Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

A Little extra Tidbit

Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Witch craft is so common that many children are accused of it and families have deserted children in streets because of their beliefs
• Taking pictures is frowned upon because the locals believe that it takes a way a persons spirit

Cooking Methods

-Fish is smoked or dried

-Cassava leaves are ground into a paste, and the roots are sliced (improper prep= cyanide poisoning)

-Cassava and maize, or corn flour are used

-Palm oil and peanut paste are used for flavoring

-Women are expected to cook

Palm oil

Saka Saka

-Ground cassava leaves cooked with peanut paste and palm oil

Unique Spices

Religion

Chili powder

• Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, Other 10%

Population

-Cassava is an extremely important ingredient in all dishes

-Peanut paste

-Palm oil

-Chili powder

• About 66 million people

Peanut Paste

Joseph Mobutu

Capital is Kinshasa

Joseph Kabila

Geographic Area & History

Education

• established as a Belgian colony in 1908
• gained independence in 1960
• Joseph Mobutu declared himself as president in 1965 ~ maintained being president for 32 years
• current president is Joseph Kabila
• 2,354,410 sq. km. ~ about 1/4 the size of the U.S.A.

- most children do not have an education

- education is a 12 year system

- 7.3 million children do not go to school in the DRC

Celebrations

Millet

Economy:

Martyrs of Independence Day

-January 4th 1959 many Congolese died when they stood up for independence from Belgium

Food Customs

Sorghum

-Industry:Mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products

-Agriculture:Coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, wood products

-Exports:Diamonds, copper, crude oil, coffee, cobalt

-Currency:Congolese franc

The Congolese Christmas...

The American Christmas

Christmas

National Heroes Day

-January 17, commemorating the death of Patrice Lumumba, a popular leader

-A mix of Arabic, European (French), and Asian influences

-Traditional cooking methods and recipes change according to the region

-Usually have vegetable, starch, and meat in their meals

-Grow grains such as millet, sorghum and tubers (an underground part of a plant that is eaten ex. potato) like cassava and yams

Government

-Christmas is more of a religious event than it is in western countries

Cassava

-Transitional government

-President : Joseph Kabila

-been president since January 2001

-Prime Minister : Adolphe Muzito

-Not as commercialized, presents are rarely given

More Food Traditions...

Only the right hand is used in eating because the left is used for bathroom purposes

-Spend the day at church, than have a Christmas feast for supper, consisting of pork and chicken at home

-The main meal is eaten at 3pm

-In villages, the entire family eats out of the same bowl

-In more urban areas, everyone gets their own plate

-The father of the house always gets "food priorities"

Bibliography

Common Foods

Bush meat:

the meat of African wild animals

-Cassava can be ground into a paste and served with different foods

-The sap from palm trees is used to make palm wine

-Oranges and bananas are popular

-Nuts fruit, fish, and bush meat are all common

-Grubs and caterpillars are sometimes eaten

• "Countries and Their Cultures." Culture of Democratic Republic of the Congo. Every Culture, 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2014.
• "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Congo: Local Food, Cuisine & Recipes. Food Spring, 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
• "Democratic Republic of the Congo." Congolese Food and Cultural Profile. Health.qld, 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
• "Democratic Republic of the Congo Travel Guide." Democratic Republic of the Congo. IExplorer, 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
• "DR Congo." Our Africa. SOS Childrens' Villages, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
• Willis, Terri. Democratic Republic of the Congo. New York: Children's, 2004. Print.

Okapi