Food, glorious food...you miss!

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When a package arrives from home I become all irrational (some might say “controlling”) about how to divvy up the spoils and make them last as long as possible.

Me: “Look. I’ll be honest. You don’t appreciate olives as much as me; you didn’t even like them until yesterday. I’ve loved them since around 1987—so don’t eat them!”

Godwin: “I will pretend I do not know they are there.”

Me: “OK. And don’t eat all the marshmallows either. Yeah, don’t give me that look. Imagine if you hadn’t had bananas since 2007 and there were no prospects of getting another bunch until 2011. But right now you have a whole bunch. Imagine I ate half of them even though I don’t really like them.”

Godwin: “They are not my favourite.”

Me: “Hmmm. I’ve seen you chase banana ladies along the road for a good bunch of bananas. That’s how it is for me and marshmallows—we have a history! Like coffee and olives. I’m going to make something special with them anyway…not altogether. Quick, watch this.”

I light the gas-burner and stick a marsh-mallow on a fork. I toast it over the flame. I pull off the hot sticky bit and eat it. I offer Godwin some.

He squidges a bit between his fingers and brings it gingerly to his lips. “Mmmm…..”

Me: “Wait ‘til we have hot cocoa, but don’t eat them all, or else we won’t get any.”

(Don’t you talk. Yes you, reading. If you hadn’t had olives and marshmallows since sometime in 2007, you’d turn into a control freak too!)

But this is what I really enjoy about the surprise packages from home: sharing—yes, I do share. I have the privilege of sharing these treats that are fine to gorge on if you only have them every two years. I gave away several Caramello Koalas and Freddo Frogs around home this week. I believe a liking for chocolate is universal and the smiles make the sacrifice worthwhile.

And then there are Tim-Tams, Australia’s unofficial favourite biscuit. I got to show Godwin how, if you bite off each end, you can suck (real!) coffee through the chocolatey middle between the two biscuits.

Aside from introducing the art of sucking hot beverages through cream-filled biscuits, I have the privilege of introducing friends to all sorts of sugary malarkey. Since it’s as close to winter as we’re going to get (around 25 C), I’m off to make hot cocoa with marshmallows…

I’d love to know what foods you miss.

If you’re a Ghanaian living abroad, what foods from Ghana do you miss most?

If you’re an Obruni living in Ghana, what food do you miss most?

If you’re a Ghanaian who lived abroad, what food do you miss from the country where you lived?

I was speaking to a twelve-year old Ghanaian boy who spent his early years in London. I asked him if he missed any of the food and he said, “I miss fish and chips!”

You can add your “miss-list” by clicking on the comment button below.

Cheers. And if you eat any of my marshmallows, you’re dead meat man!