The Value of Banana Tree to Chagga People!

Mtori: Banana Soup from Tanzania is a Tanzanian smooth soup made from strong beef stock with plaintain, onions, tomatoes and butter cooked in it and then mashed. Sometimes chopped meat is added to the soup. Mtori soup, made from plantain, is usually eaten for breakfast. Bellow is a recipe for this thick banana and meat stew. This would usually be cooked over an open fire in a clay pot called a chungu – all the ingredients would be cooked in the pot at the same time. Once the cooking has finished the meat would be removed, cut into small chunks [fat and gristle is not discarded] and then reheated in the soup. Mtori soup, made from plantain, is usually eaten for breakfast Mbege is a traditional brew of the chagga ethnic group of Tanzania. It is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from finger millet and bananas. The Chaggas have been known to make it for centuries. It is usually enjoyed in chagga festivities like, weddings, births and Christian confirmation parties.The benefits of Mbege: The preparation of ‘mbege' is hard and labour intensive but the socio-economic benefits dictate the need:- Importance of Mbege: Encourage social gatherings Adopted in traditional courts as fines for the guilty party Used in celebrations like weddings Required in solemn occasions like funerals Private business transactions are best conducted with ‘mbege' on the table Household income can be improved by selling ‘mbege' An alcoholic drink with nutritive qualities from the unfiltered malt and yeast