In Praise of the Parachichi

In general, I regard Tanzanian cooks as lovely people, more patient and hardworking than I will ever be*, who need to be introduced to a spice rack.  Salt, watery tomato sauce, and possibly some chili peppers on the side are the only garnishes one can usually hope for.  In the case of the avocado, also known as the parachichi to them that speak the Kiswahili, salt is the only thing you actually need to make it perfectly palatable raw.  They make great snacks that one can sometimes just buy off the street in slices.  Fortunately they also tend to be huge and succulent.  If you happen to have ground black pepper (surprisingly hard to come by, thank you darling aunt and uncle in the states) and some barbecue sauce and Jack Daniel's mustard (thank you stateside girlfriend of a volunteer in the region) the avocado makes for a perfectly delightful dish and one large enough to count, for me, as a meal.  Serious Eats offers a recipe for an avocado pie, but that might be going a bit far.

*and less clumsy.  I have never ever been able to scrape out a coconut without cutting the heel of my hand open.

The giant avocados of Tanzania.  If you are like me and can't easily figure out ripeness,
when in the market you just tell the mama you are buying from when you want to eat the
avocado and she will pick appropriate ones for you.

lunch!