Food & Drink

There have been many opportunities to try new food and drink items here...  or to try variations on thing we've tried in the past.      Most things are fairly benign;  nobody eats dog here.

Recently, I tried a warm drink called Wahbool.   It was made from a sour fruit called Nances.   In Miskito is something like Crahbool Wahbool.  (I promise that is what I heard)    The drink was offered to me at Mama Tara's one afternoon and I just couldn't say no without being extremely rude. 

Most people don't really like the warm Wahbool.   Imagine drinking a thick soup outside in hot, humid weather.    Unpleasant aesthetically.    And yet, I did enjoy the taste and I drank as much as I could. :)

I've had a similar type of drink made from corn and one made from platanos.   Most of the time, they are sweet enough that I can smile and drink up.  
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Last night, our landlord had a sheep delivered out back.  This morning, the poor animal was butchered and the meat prepared to be flown to the interior of Honduras.    It was unnerving for me to have the animal back there hanging out with my kids and then for it to be gone.

We realized something this morning.  In the States, we are sufficiently separated from actual butchering and from knowing an animal before slaughter.   We really don't have to even think about the details of how the animal got into the grocery store freezer or refrigerator section.  

What a nice thing.

Comments

Charlie James said…
Laura, As a "dyed in the wool" animal lover, I believe that it is a good thing for people NOT to forget this aspect of where food (of the meat variety) comes from. The further people get from the living animal, the easier it is to forget to be grateful to them and to what they provide us. Separation of this reality also makes it easier for humans to become inhumane in even allowing some of the farming practices that occur in the commercial farming industry. I would bet that sheep you saw had a pretty good life prior to its demise compared to many of the animals that are on high production farms in the United States. It (the inhumanity of how they live) is shocking if you allow yourself to know the truth. Most people would prefer to think meat just comes in little styrofoam containers naturally. Sorry...I'll get off my soapbox now! Tell those sweet kids that offering a prayer of thanks for the sheep or chicken or cow (so that someone can eat)is a worthy way to honor something that gave its life for this purpose. Animals are God given and our PROPER use of them is God ordained, and as such,they are worthy of respect for what they provide for us. (me, Liz)
Denise said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Denise said…
First of all, you have been BUSY! I haven't checked your blog since before vacation and was excited to see how much I have to catch up on!

Growing up "on da farm" my dad had a STRICT rule that I was NEVER to give a NAME to the "slaughter steer". Don't you love that terminology? In fact, ALL contact between the steer and myself was highly discouraged.

Someday, maybe I will make a list of the rules farm girls had that my "city" friends could never relate to. :)

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