Wednesday, April 19, 2006
FUFU FUN IN TEMA - a ward social!
At six thirty AM the Easter Monday, a truck unloaded the "traditional" PA system and by seven AM we had music playing - one by one the brethern from the Tema I ward arrived - bringing with them soccer balls, borrowing our volleyball, table tennis table and paddles, basketball - and spent part of the morning with activites - and then arrived the Cassava root as seen below. The look like big potatoes (they call them Yams here) - but they had several pan-fulls of them.
The rest of the required materials are: - pans of waters, containers, a pounding bowl and large paddle or stick, one brave "feeder" and one strong "pounder". The raw cassava is put piece by piece into the large bowl, where the big stick with a flat end is used to pound the cassava - one person molds the root as it is pounded and has just enough moisture on his hands to slowly turn it into a paste-like substance.
This they continue to do until the paste takes the form of ball as seen above - once this ball is somewhat gooey and pliable, they take it out and start another - this ball becomes the consistency of play dough (not only looks like it, but I think it tastes like it too (or would if I had the courage to try it!!!) Several groups worked hard to supply at least one of these "balls" for each person in the ward to have one.
As seen above, this becomes quite a social event as each team of moulders and pounders has to be supported by three or four other priesthood brethren who can offer direction, support and advice as needed (or not needed !!). Anyway, the process lasted about two hours - to get the fufu prepared. But, it needed the sauce - you eat it by breaking a piece off, moulding it in your hand with a lot of wrist action and flair - when the consistency is just right, you then dip into the sauce (seen below - served out in smaller portions of course) and that is a fufu meal.
One pot is fufu sauce and the other pot is a sauce that will go over the rice that they have prepared as well. About two o'clock the rest of the ward began showing up and were treated to a meal, and then an afternoon of visiting as no one really thought about going home until about 5 or 6 PM. A full and busy day for the priesthood brethern, and day of relaxation and enjoyment for the sisters and I understand it has for that ward become an Easter Monday tradition. (Just a note on the side - we were treated the full 12 hours to music on the large PA system - it is becoming very evident that every social (funeral, wedding, ward party....) requires music.
The rest of the required materials are: - pans of waters, containers, a pounding bowl and large paddle or stick, one brave "feeder" and one strong "pounder". The raw cassava is put piece by piece into the large bowl, where the big stick with a flat end is used to pound the cassava - one person molds the root as it is pounded and has just enough moisture on his hands to slowly turn it into a paste-like substance.
This they continue to do until the paste takes the form of ball as seen above - once this ball is somewhat gooey and pliable, they take it out and start another - this ball becomes the consistency of play dough (not only looks like it, but I think it tastes like it too (or would if I had the courage to try it!!!) Several groups worked hard to supply at least one of these "balls" for each person in the ward to have one.
As seen above, this becomes quite a social event as each team of moulders and pounders has to be supported by three or four other priesthood brethren who can offer direction, support and advice as needed (or not needed !!). Anyway, the process lasted about two hours - to get the fufu prepared. But, it needed the sauce - you eat it by breaking a piece off, moulding it in your hand with a lot of wrist action and flair - when the consistency is just right, you then dip into the sauce (seen below - served out in smaller portions of course) and that is a fufu meal.
One pot is fufu sauce and the other pot is a sauce that will go over the rice that they have prepared as well. About two o'clock the rest of the ward began showing up and were treated to a meal, and then an afternoon of visiting as no one really thought about going home until about 5 or 6 PM. A full and busy day for the priesthood brethern, and day of relaxation and enjoyment for the sisters and I understand it has for that ward become an Easter Monday tradition. (Just a note on the side - we were treated the full 12 hours to music on the large PA system - it is becoming very evident that every social (funeral, wedding, ward party....) requires music.
# posted by Ghana Gazette @ 1:38 PM 
