My mom likes to have “new taste sensations” sometimes as she tries new food. And I unknowingly gave my host mom a new taste sensation last week as well!
Here in the city, it’s green bean season. The season starts just before Christmas and it’s going to come to a close pretty soon. My parents remember even from 3 years ago getting lots of green beans to eat, and I think it’s hard for them to imagine that if they didn’t come in December or January that there are no green beans to be seen in the city, other than canned ones.
Since green beans are yummy and in season, I decided to bring some out to the village to cook for my host mom as something with probably a bit more nutrients than what they’re used to eating every day. Little did I know that even though she only lives 50 miles from the city, she had never seen a green bean in her life! She had no idea what to do with them or how to cook them or how to eat them or anything. Funny. I had brought a lot, so after I cooked them, she shared them with others as well. Overall, it seems like the majority of the women had never seen them while the majority of the men had tried them before in the city at least once. So lots of people tried my new taste sensation!
I must say, it also felt good to be the one who knew how to do something. Usually in the village I’m the one who doesn’t know anything, and it probably amazes them that I don’t know how to grind corn at the mill, carry water on my head, chop firewood in the bush, etc. just as much as I’m amazed by the fact that they’d never seen green beans. Yup, most of the time I’m in the “clueless” chair, so it was kind of nice to have the tables turned at least for a few minutes, while the green beans were cooking.
And just think, maybe next you can introduce them to watermelon. SUzan