Liebe Kordei,

Hmmmm…ei… I don’t even know how to start this one. You know how I love food and how I like trying new things, but my sister, I don’t know what would have happened if I stayed with a host family. Probably I would have learnt some German cuisine but the ones I have tasted so far…hmmm.

I am a breakfast person so I love the bread. Various tastes and varieties, I love jam, sausage and bacon. Breakfast meetings are my favourite, whatever the options are. I will definitely get something I like. The only thing is that I don’t really enjoy sometimes the way the meat is cold and not cooked. So I usually stick to butter, jam, salad, fruits and eggs.

For lunch, it is usually a hot meal. The first seminar was a good place for me to taste everything. I did not like the taste of some so I did not even ask for the name. The meal I enjoyed most was Kartoffelauflauf and Schnitzel. I don’t mind taking that again. I also love the way they make their potato salad and the barbecues. Enough of the lecture on the German meals I love before you think it is all rosy.

Baby girl of life, all these things have no spice. Once again, I ask my question: Who lives like this?Sometimes I am sure there is not even a pinch of salt. As my Auntie Akpene will say: ‘Pour lots of black pepper on it, you will be fine’. So at tables, the salt and pepper shakers are my friends.

Let me tell you about one experience I had. I was in town and I was so hungry. I saw a food stall, in there I saw bread and what looked like a fish fritter. It was fish fried in bread crumbs. I definitely knew that the taste will be bland to me.

What I was not mentally prepared for was the how cold it was. When I say cold, I mean cold like chilled water from a fridge. I was so disappointed and sad. I mean, I forgave the lack of spice but cold!! COLD!! I was so frustrated that I dumped it in the nearest bin before I realised it is wrong to throw away food. I could have carried it home and heat it. I just found a café, drank coffee then went home to eat some wild jollof¹ and chicken wings for the win.

Another food experience was a dinner I went to, my sister, nothing tasted good. I came home sad, it was late so I did not want to eat anything heavy so I just make some cornflakes and slept. They could not even add spice to the grilled chicken. I am even tempted to carry a small container of shito² when I am invited to such dinners. But that is rude. Shito just makes every thing taste alright.

So when I want to eat out, I eat with the Turkish. They are the real MVPs³ and life savers out here with their tasty and spicy foods.

My dear friend, please take in all the spice you can before you get here. I miss you and can’t wait to see you.

Yours ever,

Emefa.

Lexicons

1. Jollof – meal of rice, tomatoes, water, onion, pepper and other ingredients cooked together. Quite popular in West Africa
2. Shito – spicy dark pepper sauce in Ghana and can be eaten with almost everything.
3. MVP – Most Valuable Person