Chapter 103: Diet
Ininaia village, October 3, 1867, Ayigul Yahefu, an Armenian woman, is preparing breakfast for herself and her husband, Zhao Yizhan, a Chinese immigrant. Ayigul Yahefu was trafficked to the East African colonies after being bought by Arab slave traders from the Ottoman Empire's nobles. She was later awarded as a "prize" to Zhao Yizhan, a model immigrant recognized by the colonial government.
Zhao Yizhan had led a group of one hundred Chinese immigrants to Mbeya, but only ninety-seven survived the arduous journey. He was assigned to Ininaia Village as a member of the village security team, playing a significant role in the colony's development.
While Ayigul Yahefu was skilled in Armenian cuisine, she had little experience with East African ingredients. East Africa's rich variety of products, including tropical fruits and vegetables, was a stark contrast to the Armenian diet, which had influences from Greek, Persian, Turkish, and Arabic cuisines.
With Zhao Yizhan's guidance, Ayigul Yahefu learned to cook using oriental techniques, such as frying, cooking, making pancakes, and noodles. Although Zhao Yizhan's cooking was simple, it was sufficient for their needs. Their meals primarily consisted of fish as a meat supplement, reflecting East Africa's promotion of fish over wild animals.
The East African colony provided rations to residents, with model immigrants like Zhao Yizhan receiving one and a half catties of rations per day. Ayigul Yahefu, as a woman, received nearly seven taels of food. Together, they had over two catties of food daily, along with irregular meat supplies and homegrown vegetables.
Their breakfast consisted of two pieces of toast, fish broth, and fried vegetables. Zhao Yizhan handled the cooking while Ayigul Yahefu prepared the ingredients. They used a combination of oriental stoves and a West Asian-style oven.
Most pots and pans in the East African colonies were imported from the Far East and Europe. The colonies had expanded brick kilns and workshops to produce industrial products like bricks, clay pots, and iron pots for stoves.
While canteens served many single immigrants, the East African colonies were transitioning to allocate family immigrants to villages, potentially leading to the closure of village canteens. Family immigrants would be settled on farms, while single immigrants were directed to cities, which were essentially giant farms with stricter management.
These cities were pivotal in regional development due to their advantageous conditions and transportation. Although the East African colonial government influenced their development, they were on the path to becoming regional centers.
In summary, despite the cultural differences in their diets, Ayigul Yahefu and Zhao Yizhan found ways to adapt and make use of the diverse ingredients available in East Africa. The chapter provides insight into the evolving food habits and settlement patterns in the East African colonies.