Recipe for " Mwendo wa Nzou ' 59 



doubtless because more water enters into its com- 

 position ; in fact, it loses more than half its weight 

 in drying, while that of the buffalo and zebra dimin- 

 ishes hardly a third. 



As to its quality, it is too hard and stringy for a 

 European. The heart is tender and very nutritious. 

 The trunk requires fifteen and the foot thirty hours' 

 cooking ; but these are succulent cates. Nothing 

 can be found to equal 'them among European dishes. 

 At the risk of hurtinof the feelings of our Parisian 



o O 



" vatels," I affirm that a piece of elephant's foot well 

 prepared by the wife of an elephant - hunter is 

 matchless. Bertrand and I have eaten for four or 

 five days in succession this mwendo wa nzou. We 

 have therefore, as you can see, a few compensations in 

 Central Africa. Here is the recipe which I dedicate 

 to housewives : 



How TO PREPARE ELEPHANT'S FOOT 



Take an elephant's foot, preferably young and very 

 fresh ; remove the white flesh which covers the bone, 

 and cut it into strips the thickness of your finger, 

 reminding one of sticks of pate de guimauve. Place 

 these appetising strips in the sun for two days to dry, 

 and collect the pure fat which exudes from them in 

 the form of clear oil. To make the dish known as 

 mwendo wa nzou, take one of these strips, cut it into 

 small pieces, put it into a saucepan containing a little 

 water, place it on a gentle fire, and renew the water 

 several times. When a jelly has formed add to it the 



