World Food Week brought fresh ideas and tastes to Väike-Maarja

World Food Week in Väike-Maarja (in Lääne-Viru county) took place on 16th to 20th of November in 2015. The activities stroked senses and encouraged to think about food and its origin.

On 17th of November we had meetings, lectures and cooking classes with an inspiring guest, Mrs Liina Saaremäe, a representative of NGO Mondo. The subject of the day was “Food in Ghana and Ghanaian food”.

The day began with Liina’s meeting with our pupils in elementary scool (1st-4th classes). We learned that Liina is an Estonian school teacher, who was deployed by the NGO Mondo to the Republic of Ghana in West-Africa to do volunteer work. As an introduction, every child had to choose a candy: raisin in cocoa, almond in cocoa or hazelnut in cocoa. They were told about the cocoa and the fact that in Kalevi kommivabrik nearly 70% of cocoa comes from Ghana, a country which was the main topic of the day. Pupils learned about Ghanaian life, society and food. The best questioners were awarded a bookmark-rulers and teachers received different proverbs to discuss their significance in classes. The pupils were shown and given to sniff a kalebass – a bowl made of pumpkin, from which people in Ghana are eating.

 

Liina’s lecture to the 5th-12th graders and students from vocational school

On the same day, we had a next meeting in Väike-Maarja with Liina and our older students from 5th-12th classes and vocational school. At first, Liina opened the meaning of volunteering. Her volunteer work in Ghana took place in 2014. As we learned, her responsibility was to develop cooperation, global education and humanitarian assistance. Her specific tasks in Ghana were teachers methodical training and food projects, plus additional lessons to teach children to read and write. With numerous images and stories she shared her moments in Ghana – so called ice cream (or frozen juice in a plastic bag), Ghanaian national dishes, custom to carry things on your head, we all learned the Ghanaian hello “toma-toma” and the Ghanaian approving rhythmic clap. It was eyes-opening and interesting to learn that food and eating is of vital importance in Ghana, and a private activity – even so private, that the dinner guest is left alone to eat in the hut. Our students were directed to think about the one billion people in the world who live below the poverty line.

As in Väike-Maarja we also have a vocational school, Liina held a cooking course for vocational students and their supervisors. Together they prepared a Ghanaian dish called „red-red“ that was served with fried bananas. The participants all agreed – the result was delicious. Liina had only positive words about the active cookers, who were even ready to take a next cooking lesson by the end of the class.

 

Degustation of different countries breads

During the week our pupils had a possibility to taste various countries breads, participate in photo competition of world food and recipes. Food provided by the school canteen was also by the week theme, from different regions of the world – Ukrainian, Italian, Chinese, the Mediterranean, Estonian. Primary school added a playful nuance – a guessing game about the region of the food for the children.  Different nationalities from the Vao refugee center nearby came to school to introduce, share recipes and offer their snacks – Ukrainian pancakes with cottage cheese, biscuits from Afghanistan and Dagestan.

 

There’s no doubt, World Food Week brought new tastes and ideas to Väike-Maarja. We are grateful to all the people, who contributed to the success of the World Food Week, especially to you, dear Liina, and NGO Mondo!

 

Heili Nõgene

Public Relations Specialist

Väike-Maarja Gymnasium

Ghanaian food in Peetri School

This event took place as a part of world month named “World’s Different Faces”, read more here:

https://maailmahariduspeetris.wordpress.com/maailmapaevad-2015/

Few weeks ago, when it was our cooking class, we got to meet a volunteer from Ghana. At the beginning she introduced us Ghana’s traditions and different foods and then she introduced us what we were going to cook. So the meal was made of fried bananas and some spicy sauce called „red-red“. It was a bit surprising that African people don’t eat bananas as a dessert. Bananas are considered as a salty food or a dish.

When it was time to start cooking, we were told what to do and then we started. At first, some of us fried the raw bananas and the others were making the sauce. Our food was smelling so good that some teachers even came and peeked into our kitchen to see what we were doing. Besides cooking African food, we got to hear different stories about volunteering life in Africa. Finally it was time to eat our delicious meal and we were positively surprised about the good taste of fried bananas with „red-red“ sauce. We are thankful for that fun experience.

Wondering around on the food planet. 21. – 25th of September in Laagri School

Do you like pasta? Or pizza or hamburger? What about blood sausage? Do you know how far your food is grown? Do you know how this food was produced? These are only some of the questions that we hoped to raise during nature week in Laagri School. Nature week is our tradition and there is diferent subject every year. Food is something that can be related to every subject and every pupil in school.

Here are some actions done during our nature week:

* Food art – tens or even hundreds of food pictures were drawn. Of course discussion about them was essential.

* Games, games, games… Many teachers found a way to talk about food with games. There was also „Food planet“ game with hidden riddles for all pupils. Another bigger game was about fair trade. We managed to borrow this from Estonian Environmental Board and was a great help to find answers where do bananas, cocoa, coffee and cotton come from. 

* Food films with discussions. Some classes were shown different movies about food and how does it get to their plates. „Banana split“ was everybodies favourite.

* Photo competition – not many photos came in but which did were really mouth watering. The aim was to show how much of our everyday food origins from ohter (far away) countries.

* Traditional exhibition of what can be found from our gardens. There was colourful selection of pumpkins, big mushrooms, weird looking potatoes and so much more.

* Traditional bread day. Smaller pupils had a chance to taste bread from different places of the world and compare these to Estonian bread. Some classes made funny but healthy sandwiches.

* Ghanian cusine. Some lucky classes prepared Ghanian drinks and of course tasted their masterpieces. „Too much chilli…“ they thouht.

* Also many groupworks, discussions and even math exercises about food took place in diferent lessons.

I think we can be sure that every pupil learned something new or had a new experience. And there is over 700 of them. Thanks to all of the teachers who saw this as a oppourtunity and brought some food related ideas in their classrooms. And thanks to Mondo for materials to make it happen.

Kenyan foods by Rise and Shine Special School

Together with Rise and Shine special school we prepared Omushenye with sour milk. Omushenye is a Kiluhya (tribe in Kenya) well liked sweet meal witch is prepared for supper. It makes one satisfied and contains nutrients for body growth and development. It contains carbohydrates, proteines, minerals. Omushenye comprises of beans and sweet potatoes. They are cooked differently by boiling and later mashed together till they are mixed evenly to be one. It’s left to cool then served as main meal with sour milk or any drink one can prefear for. It boasts body growth due to the extra suppliments in them.

Mashed bananas are prepared by peeling the outer cover, washed, then boiled, mashed, left to cool, then served with omufuluko (marshed groundnuts which have been roasted)

Ugali and local vegetable (murere) is mostly to the old aged people. It’s very nutritious and easy to prepare. Murere is a local green vegetable which grows even without planting. It needs lett attention and can survive in any weather condition. Preparing murere is easy. It’s boiled with local burnt ash from bean leaves, it becomes ready after some minutes and served after cooling with ugali or mashed bananas.

Sour milk is a luhya drink liked by most of the people. It’s a drink drunk by any age-group, because it contains nutritive forming microorganisms which builds up and boost body growth. During its preparation fresh milk is put in guard (Eshimuka) and left to stay there for some three to five days. The guard is shaken smoothly on the thighs to make the milk to taste sweet and smooth to the tongue. One can drink without adding sugar or add depending on one’s taste and choice. Sour milk can be drunk with potatoes, ugali, bananas, yams (nduma) or drunk without any solid food. Taste sour milk and can not miss to have it for meal as it contains proteins, vitamins and calcium in it.

Read all the posts by Rise and Shine Special School.
Read all the post by students from Kenya.