Venturing Out For Lunch

When in a new country, the most mundane tasks can become an adventure- sleeping, getting dressed, finding a bathroom.
My most recent opportunity to learn more about Beninoise culture came in the form of lunch yesterday, when I was faced with choosing either leftover bread from breakfast or leaving the house in search of something new. Feeling adventuresome as I was, I settled on option 2. Since my internet connection had been miraculously swift around lunch time, I had declined Jules's invite to come with him and his friend to a restaurant for lunch earlier. So, by 2pm, I had developed a remarkable appetite, which was just as well, since the key to successfully trying new food in a foreign country is having a remarkable appetite. This leaves you feeling desperate and willing to try things you might otherwise politely decline. As someone who grew up around African cuisine, I know how easy it is to encounter food that is difficult to appreciate the first time you eat it, so I left the house feeling fully prepared and slightly nervous about what I might find.
After a couple blocks, I stumbled on a corner shack with a table, two benches, and a woman selling food covered by a sheet so that flies wouldn't get to it. Appreciating her sense of hygiene, and not knowing how far I might go before finding another “restaurant”, I approached her, greeted her, and asked how much the food cost. She began listing words I didn't understand, so I explained that I had just arrived in Benin on Tuesday, so I wasn't familiar with the food, at which point she excitedly showed me the selection.

Another crucial element of trying foreign food is commitment. You have to promise yourself you won't chicken out once you've seen it, no matter how appealing leftover bread might seem at that point. She opened a small container revealing a white, slimy, dough-like ball, and asked me if that was fine. I lied, and said yes, and after she plopped it onto a plate, she poured a red tomato-based sauce over it, and then asked me if I wanted vegetables or not. “Vegetables” is a very vague term, but since I hadn't eaten very many of them since arriving in Ouidah, I agreed to the vegetables. Something resembling cooked spinach was then plopped onto my plate, and then some roasted fish after I was given the choice between that and boiled eggs. I smiled and thanked her, took my plate, and sat down at the table.

Feeling nervous, committed, and still hungry, I approached the gelatinous ball of dough first. Slimy, bland, but if covered with enough sauce and vegetables, not too bad. After getting through that ordeal, and knowing the woman would be offended if I didn't finish my food, I gingerly took a bite of fish, and discovered that it was actually quite delicious. When I got up to pay her and thank her for lunch, she informed me that it would only cost 30 cents! I headed home completely full, mouth still tingling from the spice in the sauce, determined to acquire a taste for this food.