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Nshima is a Zambian staple food made from cornmeal and often served with a side dish called ndiwo. It can also be made from millet, sorghum, or cassava root. The process involves soaking, fermenting, drying, and grinding the corn. Nshima is never served alone and is often eaten with the hands.
Nshima is the Zambian name given to a cornmeal base that has been cooked into a pliable, mushy porridge. The dish is made from flour which is the result of husking and grinding dried corn. It is considered a staple food in the region and is eaten with nearly every meal. While the cornmeal itself doesn’t have a great deal of flavor and is, in fact, intentionally unflavored, it is often served with a side dish known as ndiwo which has a strong flavor. The process of eating a meal involving cornmeal is wrapped up in social mores that help dictate how it should be served and prepared.
While the most common type of nshima that can be found is made from corn, it’s not the only thing it can be made from. The dish can also be made from millet, sorghum or cassava root, although this is rare. In Zambia, the process of making nshima begins with taking dried corn and crushing the kernels to remove the husks.
The corn kernels, now cracked and peeled, are then placed in water and left to soak for several days. During the water softening, the corn ferments slightly. When soft, the corn is drained, washed and hung out to dry in the sun.
Once dry, the final step in preparing nshima is to grind the grains into the meal. This can be done by hand, although making a large amount can be very labor intensive. It can also be done with a machine or mill, although few Zambians have either of these readily available, meaning they have to transport the corn to another location and possibly pay to have it ground.
Nshima is cooked much like any cornmeal. The water and cornmeal are combined and then heated until it starts to come together and the water is fully incorporated. The texture of the cornmeal is very important, because it is often used as a vehicle for food and eaten with the hands. More meal is added to the cooking mixture until it has reached a dough-like consistency so that a ball of it will hold its shape and have some punch.
Nshima is never served himself, especially to guests, as it is considered a social mistake to do so. Instead, it is served with a side dish called ndiwo, which can be a type of meat such as chicken or goat, or a spiced vegetable mix commonly made of tomatoes, leafy greens, and onions. There are no set rules for what ndiwo should or shouldn’t be, although many Zambians expect it will enhance the subtle flavor of nshima. Meats are the most popular accompaniment, however, because they are the most expensive and sometimes hardest to acquire.
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