A look at starch

Carbohydrates make up a large portion of the diet across Africa. It is plentiful, most of it is cheap, and it fills hungry bellies better than some vegetables. However, not all carbohydrates were created equally and some have surprisingly high nutrient levels. Here is a look at the starch that regularly appears on a Ugandan dinner plate, many at the same time, but some only rarely.

Posho – probably one of my favourites, it is a white solid that looks like mashed potatoes, but is made of corn flour. Yes, that is corn flour and not corn meal, however it is prepared in the same way us Italians make polenta. I think that’s why I like it – it has a different texture entirely but the taste is very similar to polenta.

In 1/2 a cup: Calories 208, Carbs43.5 g, Calcium 80.4mg, Potassium 169.9 mg

Matoke – the plantain. Or at least it is the Ugandan version of the plantain. The green peels are sliced off, leaving a hard, sticky, slimy, white banana like thing that get cut into 2 inch chunks then boiled or steamed while wrapped in banana leaves. It is very dense, but mostly tasty. A must have with a half decent groundnut sauce – truly until I had it everyday for a month and a half it was one of my favourite dishes. Matoke and groundnuts is considered Ugandan’s national dish.
In 1/2 a cup: Calories 179, Carbs48.0g, Calcium3.1 mg, Potassium 716.1mg

Millet – the first time I had millet, I poked at the doughy mass on my plate with a fork, reminiscent of the comic strip character Calvin poking at his mother’s casserole. ‘What is it?’ I though, but didn’t say about the brown doughy mass that had taken up the centre of my plate. Turns out it doesn’t taste much better than it looks, and is probably the least favourite of the starch choices.
In ½ Cup: Calories 104, Carbs20.6 g, Calcium2.6 mg, Potassium53.9 mg

Enya – is a cross between posho and millet, but it actually a dish made of cassava flour and water. It is prepared just like posho, but instead of being firm, it has the glutinous texture of millet. Yet, it is still pretty tasty, until it gets cold – then *shudder*.

Irish Potato – what North Americans call a potato. It’s white, comes from the ground, it is usually served boiled, although on rare occasions I find myself cutting them into chips. Not really much else to say.
In ½ Cup: Calories 57, Carbs12.9 g, Calcium9.2 mg, Potassium326.3 mg

Sweet Potato – Like the Irish potato, but sweet, and bigger. Dez likes them for breakfast when they have been roasted/fried. I don’t mind them boiled as long as I am covering them with soup – preferably beans. They do make a filling snack, and truly are sweet.
In ½ a cup: Calories 54, Carbs12.4 g, Calcium22.8 mg, Potassium285 mg

Yam – but not the yummy orange-fleshed North American yams we are used to. These things are light purple (on the inside) and dry. Personally, I put them towards the same category as millet, as something to take as a last resort.
In ½ a cup: Calories 79, Carbs18.8

Pumpkin – yes, like ours at home, except more squash like because the rinds (are they rinds on a pumpkin?) are green. Boiled or steamed and served, usually with a little bit of blue brand (margarine). They are lovely and I tend to forfeit all else for pumpkin.
In ½ a cup: Calories 41, Carbs9.9 g, Calcium31.7 mg, Potassium251.3 mg

Cassava – the last of the root vegetables, but the most prolific. Cassava can be had for breakfast as fries (one of my favourite breakie foods) or as katogo, sort of a stew with beans. For lunch and dinner it can be baked, grilled, boiled, steamed or fried. I try to avoid it when it has been most of those, but with lots of sauce it is not too bad.
In ½ a cup: Calories 160, Carbs38.1g, Calcium16 mg

Rice – same thing as home, white, long or short grain. Prepared the same way, and most often served with beans.
In ½ a cup: Calories 103, Carbs22.3 g, Potassium27.7 mg

Spaghetti – same thing as home, but not prepared the same way at all! Here, nearly all spaghetti comes a la carbonara. Vegetables are fried the spaghetti added, and eggs thrown in. It is delicious but different then North America, closer (but not the same) as Kristine’s two eggs-spaghetti from Cameroon.
In ½ a cup: Calories 61,Carbs13 g, Calcium4.0 mg, Potassium25.4 mg

Who would have thought there were so many types of starch? – Before arriving in Uganda, not me. And I definitely didn’t think they could all be offered at the same meal.

But they can and for the most part, when I get home I will be shocked if I am only offered rice. What about posho or matoke?