What Is Canada's Staple Food?

What is Canada's staple food is a question I have been asked many times. People are shocked when I reply that there is no particular staple food in Canada. The same cannot be said for Zambia.

People here love nshima - a thick, maize-based, substance that looks like mashed potatoes but with a much thicker texture. You tear off chunks, roll it into a ball with your hands, and then dip it into a variety of relishes. The relish consists of cabbage, cassava, rape, or any number of other green vegetables and occasionally some tomato. There is usually a meat product with the meal as well. If you are in the lower classes this meat is usually kapenta. These are tiny whole fish that are dried. They taste quite salty and, while I do not enjoy the aftertaste, they are OK in small portions. Then there are slightly bigger fish. These are the worst because you still eat the whole thing but it takes more than one bite. There is nothing worse than getting a jaw bone stuck between your teeth. If you are middle to upper class than the world of meat opens up to you - chicken, beef, and bigger fish. All three are pretty good. Other sides occasionally include eggs or beans (which taste remarkably like pork and beans - they are very good). One time I had impala (a bush animal like deer) and that was a very nice treat.

One thing I have noticed since moving in with my family is that they love to fry everything in large amounts of oil. It seems that everything - especially eggs - is fried in oil. There are also some deep-fried dough things called fritas. These come in small balls and taste really good. At school I usually buy one or two as a snack. It is fortunate that I am getting plenty of exercise or I would have some serious heart problems by year's end.

For the most part the food has been great. With the exception of two stomach incidents in October my stomach has handled the diet pretty well. It is nice to eat with your hands - although I'm pretty messy with it as the grease stains on my pants can testify.