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Creativity, fecundity and the magical: Zina celebrates the women from the Niger Delta.

Barely back from Lagos I turn around and fly to Houston not too thrilled about being on a plane again but very much looking forward to attending Zina Saro-Wiwa’s Mangrove Banquet at the Blaffer Museum where she is having her first solo show in the US. As she eloquently tells us “ this banquet is in honor of her father Ken Saro -Wiwa, in honor of Ogoniland in the Niger Delta and especially in honor of all the undervalued labor women of the Niger Delta put into farming the land.” “ This banquet celebrates the bounty of the Niger Delta, the other bounty that is not petroleum. It affirms fertility, female farm labor, and celebrates creativity, fecundity and the magical.”

I was soon to be immersed in the scents and flavors of the foods from the Niger Delta.

It was my first time at the Blaffer Museum and only my second time in Houston. In fact the last time I had been in Houston was to see the exhibition The Progress of Love at the De Mesnil Collection where Zina was showing her video Eaten By The Heart.

I walked in not knowing anyone beside Zina but after a few sips of her magic potion or Bespoke cocktail – Lumene Lemongrass Fizz (Rhum Agricole with Pineapple and Lemongrass Syrup topped with Soda) Kuru’s Cure All – I was ready to work the room as one says!

Tables had been laid out in the back garden. Pineapples dipped in gold paint  standing as symbols of welcome decorated the table and napkins designed by Zina and printed by Pamela Cyri-Edgware from Port Harcourt added some bright color to an overall white and gold scheme. Zina loves Pamela’s fabrics and is an enthusiastic supporter and buyer of her work. I discovered all of this on Instagram by the way.

With the help of Benjy Mason’s great cooking team she brought the flavors, scents, and ingredients from West Africa to our table. Zina had spend weeks planning this from afar and had brought back in her suitcase scent leaf syrup and curry leaf oil that she had made in Port Harcourt. At her arrival in Houston she had joined Benjy’s team and scoured the local West African supermarkets on the Southwest side of Houston, which in fact carry African produce grown by people from Congo in the Gulf!

She was thrilled to find scent leaves, which she used as garnish. Furthermore “ they added a herby quality to the hibiscus broth! “ she said.

Every dish was a discovery: All the guests were soon engrossed in the novelty of the ingredients, and the myriad of flavors Zina had put together for us.

APPETIZER

Egusi Deviled Egg (I never say no to a deviled egg even if it is bad for my cholesterol!)

STARTER

Cold-Smoked Snapped cured and smoked in Zina’s Invisible Man Tree Bark, served with carrot Ribbons and Curry Leaf Aioli. (It all sounded mysterious especially this Invisible Man Tree Bark)

SOUP

Hibiscus broth (I loved the texture of the slightly chewy things that were floating in the broth. She called them periwinkles and that really confused me because in my book periwinkle is a flower. I soon found out how ignorant I was: Periwinkle is also a small edible sea snail. It was delicious!)

ENTREMETS

Palm wine and Alomo bitters Granita

Hand-washing in warm water and shea butter soap (I did not have to wash my hands since I had yet to loose my inhibitions and eat with my fingers)

ENTRÉE (to be eaten by hand!)

Wood-Roasted Red Snapper stuffed with mustard leaf dressed in palm oil. Crayfish and coconut dressing, served with pounded Avocado and Roasted Sweet Plantain. (It took me awhile before I got over internal voices telling me I should not use my hands and reached out and grabbed the side of the fish with my fingers and stuffed it into my mouth!)

DESSERT

Poached Guava with Scent Leaf Syrup

Alligator Pepper Ice Cream

Crushed and Toasted Chin Chin.

Through out the meal Tyres Donnett’s masked performance with a mortar and pestle from Nigeria reminded us of the women of the Niger Delta who work the land and bring and prepare food for their families.