OMBIDI SPECIES    A Pilot Study in northern Namibia 

Appendix A.   A traditional meal in northern Namibia

Picking

Young ombidi  plants (2 -3  weeks old) are the best for cooking because they cook in less time and according to most people they are not so bitter as old ombidi There is a belief that if you pick ombidi too young  (1-2 weeks) they will not branch later on so the average picking time is 3 weeks old when it has 2 -3 branches.

Rinsing

When cooking ombidi be careful, since it is so small it collects lots of sands and needs to be rinsed several times before cooking. Rinse it thoroughly, 3 - 5 times. For the first rinse, let it stand in the water (well immersed) for 10 minutes, most of the sand will then settle on the bottom of the basin. From the last rinse, the ombidi is taken straight to the pot. 

Cooking

There is no need to add water for the first 30 minutes (if fire wood is used at least 45 - 60 minutes with fire or high heat on all the time, so kids are usually told to look after the ombidi and not move). It is believed that if you do not cook ombidi at high heat the bitterness will not go away and it will not cook properly (ota i tindi). It is also believed that you should only open the pot after that crucial 30 minutes - this is the best time to turn it (bottom on top and vice versa) and add more water (about 2 cups) if necessary. Then let it cook at medium heat for the next 30 minutes again without opening. After it has been cooking for a total of 60 minutes then you can open the pot as many times as you want and this is the right time to season it. 

Note! Do not put salt before these 60 minutes because your ombidi will be bitter no matter how long you cook it (ta i tindi). The cooking time will differ depending on how much ekwakwa, eshilalodi, omundjulu or ombudje is present. If there is no ekwakwa or any of the above in ombidi, it will take longer than 60 minutes and expect it to be a little harder (when eating it) even when you think it is well done. Therefore, we can say the total time for cooking ombidi ranges from 1 - 1h30. Usually, ombidi is regarded as cooked when it is tasteless and no bitterness is tasted. 
(Some people prefer their ombidi with some bitterness, apparently because their mothers taught them that it is more nutritious and makes them grow up fast).

Preparing ombidi for eating

There are two ways that ombidi can be eaten, fresh or dried. Most households cook ombidi in large quantities, because if you have to pick ombidi you might as well pick a lot at one time rather then keep going back. There are two reasons behind this; firstly, you are afraid other women will laugh at you and regard you as lazy (evaya) if you don't pick enough, secondly, the ombidi will not be there tomorrow because other women have finished it. So, the more the better. If you have lots of it in the post then you may divide it into one part for eating fresh and one part for drying for better storage (making evanda).

Fresh Ombidi

Usually salt and pepper will be the seasoning, then when serving add cooked cow lard (butter - omaadi eengobe) or marula cooking oil (ondjove) and cherry tomatoes. For well to do people, cow lard had been the food for the king. Today people add onions and  tomatoes and if you do not have cow lard you can add modern day butter instead of omaadi eengobe or sunflower cooking oil instead of ondjove. But these are just substitutes, people still go out of their way to find the real thing. Some people say ombidi does not taste good without omaadi eengobe or ondjove 

Fresh ekwakwa

is the best vegetable for testing of the first omaadi eengobe (for the epalu celebration) where kids are allowed to indulge in the fresh vegetable immersed in omaadi eengobe. Epalu is the welcoming of cattle and the herders from the cattle post - it is a night of oshifima and ekwakwa and plenty of water.  That night kids will take a container of water to bed because this will make them want to drink water several times. Mothers will also have a terrible night since every one will be having stomach ache that night.

Table manners for eating ombidi.

Ombidi as used by some tribes in Namibia is a sauce to be eaten with oshifima (pearl millet porridge) instead of meat. Therefore, it is unthinkable to eat ombidi with meat. Today’s generation uses ombidi as a side vegetable for a meal of for instance potatoes or chicken. To the older generation this is a no-no. Till today there are rules governing eating together in the Oshiwambo tradition:
  • Before eating everybody must wash their hands in lukewarm water. Then they sit around the oshifima served in a flat basket (elilo) and ombidi served in a shallow clay pot (etiti). Nobody should start eating until everybody is seated. In modern times governed by Christianity, a prayer is then said. Traditionally people will only start eating once the adult person has said ‘let us eat or have eaten the first onghako - at epata with the girls and meme and at olupale with the boys and tate’. Then every body will start.

elilo (basket)

etiti (claypot) 
  • Take the oshifima from the basket by lifting it up and take a piece at a time. Do not take oshifima by pressing it against the basket - meme will be very angry because you are making her basket dirty. Male participants of the family - usually alone at olupale - are notorious for breaking this rule. They usually bring the basket back so dirty that you do not know what to do with it. Their punishment (depending on the family rules) is that the boys wash/clean the basket - usually a girls’ job.
  • Once you have your onghako in your hand you have to wait until it is your turn to go into etiti - do not put your onghako there when there is another person (bad manners of the highest order), people think you are a greedy person.
  • When you are in etiti do not make a hole in your onghako, where you can fill it with ombidi, so that you take more than your share. Many kids have been caught doing this especially at night when they think nobody see them. If you stay too long in etiti, making others wait, everyone will just wonder what is going on and they will ask you to hold your onghako while they get some light to see what you are up to. If they find a hole you will be requested kindly to return some ombidi to etiti and throughout the meal everybody will be guarding you (a bad feeling on your part).
  • After you placed your onghako  in your mouth, make sure none of your fingers go into your mouth and do not lick your fingers afterward until you have finished eating. Licking your fingers is a sign to indicate that you have finished eating (you have had enough). This rule has been broken a lot during the epalu celebration and it seems parents make exception to the rule that night. During epalu, sauces of all kinds run to your arms and because there are no napkins you have to rescue yourself by licking fingers, arms and all.
  • Do not drink water before finishing your meal. This has been notorius of all the table manners. The idea was well meant as parents think if you drink too much water you will have a small space for food in your stomach. So first fill your stomach with food and then with water. But kids could not abide to this rule sometimes you just say you are full even if you are not full just because you want to drink your water (wakenywa).
  • Do not forget to wash your hands after eating, especially after epalu, otherwise the ants (oufinini) will come and feast on you in the middle of the night and everyone in that room will really be angry with you; because in the process oufinini will even feast on those who have washed their hands.

Medicinal Use of ombidi species


Ombidi (omhungu) -ombidi is used to relieve different kinds of stomach ills including constipation. The leaves of ombidi are crushed into a pate then a lump of the pate is infused into you (behind). After that infusion you will definitely run to the toilet.

Ekundu (and other aloe plants) - these are used to treat eye problems. The juice (droplets) when the aloe branches is broken off, is squeezed in to your eye - 1-3 drops three times a day - (morning, midday and evening just before you sleep). This is especially effective when the eyes are inflamed (painful, red and itchy). It has a soothing effect, but it also goes into your nasals and that is no way close to soothing). Be careful not to blow your nose no matter what!
 


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