usually are comprised of only vegetables (typically cassava leaves, sweet potato leaves, bean leaves, pumpkin, cabbage, mustard leaves, kale leaves, or rape leaves). Yes, you heard that right. Rape greens are very similar to collard greens, however they can taste quite earthy and bitter. For dessert, Malawians may enjoy a local plain doughnut called mandasi and then sip on some tea, which is considered some of the best in the world. While the variety of food options can be limited at times, Malawians know what they like and do it well.
Mandasi: Malawian light and fluffy fried doughnut
Unfortunately, after walking in the direction the concierge had pointed me to for nearly 30 minutes, I was unable to find a single restaurant to eat at. It seemed like after 7 PM, most of the major places had closed for the day (at least in the city center). I then returned to the hotel and had dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was actually quite good. I did in fact have the nsima and chambo I was looking for, and while it was tasty, the fish was very bony and fried, so it didn’t quite pair well with the dry starch. Nonetheless, I was certainly satisfied with the hearty meal. Malawian cuisine tends to be made with basic ingredients and very few spices. Eating is traditionally done without utensils, particularly when eating nsima or fish and preferably with the right hand (similar to India) because the left hand is considered dirty and to be used only for wiping when in the bathroom. But times are changing and people are more accepting, so don't worry too much if you're one of the few unfortunate left handers.
While Malawi relies on mostly foreign aid to keep its economy intact, tobacco is considered “green gold” as it provides over 60% of export earnings. However, this is slowly shifting as the global demand for tobacco decreases. Nearly 80% of the workforce comes from within the agriculture sector and Malawi ranks among one of the poorest countries in the world (144th ranked economy globally). The underdevelopment results from its landlocked geographical position, poor natural resource base, reliance on rain-fed agriculture (when there is a drought, income is scarce because food production is scarce), low levels of social capital and technical expertise and opportunity, as well as susceptibility to natural disasters and corrupt political leadership. Unfortunately, even as significant strides for sustainable practices and improved educational opportunities have been made, the best and brightest minds have little incentive to return back to Malawi after their studies when they can have a much better standard of living elsewhere. Poverty in Malawi has been at critical levels for decades.
Tobacco plant
Of the roughly 20 million Malawians, about 12 million are living below the international poverty line ($1.25 a day) and approximately 14.3 million are living on less than $2.00 a day according to the Rural Poverty Portal. Behind tobacco, tea is a major crop that is exported. In an ever changing world, Malawi has begun to refocus its attention to marijuana (chamba in Chichewa). In fact, Malawian cannabis, particularly the strain known as Malawi Gold, is internationally renowned as one of the finest sativa strains from Africa. In February 2020, Malawi's parliament legalized the cultivation and processing of cannabis for industrial and medicinal uses, but did not decriminalize recreational use in the country. Just recently back in November 2021, you may have heard that Mike Tyson (former US boxer) was asked by the Malawian government to serve as their global ambassador for cannabis to market their industry to the world. Whether this drastically improves their marketability in the global sector is to be determined.
Mike Tyson: Malawi Global Ambassador for Cannabis Industry
Malawi does also have a sizeable Indian and Chinese population, so Indian foods like Chapatti can be commonly found at street food stalls and spices and specific sauces and ingredients can be found in many supermarkets, although at a premium cost. While you might naturally think the prices of goods and food items would be low cost given the average income of locals here, with the vast majority of goods being imported from South Africa and other countries as well as rising inflation, the cost of common grocery items like liquid milk, grapes, ketchup, and meat can be more than what you might typically pay in the states. Keep in mind, the current exchange rate is $1 USD = 815 Malawian Kwacha. It is also expected in the coming months that the US dollar will be worth significantly more here. Therefore, most people tend to ration their food and make do with what limited supply they have or buy most of their produce from street markets, where you can typically bargain for much lower prices. Hence, another reason why typical Malawian cuisine consists of limited variety and a lack of complex ingredients. It can be frustrating at times not being able to find all the groceries you want for a specific recipe and having to compromise on ingredients or use alternative options based on what’s in stock. Oftentimes, you may have to go to several stores just to get everything you need for a week or two worth of groceries. Additionally, don’t expect to be able to find items in bulk for the most part, as supplies can be both limited and small in size. I found it hilarious when I first walked into the grocery store near my office. The store was large in size, but had maybe 30 unique items in the whole store. Many of the shelves were empty and you’d find the exact same items lined up in multiple sections of the store. For example, there was a whole row of shelves dedicated to just small bottles of ground ginger and no other spices whatsoever, while there were three rows of shelves (one in the front, middle and back of the store) dedicated to simply single rolls of toilet paper.
Just a couple months ago, the country was devastated by a cyclone that disrupted the country’s electrical power supply to the south. This led to a trickled effect that ended up causing disruption to the majority of the country’s power grid. As a result, there are daily power outages for 6 hour blocks that are expected to occur for at least the next 3-4 months. Therefore, similar to when Texas had issues with their power supply from the major winter storm in 2020 and had to load shed, Lilongwe does the same and releases a weekly schedule of when the power outages will roughly happen and for which areas of town. Fortunately, I have a generator at my flat, but many places don’t and combined with poor internet connectivity, you can only imagine how frustrating things can be at times. As a result, you have to plan wisely about the food you buy and consider refrigeration issues as certain food items can spoil quickly. For most, however, refrigeration is seen as a privilege, hence why meat is not prepared often in rural areas, especially. When it is, it is typically laid out to dry in the form of a cured jerky of sorts (biltong) or prepared in bulk for a whole village or community to consume together.
Biltong: dried cured meat common in parts of Africa
What I’ve learned is that while the struggles are certainly real, it is important to stay grounded and make the most of what you do have, rather than always complain about what you don’t have. When you think you have it bad, there are always others who have it worse. Access to simple things like good quality internet, electricity, refrigeration, and a wide variety of food options aren’t very easy to come by for many people in Malawi. With all the issues that exacerbate the current infrastructure in Malawi, it’s important that investments in the people are at the forefront of solutions in order to provide meaningful purpose and something to fight for in hopes of turning things around for the better. "One of the best ways countries can combat poverty is to use development assistance to promote a growing private sector, in which the poor can fully participate" -John Danilovich (Former CEO of Millennium Challenge Corporation). When it's all said and done, self sustenance, prosperity, and long-term sustainability need to be the ultimate goal.
South African Braai with Peri Peri Grilled Chicken and Peppers and local Eggplant
Homemade lunch at supervisor's home: Beef biltong, fried chambo, poached chicken, roasted potatoes, curried veggies, and red kidney beans