We had a lot of fun testing out and sharing recipes. A clear favourite was the ‘traditional Xhosa recipe’, which features in the original Guide and the revised version as “Mama Esthers Imifino”.
1 bag fresh mixed imifino
(e.g. utyuthu/amaranth, ihlaba/sow thistle or dandelion, irhawu/nettle, imithwane/squash)
3 cups of mealie rice or
1 cup rice and two cups of mealie meal
1 teaspoon salt
fat or oil
Boil the chopped imifino in a little water till it starts to become soft. Add the other ingredients, and as much water as you need to cook the porridge. Stir well and let it boil for another 15-20 minutes. Serve hot!
Replacing 200 ml of the water with milk will reduce the bitterness of species like umhlabangulo and umsobo.
There were also many local variations. Some comments made by the ladies from Nqongweni Village, Ncera, after a workshop (shown in the two pictures):
• fresh spring onions made a big improvement to the taste
• Wild dagga can be added for flavour but only a little as it can be bitter
• In winter samp and beans are eaten with dried imifino as especially inland imifino is more scarce in the dry winter
• Pumpkin/Imitwane leaves cooked with mealie meal and salt we call Unqa wethaya
• People stopped growing maize. We buy maize meal, add flour and yeast to make a dumpling to eat with imifino
• Non-GMO polenta was tried as a healthier substitute for regular mealie meal but it was not as popular!
For those use to a more ‘western diet’ many at the Green Living Meeting at Khula Dharma Farming Community were surprised at how deliciously flavoursome imifino combinations could be! Others were regular users and took recipes that included spinach, then substituted some or all with a range of imifinos/edible weeds. Black jack can add a smoky flavour to an otherwise regular tasting spinach and feta quiche. A handful of imifinos can be included in a mainly basil pesto recipe.
