There are still so many culinary secrets and delicacies in African cuisine, which have not been discovered by the general world population. I have already described Odii – central to the cuisine of the people of northern Uganda, and Ugali, common in one form or other right across Africa. Here is a real gem: Murzik!
What is Murzik?
The lady is seated by the wood fire. Every so often, she picks up a piece of wood that is barely burning, and rubs the blackened end deep into the container in her hand – a gourd. She does this several times, until the gourd is completely black inside. When she is satisfied, she pours fresh milk into the gourd and seals it with a tight leather seal, decorated with little beads.
Three days later, she opens the seal and pours out – Murzik.
The lady is most likely from the Kalenjin tribe of Kenya, who live on the high plateaus of western Kenya and in the Great Rift Valley.
They are Nilotes, and have been cattle keepers for generations. They tend to be sparely built, tall and dark. The majority of long distance runners in Kenya are from the Kalenjin tribe.
Central to traditional Kalenjin food is Murzik.
Murzik is a form of fermented milk, fermented in a prepared gourd. A gourd is a climbing plant, which produces fruit of various lengths or roundness. The fruit is not edible, but when dried, makes a very handy container. The dried gourd is hollowed out to remove the woody interior. The resulting container is as beautiful and as stable as good wood.
Not any old wood can be used to prepare a gourd for Murzik. There is special non-poisonous, aromatic wood for this purpose. The sweet-smelling wood ash lends the fermented milk a special taste and aroma.
Murzik is served with maize meal bread – Ugali as we say in Kenya – as a special snack for visitors or as a wholesome family meal.
It goes without saying that a Kalenjin woman’s gourd collection is one of her most treasured household effects. There are gourds of every size, shape and colour, their leather clasps and handles lovingly embroidered with beads.
A Kalenjin bride receives her own new collection of gourds as part of her wedding gifts. And probably the greatest gift that one woman can give another is to let her have her favourite gourd.
And one of the greatest compliments a woman can ever hear about herself is that her skin resembles a Kalenjin gourd.
Life in Kalenjin-land is changing – like everywhere else, but Murzik remains a special and precious delicacy.
You probably heard it here first. Murzik.