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Through the lens

A kabaza taxi. Photo credit: Malawi News Agency

When some people think of eating frogs, they picture foreign cuisines in places such as China. Joseph Mhango is ready to prove them wrong. Mhango, from Group Village Head Mbande, under Traditional Authority Maseya in Chikwawa, recently, at some exhibition in Chikwawa, displayed large frogs, locally known as matesi, as food his community enjoys so much. “It is a good delicacy,” he says. Interestingly, Mhango is originally from Rumphi in Malawi’s Northern Region, where eating frogs is not a familiar practice. So how did he start eating them? “You will recall that adage: ‘If you are in Rome, do what Romans do.’ So, much as I grew up in an area where we were not eating these things, when I tasted them, I found this food is good. Too delicious,” he says. His experience points to a larger theme: our food habits are shaped early by family, community, religion and culture. Many behaviours become so ingrained they feel like second nature — we learn what to eat and what to avoid long before we question it. For many Malawians, frogs are creatures to be avoided rather than eaten; their appearance alone can make the idea unappetizing. Yet food traditions are not universal. Frogs feature in some Chinese cuisines; in parts of Zambia, especially Luapula and Northern provinces, they are also prepared as a delicacy by frying or boiling. In the Lower Shire, some communities already eat matesi. The growing appetite for alternative foods raises questions about safety and sustainability. So, is matesi safe? Village Headman Robert distinguishes matesi from ordinary frogs, describing them as larger and harmless. He says some ordinary frogs produce a sticky, milky substance that people regard as poisonous. "We know that every matesi is safe to eat. Making correct identification and proper preparation is equally important" advises Robert. Taurayi Miewah, Programmes Manager for Shire Valley Agriculture Development Division, believes such innovation is important, particularly as climate change alters environments and traditional food sources. “Such innovation is good, especially where climate change is bringing different environments,” he says. In an interview he added that communities must adapt when foods that were readily available in the past become scarcer. Miewah argues unfamiliarity should not automatically make a food unacceptable. “After all, all the food we say is good and enjoy today was someone’s idea in those days. To eat frogs is not a crime as long as they are not poisonous and are harmless,” he says. — Frogs for sale

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