A story of my grandmother that inspired my foraging for local fruits in my village of Mazvihwa in Zimbabwe & Oxford

A story of my grandmother that inspired my foraging for local fruits in my village of Mazvihwa in Zimbabwe & Oxford

My dear grandmother was the mother of my father and my three aunties whom my family and the extended family treasured. She was a widow and she lived at the same homestead with my family, but she had her own two bedroom bungalow with a veranda and a barn where she stored the harvested crops that she grew at her plot of land with the help of my family/extended family. On her plot of land my grandmother preferred to grow drought resistance crops such as rapoko, sorghum and millet whilst intercropping them with groundnuts, pumpkins and water melons. Rapoko, sorghum and millet are used for flour for our staple diet and malt. Malt is for the preparation of our local seven day beer. The fermentation process of this beer takes place in large handmade clay pots made by handicrafts women and the beer is brewed by highly skilled female artisans. When the beer is ready it is shared jointly with others / communities at ceremonies to celebrate and appease our ancestral. Malt can also be used for making a day/night mild fermented drink to share with family members and the communities at the planting season/ harvesting events. The mild fermented drink is kept in small / medium clay pots and anyone can prepare this type of mild drink.

Although my grandmother had her own plot of land and a house she keenly planned her own daily chores and she still happily helped with the upbringing of my siblings including the children of the extended family. In addition she was involved with the communities by supporting individuals with matters they wanted to chat about to her. Yet during her spare time she either gave hair cut to the primary school age grandchildren and the hair style we liked was having a bhibho. Bhibho hair style is when the back and side of the hair is shaved/cut whilst leaving a patch of hair trimmed short and neatly on the top of the head. After grandmother had given us the hair cut she would give us a basket of groundnuts as a treat to share amongst ourselves. But most importantly she merrily went foraging for her favourite local fruits called suma. She would pick the unripe fruits in September/October and let them ripen for a few days. When the fruits were ripe she would put them in a winnowing basket and gives them to us so that we can share them amongst our cousins, nieces, brothers and sisters. Suma fruits are harvested from mature trees. The unripe fruits are green turning yellowish when ripe, the taste of the ripe fruit is sweet like ripen dates. The process of suma to ripen is quite similar to how bananas ripen when we buy them from a shop.

Due to the fact that my grandmother spent some of her spare time taking foraging outings in the village woodlands of Mazvihwa - this enabled me when I was at primary school to take the initiative to find the trees which I could pick the local edible fruits. “Even so in our culture how do you identify the different types of local edible fruits?” I knew the edible fruits from our elders or older family members who told me about them. When I went foraging I did not use any map even my grandmother to pinpoint the locations where to find these local fruit trees. Basically it was just about walking, looking, remembering, and seeing what we were foraging for on that particular day. Sometimes people in the community can tell you where to get these local fruit trees. Somehow I was lucky when I took my foraging tour because most of the local fruit trees were in the proximity of my family’s home. For example fruits like nhengeni, mapfura, mazambirigwa, matohwe, mbumbunu, zvimatomatisi and checheni. Amongst these fruits my fave were mazambirigwa(wild grapes) and they are like grapes but a bit small in size - [size of blueberries] and before they ripe they are green. When they have ripened the colour becomes deep purple. At our home in Mazvihwa I also took my daughters as well as my brother’s children when they were preschool/primary school age to forage for matohwe and mbumbunu and they liked these fruits and it was great to have such jolly outings with them. My brother’s son would get so excited each time he saw a ripe dohwe/matohwe by pointing and saying “Auntie, auntie look there is a ripe dohwe/matohwe!” Through my conversations now with my younger daughter she pointed out that she was delighted to have the opportunity to go for walks in order to forage for matohwe fruits in particular at her grandparents`s field.

However further away from my parent’s home I took leisurely walks with my beloved mother especially to one of the rivers that had a giant Muchokochiyana fruit tree. This tree stood majestically on the riverbank showcasing its artistry of scrumptious fruits whilst from time to time the wind whistled a cool warmer breeze on its leaves. The unripe fruits are green and whitish when they are ripe and are harvested in October to November and can be pounded in a big mortar/pestle to produce flour that is for cooking porridge. Having said that the trip(s) to the river(s) was my bestest time because it was not just letting my mind get only consumed about picking the Muchokochiyana fruits, but to relish the equanimity of the river with its deep water pools, the big bold rocks embedded in the riverbeds and water shimmering in the warmth of the sunlight. On the other hand I was very grateful that my mother was able to set aside time for us to go for these walks that enabled my mind to be fed by the stunning scenery of the river(s).

Nevertheless this habit and bliss of foraging for fruits has never soured my appetite to allow it to continue in Oxford where I reside. And having an allotment in Oxford where I have a blackberry bush makes it is easier for me to go and harvest the blackberries or forage elsewhere near my home. When I am foraging for the blackberries my mind is flooded with gratitude to my elders and village communities in Mazvihwa whose wise thoughts and education helped me to fully appreciate the joy of harvesting the different types of edible local fruits as well as the ability to identify them. Also foraging in my villages of Mazvihwa those past years gave me the opportunity to go for strolls as well as immerse my mind in the aura that flourished with a variety of local trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses and the beautiful birds singing their sweet melodies especially the doves.

Anyway having said that my daughter Thandiwe and I we also harvest apples to make homemade cider using a fruit juicer. Homemade cider preparation gives me the mirthful time that I fully benefit after harvesting the apples. Equally the day outings with my daughter give us quality time to catch up about life and contemporary matters.

Last but not least foraging Zimbabwe local fruits documented in my account permits me to put into perspective my village traditions and customs. These traditions and customs are generously passed to others by our intelligent elders, older family members and the village communities. All this knowledge immaculately achieved through their sheer determination of sharing their wisdom with the members of their communities.

Shona Language translated version:

Nyaya yambuya vangu nezvidzidzo zvavakandidzidzisa nekutsvaka  mafurutsu munzvimbo yekwaMazvihwa kuZimbabwe nekuOxford

Mbuya vangu vaigara pamusha wavabereki vangu asi vaiva vane imba yavo nedura iro ravaichengetera zviyo zvavaikohwa kumunda wavo kwavairima vachibatsirwa nemhuri yedu nehama dzavo. Mbuya vaida chaizvo kurima rukweza, mapfunde nemhunga nokuti vaiziva kuti kana mvura ikasanaya zvakanaka izvozvi zviyo zwairarama. Apo vairima rukwesa, mapfune nemhunga vaivhenganisa nekurima nzungu, manhanga nemavisi. Zvirimwa zverukweza, mhunga nemapfunde  zvinoshandisiwa kuita upfu hwesadza nekuiita mumera wekubikisa doro rinomwiwa nevanhu vemunzvimbo yavo apo pavanenge vachipemberera madziteteguru avo. Irori doro  rinovira muhari dzemakate uyezve doro irori rinobikwa navanhukadzi vaneruzivo rwekubikwa kewdoro. Hari dzedoro idzodzi dzinoumbiwa nevanhhukadzi  vaneruzivo rwekuumba hari. Zvimwe zvinoshandisiwa nemumera wezviyo izvozvi kubika mahewu anomwiwa nemhuri nevanhu vemunzwimbo apo vanoita mabasa ekukohwa nekushakura zviyo. Mahewu anovirira muhari dzinonzi zvipfuko - iwawa mahewu chero mhunhu anokwanisa kuabika.

Chero zvavo mbuya vanga vane munda wavo vaikwanisa kugadzirisa nekufambisa nyaya dzepamba pavo uyezve nekurera mhuri yababa namai vangu nehama dzavo. Pane dzimwe nguva mbuya vaigera vazukuru vavo vuhdzi zvikuru avo vazukuru vaienda kuchikoro chepuraimari, apo vatigera vaitipa nzungu dzataifarira kudya. Isu zvataifarira pakugera kwambuya kuva nekuva nebhibho. Imomu muzvimbo yavaigara mbuya vaibatsiravo vanhu vemunzvimbo yavaigara nedzimwe nzwimbo dzaiva dziri pedyo ne musha wavabereki vangu.

Apo mbuya pavainge vawana nguva vaifarira kuenda kunononga suma mumasango  enzwimbo dzekwaMazvihwa. Pavainonga suma dzinenge dzisina kuibva ruvara rwadzo dzinenge dziri girini kana dzaibva dzineruvara rweyero, idzodzi suma dzinokohwehwa mumwedzi waGunyana naGumiguru. Apo mbuya vadzinonga suma vaidzirenga dzoibva kuitira kuti vazodzipa mhuri yedu nehama dzavo kuti tidye pamwe chete. Idzo suma  kuibva kwadzo kunenge kwakafanana nemabhanana awo atinotenga muzvitoro.

Nechikonzero chekuti mbuya dzimwe nguva vaiwana nguva yokuenda kuno tswaka suma dzavaifarira mumasango - ini  ndizvo zvakandiita kuti ndive nechido chekunotswaka nekunhonga michero/mafurutsu inodyiwa mumasango munzwimbo yekwaMazvihwa.”Ko tinoziva seyi kuti iyoyi michero iri mumasango inodyiwa kana kuti haidyiwi?” Ivo vanambuya, vanasekuru, nanavatete, vanabhudhi, vanasisi nevanhu venzwimbo idzodzo dzinemichero iyoyi  ndivo vanotidzidzisa nepamusoro pemichero iyoyi. Asi ini pandakatanga kuenda kunotswaka michero iyoyi handina kuenda nemapu yokundiudza iko kwandaizonononga michero iyoyi, zvandakaita ndezvekuti ndaingofamba, ndofunga zvandakadzidzisiwa nepmusoro pemichero iyoyi, nekutarisa zvandinoona iwoyo musi wandinoenda kunokohwa michero inodyiwa yemunnzwimbo iyoyi kana dzimwe nzwimbo. Dzimwe nguva vanhu vemunzvimbo yaunogara kana dzimwe nzwimbo vanokuudza kwaunogona kuwana michero iyoyi. Ini chakazonakidza ndechekuti michero iyoyi yandaitswaga yanga iri pedyo nemusha wavabereki vangu-semichero inonzi nhengeni, mapfura,mazamirigwa, matohwe, mbumbunu, zvimatomatisi ne checheni.Ipapa pamafurutsu iwawa andainyaya kudya mazambirigwa akada kufanana ne magrapes asi maduku kana aibva anoita ruvara rwepepuru/pepo. Ikoko kumusha ndaienda nevanasikana vangu nevana vabhudhi vangu kunonhonga matohwe nebhubunnhu izvozvi zvataiita zvaitifadza chaizvo. Apo mwana wabhudhi vangu paaiona matohwe akaibva waibva waona mwoyo wake uchifarira kuona iwawa mato pakuti ini ndimaoone matohwe aaitaura aibva wondidana achiti  “Vatete, vatete tarisayi iro/iwo dohwe/ matobwe!” ikoku kunotsvwaka matohwe uyu mwanasikana wangu apo mazuva ano pataitaura nenyaya iyoyi iye arikuziva apo taienda kunotswaka matohwe iko kumunda kwasekuru nambuya vake.

Asi kurwizi kwanga kuri kure nekumusha asi ndiko kwanga kune Muchokochiyana muti mukuru iyo michero yemuti iwoyu kana isasti yaibva  inenge iri igirini kana yaibva inenge iri chena. Chokochiyana dzinokohwehwa mumwedzi waGumiguru naMbudzi. Kana ukapwa chokochiyana muduri upfu hwacho unobikisa poriji Asi ini  chandaifarira chaizvo kuenda kurwizi ndechekuti ndaida kunoona madziva, matobho mahombe nerunako rwerwizi nemvura iyo inodziya nokuda kokuti inenge yakavhenekegwa nezuva.Saka ini ndinotenda chaizvo mai vangu vakawana nguva yokuenda neni kunzizi kunoona zvinhu zvakanakidza nekufarirwa nepfungwa dzangu.

Iyoyi tsika yokufarira kuenda kunokohwa michero mumasango ini ndinozviita muno muOxford mandinogara nokuti ndine mugove/munda wangu muno muOxford saka zvinondiitira nyore kuenda kunokohwa mablackberries pamuti uri pamugove wangu nedzimwe nzwimbo dziri pedyo nemusha muno munzvimbo yeOxford. Apo ndinenge ndichikohwa mablackberries kana maapples mwoyo wangu unobva wafara nerudo rwekutenda vanasekuru, vanambuya, vanabhudhi nanavateete, vanasisi nevanhu vemunzvimbo yekwaMazvihwa vakandipa mukanwa, ruzivo nechido chandiri kutevedzera muno muOxford.

Nokudarovo mazuva ano ini nasisi Thandiwe tinokohwa nemaapples tichibika apple cider, kubikwa kwe apple cider tinoshandisa fruit juicer. Asi chinhu chikurusa chandinodira kuenda kunokohwa michero muno muOxford ndechekuti ini nasisi Thandiwe tinowana nguva yekukurukura nyaya dzeupenyu hwedu. Asi kunyaya yekukohwa michero yandaiita kumusha kwaMzvihwa ini ndinoti kwaindipa nguva yokufamba mumasango ndichifadziwa nokuona miti, maruva, bundo neshiri dzakanaka dzaiimba nziyo dzinonakidza chaizvo kudziteerera -zvikurusa nziyo dzenjiva.

Pakupedzisira nenyaya yangu iyoyi yandanyora ini ndinoti inondipa mukana wetsika neupenyu hwangu hwandino farira kuhwuchengeta apo ndichihwunyora kuitira kuti ndisahwukangamwa. Idzodzi tsika dzangu neupenyu hwangu ndzinodzidzisa ruzivo rwekuchenjera kwevanhu vemunzvimbo yekwaMazvihwa apo vaiziva michero inodyiwa yakasiyana-siyana munzvimbo yavanogara.

 

November 2023

Story by Florence (Mai Thandiwe).

Illustrations of local Zimbabwean fruits mentioned in this piece by her daughter Tanya Nonthando.