Country 27: Burundi

And with this post completes the B countries. Another milestone!

I definitely feel like I struggled my way through B, to be completely honest. I know I've mentioned in previously but I definitely lost my drive at some point, and certainly burnt out. I'm excited for the C countries as some of them sound quite interesting, but I think that I'll be taking it slightly slower throughout this letter. I've also started a part-time childcare job through the week so there will definitely be some evenings where I absolutely cannot be bothered to cook.

Some facts about Burundi:

• Burundi is one of the smallest countries in Africa. It is slightly smaller than the state of Hawaii, but has 8 times the population.
• Sadly, about 80% of the country's population lives in poverty.
• In 2014, the government banned group jogging in Burundi.
• Germany colonised Burundi at the beginning of the 20th century, but it fell into Belgium rule after WW1. The country gained independence in 1962.
• The more cows you have, the wealthier you are considered in Burundi.

This meal was interesting. I was less than impressed than the idea of it, but actually it was pretty tasty when it came to eating. It was tough to find recipes that I was interested in, and eventually settled for a Beans & Bananas stew-like dish consisting of kidney beans and plantains. I served mine with rice which bulked it up a bit, as well as Burundi chapati. I was very confused about chapati, as they originate in the Indian subcontinent, and Burundi is most definitely located in Africa. However, the chapati of Burundi is coiled up and then rolled out, which somehow manages to give it a crispier edge than the Indian-style chapati. Indian chapati isn't made with oil either, so actually the Burundi chapati is more similar to paratha in India and the surrounding regions. Either way, the chapati paired nicely with the beans and bananas dish so I would recommend making the two of them together.

On the menu today we have:

• Beans and Bananas - a simple stew dish which is savoury and sweet all at the same time.

• Burundi chapati - an oily roti-style bread.