1Dish4TheRoad
"1 Dish 4 The Road".. Fusing food writing with whatever else I find on the road – fiction, history, poetry, humour, diversity, family stories & London.

Goats, Stews and Stories; Ayamase at Chishuru

Nigerian goats ayamase stew at Brixton restaurant Chishuru

Goats have a habit of finding themselves in stews and stories. It’s their fate, their destiny, and it’s been like that for over ten thousand years…

 

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According to a Nigerian folk tale, there was once a rich man, who went by the name of Abdullahi. He owned a considerable number of cattle, sheep and, most of all, goats. However, he was a lonely man, with no family or friends for company.

One day, he met the judge of the town, who advised that when he died, all his cattle, sheep and goats would pass to the chief.

‘I don’t want the chief getting all these things,’ replied Abdullahi disgruntledly. ‘I’d rather sell them and enjoy life while I still can.’

Now words have the habit of catching on the wind, and little did Abdullahi know that he’d been overheard by the town rascal, who was already hatching mischief with his gang.

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‘Herschel and His Goats; Loving Thy Neighbour’ – A Ukrainian Jewish folktale in support of #CookForUkraine

A flower bouquet of yellow daffodils against a blue sky in support of the people of Ukraine

Many centuries ago, in the western stretches of Ukraine, lived the great Kabbalistic mystic and healer, the Baal Shem Tov. One day, as he was walking by the marketplace, he caught sight of an elderly man, unkempt and dishevelled.

To the amazement of the Baal Shem Tov, surrounding the man was the shimmering glow of heavenly light. The man however seemed quite oblivious, busy as he was perusing vegetables at one of the stalls, taking great care to pick out the choicest and freshest greens.

Intrigued, the Baal Shem Tov followed the man all the way back to his home, a dilapidated shack on the outskirts of town. Even more astonishment followed, for when the man walked through the gate, he was suddenly accosted by a throng of goats, whose ears he affectionately tousled, and whose bleating was warm and joyous. The man proceeded to get out the greens, and fed them to the appreciative beasts.

‘My dear friend!’ called out the Baal Shem Tov, and he approached the gate. ‘I’m sorry to intrude, but I couldn’t help being curious – goats like to eat shrubs and weeds, so why are you feeding them your finest produce?’

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