Supporting resources

Cuisine and Etiquette in Sierra Leone

Personal Essay

A teacher from Sierra Leone share culture and customs common at mealtimes.

Cuisine and Etiquette in Uganda

Personal Essay

A teacher shares insights about mealtime customs in Uganda.

Cuisine and Etiquette in Zambia

Personal Essay

A Zambian teacher shares etiquette rules during meal times.

Background Information

Food is one way to experience another culture – and provides a multi-sensory experience for learners. The focus of this activity about mealtime etiquette focuses on how manners reflect cultural norms. Teachers from Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia provided the descriptions.

Objective

Learners will gain perspectives on cultural norms from customs related to eating in three African countries.

Materials

In-person: Large sheets of paper, white board, or computer with projector.

Virtual: Online learning platform that can break the class into groups and create lists, or a 'word' document function.

Procedures

1. Explain the concept of "staple food," usually a carbohydrate that is eaten daily and is a major source of calories. Ask the learners to identify the staple foods in their families and in other cultures/places they have studied/lived/traveled (e.g., potatoes for Ireland, rice for Japan, maize for Mexico). Explore staple food recipes online and search for examples. Explain that in their readings in this lesson learners will learn that rice is a staple food for most of West Africa, maize (corn) for much of Eastern and Southern Africa, and matoke or cooking bananas, for Uganda.
   
2. Ask learners to describe the table manners they see in their homes or in the school cafeteria. Who eats together? What do you do before eating? Are there rules about your hands or the way you sit? What do you do at the end of a meal? Why do we have rules about how to eat? Have you ever been in situations where the rules you are used to don't seem to fit?
   
3. Introduce the countries of Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia. If the learners are unfamiliar with their locations, point them out on a map of Africa.
   
4. Divide the class into three groups for Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia.
   
5. Have each group read the personal essay from their assigned country: Cuisine and Etiquette in Sierra Leone, Cuisine and Etiquette in Uganda, Cuisine and Etiquette in Zambia,  to identify the mealtime behaviors that are considered acceptable or unacceptable in Sierra Leone, Uganda, or Zambia.
   
6. On large sheets of paper/overhead transparencies or online learning platform, each group should draw up a list of rules for mealtime that they think are observed in their assigned country. The list should include: a) roles for men, women, and children; b) proper behavior before, during, and after the meal; and c) taboos, or what not to do when eating in this country.
   
7. Have each group display its lists and report its findings. As a whole class, compare etiquette among the three countries.
   
8. Remind learners that the cultural behaviors that we observe can often provide ideas about what the group values or thinks is most important. For example, by observing that it is common for Ugandan families to say a prayer before eating, we may assume that religion is an important part of daily life. Work with the whole class to develop some ideas about the values represented by the behaviors they listed. Some examples follow:
   • In Sierra Leone, if you visit a friend, he or she will almost always invite you to stay and eat. (Possible values: sharing, hospitality)
     
   • In Sierra Leone, when people finish eating, they wash their hands and thank the cook. (Possible values: cleanliness, respect for adults and for work)
     
   • In Uganda, the responsibility for preparing the families' meals belongs solely to women and girls in the home. (Possible value: clearly defined roles for men and women)
     
   • In Zambia, if visitors happen to have a meal with the family, they are given the honor of washing first. (Possible value: guests are treated with honor)
     

Debriefing

Use the following questions to focus discussion on the meaning of culture.

1. What are some mealtime rules observed in your household that are similar to those observed in the African households described in your reading?
   
2. What are some mealtime habits or rules in your home that a visitor from one of these three African countries may find unusual? What could you do to make your visitor feel comfortable?
   
3. Zambian children learn lessons about manners from their mothers during mealtime. How did you learn what behavior is appropriate at mealtime?
   
4. What if you brought a guest from Sierra Leone to a fast food restaurant in the United States? What might your friend think about the type of food, the manner of serving it, and the way people eat?
   
5. Why are rules of etiquette so important? Whose rules do you follow when your sharing a meal at someone's house? Whose rules do you follow in a restaurant? 
   

Extensions

• Simulate a meal from a different culture by using recipes from students' families, or found online. Responsibilities for preparation should be divided among class members as you see fit. Some classes may prefer to prepare one dish; others may want to sample several. The easiest dish to prepare is fried plantains. Groundnut stew is simple to prepare, and Americans usually enjoy it. During the meal, follow the rules outlined in the readings as closely as possible.
• Encourage class members to tell their own stories about experiencing a new situation or having a hard time understanding someone else’s ways of doing things. What did they learn from these experiences? 
• Invite a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, an international exchange student, a recent immigrant, or students’ family members to talk about food and manners they have seen, lived, or were expressed in other countries. 
• Use this lesson plan to supplement content on agriculture or climate in the countries analyzed.