Joel and Andi McMartin
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Ngalax

April 3, 2015 by Joel and Andi

How do we celebrate Easter here?
How do we celebrate Easter here?

Well let me tell you about it!  One of the traditions here in Senegal on any holiday is to make stuff for your neighbors and share the holiday with all.  For most holidays this means making large portions of whatever meal you prepare for that day and sending it out to all your neighbors.  Easter however has its own special tradition.  During Easter it is known that all those celebrating the holiday will make a special “drink” called Ngalax to distribute out to all their neighbors.  Last year I started participating in this with Cecile and this year was no different.  However I decided that I would be intentional to document the process this year for those who have never had the opportunity to experience it.

It all began on Monday…

Monday

Cecile and I went to market early in the morning.  We bought 20 Kilos of peanuts and took them to the other side of the market where we had them sorted, grilled and then mashed up into peanut butter.  The process of having them grilled and mashed up was a total of 2 hours, plus it was extended by the fact that we had to wait for the guy who owns the shop to show up.  While we waited for him we talked to the lady who was there sorting all the peanuts and I caught about 50 percent of the words that passed as it was all in wolof (progress and yet still so far to go).  After we had our peanut butter done, we bought the other things we needed including..millet, sugar, coconuts, pineapple, flavorings and raisins.

Tuesday

We used the wind to blow away … hmmm… not sure what the English word is so lets just say whatever was there that was not the millet.  Then it was laid out to dry.

Thursday

The real work began.  Cecile took the millet to the grinders and made it into a flour.  She then added a little bit of water and then worked it with her hands until it formed small balls.  It is something they learn here real young as this is the most common traditional dinner served among her people.  She worked on that for hours.

The millet how in flour form after being grinded
This is the millet in flour form after being ground up
Cecile making the balls with her hands
Cecile making the balls with her hands
A picture can't do justice to the amount of work it is
A picture can’t do justice to the amount of work it is
Sifting out the small grains
Sifting out the small grains
The formed balls
The formed balls
They then have to be cooked
They then have to be cooked
They are then steamed.  Here is a "stove" with charcoal, with a pot of bowling water and the balls on top to cook
Here is a “stove” with charcoal, with a pot of boiling water and the balls on top to cook
The cook product with the taster close at hand
The cooked product with the taster close at hand

I was put to work sorting Monkey Bread.  Cecile had gathered the pods from her tree and had already cracked them open and removed the fruit.  I set to work sorting all the strings out of the fruit so there would be less to sift later.

Me and my helper busy at work
Me and my helper busy at work
Taking out all of these strings
Taking out all of these strings
So that it was mostly just fruit left
So that it was mostly just fruit left

Then I set to work on the coconuts.  I drained the milk, skinned them and grated them into small pieces.  Cecile’s neighbor came down and helped us.  It was a great time all working together.

Skinning the coconuts
Coconut milk anyone?

Finally I ended the night with sorting the raisins.  Many raisins still have the stems on them and some have seeds, so we sorted them and took out all the part people wouldn’t want to eat.

Friday

Cecile woke up at 2 am to put the monkey break in a bucket of water to start soaking.  I showed up at 8 and the serious work begins.

Cecile started the morning with re steaming the millet balls
Cecile started the morning with re steaming the millet balls
My work started with the monkey bread, which has been soaking in water since 2AM
My work started with the monkey bread, which has been soaking in water since 2AM
We added the peanut butter which helps to get all the fruit off the seeds
We added the peanut butter which helps to get all the fruit off the seeds
Then we mix it all together with our hands.  A VERY messy job
Then we mix it all together with our hands. A VERY messy job
Water is added to make it the right texture
Water is added to make it the right texture
Then we get all the seeds out
Then we got all the seeds out
And put them off to the side
And put them off to the side
Then we use a really fine sifter to get out anything that is left
After that it was the really fine sifter – to get out anything that is left
We then cut the fruit into small peices
We then cut the fruit into small pieces
We then add sugar, flavorings, the fruit and the millet balls and mix it all up
Finally we added sugar, flavorings, the fruit and the millet balls and mixed it all up

After the taste testing was done, it was time to take out all the plastic containers we can find and start filling them up.  The kids then ran them around to different people from the neighborhood.  Each neighbor, transfers it into a different container and then sends the container back to be filled for someone else.  Visitors stop by knowing that today is the day that Ngalax will be made and so they find the nearest person who celebrates Easter to make sure they get their part.

It is a crazy amount of work and so one might ask why we do it?  There are two main reasons I can think of.

It is a great time together as a family taking on such a project.
It is a great time together as a family taking on such a project.
It is a culturally relevant way to let the world know that we have something to Celebrate!
It is a culturally relevant way to let the world know that we have something to Celebrate!

I have come to enjoy this tradition even though it is A LOT of work and makes Easter week crazy.  It is a great chance to connect with our neighbors and to be excited about what we are celebrating.  This year we have even invited one of our neighbors out to the village with us to eat together on this joyous day.  You can be praying for us as we continue to interact with our neighbors that our life would be a reflection of the light we have within us.

Happy Easter all the way from Senegal!
Happy Easter from us – all the way from Senegal!

Filed Under: Updates and News

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Comments

  1. Joel and Andi says

    April 8, 2015 at 5:49 pm

    The have a special grill piece with small holes so that it doesn’t fall through.

  2. Stacy Burrus says

    April 8, 2015 at 4:42 am

    I love peanut butter! How do you grill a peanut? Don’t they fall through the grill?! What a tedious process but it sounds like it would taste really good over chicken and rice or even on top of vanilla ice cream! I would add chili peppers to it! On the spiritual side of it all what a great way to fill hungry souls over Resurrection Day and have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and share the Gospel of God.

  3. Joel and Andi says

    April 4, 2015 at 12:37 pm

    Like it…well it has grown on us. It is very strong in taste, but you are right very nutritious. The flavor is very much the peanut butter. The boys like the flavor, but the texture is hard for them with all the chunks in it. I am sure it will grow on them as well. People here love it!

  4. Lauri M Amandus says

    April 4, 2015 at 12:42 am

    What a neat motive to do this. A wonderful way to share with your neighbors. I can’t imagine doing all that but it sure looked interesting. But… the main question is???? Do you like it? What does it taste like? Looks like it might be very nutritious. What did the boys think of it?

  5. Jane Van Ryn says

    April 3, 2015 at 3:54 pm

    WOW!!! Makes me tired just reading about and seeing all the hard work–but–the motives behind the work sure make it all worth while. We’ll continue to pray for all of you…

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