Swaziland is a small landlocked country in Southern Africa. It has a wide variety of landscapes, from the mountains along the Mozambican border to savannas in the east and rain forest in the northwest. It is the only remaining absolute monarchy in Africa and the head of state is the king or Ngwenyama (meaning Lion), currently King Mswati III, who ascended to the throne in 1986 after the death of his father King Sobhuza II in 1982. By tradition, the king reigns along with his mother or a ritual substitute, the Ndlovukati (meaning She-Elephant).
It is home to many protected nature reserves and national parks, most notably Hlane Royal National Park, Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary and Mkhaya Game Reserve. The latter is known for its black and white rhino population. The Ngwenya Mine, situated northwest of Mbabane and near the north-western border of Swaziland is considered to be the world’s oldest, estimated to date back 43,000 years.
Staple foods in Swaziland include sorghum, maize, peanuts, rice and goat meat. Dishes include Umkhunsu (cooked and dried meat), Emasi lavutiwe (ground corn mixed with sour milk) , Sinkwa Sembila (corn bread) and Sishibo senkhukhu (chicken stew). I made Slaai (avocado & peanut salad) which looked promising, but I found the dressing and peanuts overpowered the flavour of the avocado.
Rating: 6/10
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 large ripe avocados, diced into ½ inch cubes
1/2 cup peanuts, crushed
Mix lemon juice, ginger and salt in a large bowl
Add the avocado and mix gently
Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes
Sprinkle with crushed peanuts and serve
A Year Cooking the World 