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How did Sierra Leone get its name?

It was a Portuguese explorer by the name of Pedro da Cintra, back in 1492, who named the area, “Sierra Lyoa” meaning, “Lion Mountains.”  There is some question as to whether it was named for the shape of the mountains or because the thunder sounded like a lion’s roar, upon his arrival.  In 1808 when it became a British Crown Colony, the name was misspelled to Sierra Leona and then later modified to Sierra Leone.  Sierra Leoneans call their country “Salone,” a Franco Krio name.   A nickname for Sierra Leone is “The Little Jewel,” as it is known for its gold and diamonds.

Where is Sierra Leone located?

Sierra Leone lies on the west coast of Africa.  It is bordered by Guinea to the north and northeast, Liberia to the south and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west.  It has a tropical climate with two seasons; the dry season is from Nov-May and the rainy season is June-Oct.  It has a coastal belt of mangrove swamps, a wooded hill country, an upland plateau and mountains.

A brief history of Sierra Leone

Archaeological findings show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited for thousands of years.  Different tribes and invaders organized themselves in small political units of kingdoms and chiefdoms.  Muslim traders brought Islam to the country.  It was the Portuguese sailors, who were the first Europeans to detail their adventures along the coast of Sierra Leone.

Located near the capital port city of Freeport was the Rokel estuary, which was established as an important source of freshwater for sea traders.  Initially, it was a place to trade for swords and kitchen items, in exchange for beeswax and fine ivory works.  By the mid 1550s, it was the slaves that were traded.  The English, French, Dutch and Danish all had interests in the area.  Trade was established through African rulers who prohibited European traders from entering the interior of the continent. 

In 1787, British philanthropists founded the “Province of Freedom.”  It later became known as Freeport and was the principal base for the suppression of the slave trade.  Some 1200 slaves were relocated there from Nova Scotia in 1792, along with a group of slaves from Jamaica.  By 1855, over 50,000 freed slaves called Freetown home, and they became known as the Krios.

Sierra Leone gained independence on April 27, 1971.  Since independence it has experienced many changes politically, economically and in their social norms.  The 1990s brought a horrific civil war that led to intervention by the International community.  The war ended in 2002 and the process of rebuilding continues to this day.

As if recovering from civil war is not hard enough, Sierra Leone was hit in May of 2014 with the deadly Ebola virus.  The Ebola virus transmission was deemed  to be stopped in 2016, however there was a new strain found in bats in 2018 that once again alarmed scientists.  Although there are many travel warnings about visiting Sierra Leone, some bloggers say they have the most beautiful beaches and friendliest people in all of West Africa.  Despite its diamonds and gold, due to fighting and the skimming of resources, it is a poor country, one of the poorest in the world.  It is however, making strides and one day may become one of the world’s hottest, new travel destinations.

Sierra Leone Culture

The majority of Sierra Leoneans still live a traditional life, including subsistence agriculture, with ruling chiefs and religions which preserve social stability.  They also preserve local music, customs and traditions.

One interesting feature is the secret societies of Sierra Leone.  They are a fundamental part of the culture. There is the men’s secret society called the Poro and the women’s secret society is called Bundu.  These are where life lessons are taught and essential skills and knowledge concerning reaching puberty are passed on to contribute to the important roles of their society.

They also practice an interesting way of settling disputes called, palaver.  You may see two or three people yelling at each other quite aggressively and then immediately stop and hug each other like they are best friends.  This avoids anyone holding a grudge.

There are 16 different ethnic groups in Sierra Leone with the Temne in the north and Mende in the south, which is the largest.  The official language is English but Krio is the most universal.  Animist and Muslim are the two most practiced religions, followed by Christianity.

The Limba tribe plays a very important role in Sierra Leonean culture as they are the only people who can tap palm wine, also called poyo.  Other villages will put up signs trying to recruit good wine tappers in hopes that their village won’t run out of the naturally fermented, alcoholic drink.

Sierra Leone Cuisine

Sierra Leone’s cuisine is influenced by West Africa, in general.  Rice is considered a staple and they have multiple words in creole to describe the many ways it is consumed, like: pounded rice, steamed rice and the crusty part that forms on the bottom of a pot.  There is a saying there that, “If I haven’t had my rice, I haven’t eaten today.”  The rice is served with all sorts of stews and sauces, typically made with greens from cassava and potato leaves.  Other popular ingredients include: palm oil, onions, tomatoes, yams, ginger and chili peppers.  Protein is usually derived from ground-up nuts and beans, but also from fish, chicken goat meat and pork.  Being along the coast, oysters, lobster and crab are also frequently consumed.  The majority of the calories however, will almost always be from rice.

Fruits are also abundant in the lush, tropical regions of Sierra Leone and include: oranges, bananas, limes, lemons, pawpaws, avocados, watermelon, mangoes, guava and pineapples.  Fruit is typically consumed as a snack.  Plantains are fried and served as chips.  The stock cube, maggi, is also prominent in the cuisine, adding an umami, salty flavor, for which West African cuisine is well known.

Food is typically cooked over firewood or charcoal in large pots, placed directly over the flame.  It is only prepared by women or girls.

So let’s enjoy a Sierra Leone meal:

The Menu

Appetizer

Grilled Oyster with Lime

Main Dish

Cassava Leaf Stew with Rice

Dessert

Ginger Cake

the meal served with:

Ginger Beer

We set the scene with colors of the Sierra Leone flag; green white and blue.  The green is symbolic of the agriculture and natural resources of the country.  White symbolizes justice and the blue is for the ocean and harbor of Freetown.  A lion figure was placed to represent the name of the country, as well as a coconut and a few palm fronds.  Rice, ginger and peanuts were added, as these are the staples of Sierra Leone.

Our first course was fresh, grilled oysters.  I have always eaten oysters raw and this was my first experience to grill them.  They actually open up on the grill and are incredibly succulent and delicious. They are simply served with a fresh squeeze of lime juice.  Grilling is a perfect way to enjoy oysters for those who are squeamish about eating oysters raw.  Oysters are abundant in the swampy mangroves that line the coast.  They are also an important source of income for the locals who harvest and sell them.

Our main course was cassava leaf stew, with sauce and served with steamed, rice balls.  It had a bit of beef in it, which is a luxury ingredient in Sierra Leone.  Cassava leaves were bought already pounded and the addition of eggplant, maggi, peanut butter, onions and smoked fish made this dish rich and flavorful.  It was a delight to the palate.

We set our plate in the center of the table and made little balls with the rice, which were then dipped into the sauce.  Food is to be eaten only with the right hand.  Typically, the men get the best pieces of meat, then the boys.  The women and girls get what is left.  It is important however, to only eat what is directly in front of where you are seated.  It is considered rude to reach over the platter.  It is also considered rude to talk during the meal.

For dessert, we enjoyed what is called, ginger cake.  I found it more like a bread than a cake but it was very tasty and a lovely way to end our meal; a sweet bite, topped with powdered sugar.

We enjoyed the whole meal with a very popular drink that is loved all over West Africa called, ginger beer. This was the non-alcoholic version and we loved it.  The ginger adds a surprising amount of heat to the drink.  The ginger settles on the bottom of the glass and can be added to your desired level of heat.

After dinner, we sat down and watched the adventure movie called, Blood Diamonds.  The movie depicts Sierra Leone during the civil war when diamonds were traded for weapons.  It was a tragic and violent time in this country’s history. 

As we say goodbye to Sierra Leone, I leave you with a few proverbs:

“A black cow gives white milk”

“To try and fail is not laziness”

and

“It is better to be loved than feared”

Until next time,

Good bye in Krio, “a de go”

Warmest regards,

Darlene Longacre

Liberia gets its name from the Latin word liber which means “free”, so Liberia means “Land of the Free.”  Liberia is located on the West African coast.  It is bordered by Sierra Leone to the northwest, Guinea to the north and Cote d’Ivoire, to the east.  In 1816, a group called, the American Colonization Society, or the ACS, which was made up mostly of Quakers and slaveholders in Washington D.C., agreed that black Americans should be repatriated to Africa.  The Quakers opposed slavery and felt that freeborn, black slaves would face a better chance in Africa than in the United States.  They also wanted them to spread Christianity, which they did, resulting in Liberia becoming the most Christian of all African countries.  The slaveholders however, only agreed to the emigration because they were in fear of a slave rebellion, like the one that took place in Haiti, called Santo Domingo.  In 1822, the first ship of 86 black emigrants landed on Cape Montserrado, at the time known as the Grain Coast.

In 1824, the settlement was named Monrovia, after the American president and ACS member, James Monroe.  The colony then became the Republic of Liberia.  The first years were a real challenge.  The settlers suffered from malaria and yellow fever, which were epidemic in the area.  They also faced attacks from the native populations who were not at all happy with the settlement.  Despite these challenges, the black settlers were determined to show the rest of the world that they could create and develop their own country and so freed slaves kept arriving.  Over the next forty years, 19,000 Americo-Liberians, as they were called, settled there.

The settlers built schools, including a university and during the early years, their agriculture, trade and shipbuilding flourished.  As the only free republic in Africa, Liberia was a model for other African colonies trying to achieve independence.  William Tubman became president of Liberia in 1944 and made great strides to modernize parts of Liberia along the coast.  He also allowed indigenous populations into the mainstream, giving them the right to vote.  His rule, however, gradually became more and more authoritarian, he even changed the constitution to allow himself to remain in office for seven consecutive terms.  By the time of his death in 1971, frustrations were at a peak.  The population was growing poorer and lacked basic needs like access to safe drinking water and electricity.  His successor, William Tolbert, tried to improve the political and economic climate but his attempts failed.  Basically Liberia has struggled through civic divisions and violence ever since.

On Christmas Eve of 1989, a rebel army began a brutal civil war, organized by a man named Charles Taylor.  Entire villages were emptied.  Soldiers, many of them just children, were forced to commit unspeakable atrocities, raping and murdering people of all ages.  Fifteen years of bloodshed undid much of what Liberia had managed to achieve.  The infrastructure was destroyed.  More than 200,000 people were killed and another 1,500,000 were displaced or became refugees in other surrounding countries.

Today, Liberia is still healing and recovering, albeit slowly.  Hope lies in the hands of the first ever, black female president in the world and first woman president in Africa.  Her name is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.  She is Liberia’s 24^th president and became a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in 2011.  As if she didn’t have enough to deal with after the country was torn apart by civil war, the Ebola outbreak hit her country extremely hard.  Thanks to her persuasion of the international community and especially President Obama of the United States, the disease has been nearly eradicated in Liberia.  She has made great strides in revitalizing the nation’s economy by building up infrastructure and restoring Liberia’s credibility with international entities.  She is likely the best president the nation has ever seen.

As we look into the cuisine of this nation, it has largely been influenced by the free slaves that arrived there those many years ago.  Most recipes come from the American south, as well as traditional West African creations.  The population is made up of at least 26 tribes, in addition to those who came from the United States.  English is the official language, along with indigenous languages.  Most people survive on sustenance farming and many make their living in agriculture.  Women sell their goods at local markets.  Cassava, peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and palm oil are all staple ingredients, along with a variety of vegetables especially okra and beans.  Rice is also considered a staple food.  It is a common saying in Liberia that “one has not eaten all day” if they had not enjoyed a dish with rice in it.  Cassava leaves, along with different types of meats, are made into stews.  However, meat is considered a luxury.  Fish is cheaper than beef or chicken and is more commonly used in many of the dishes.  Fufu, or dumboy with palava sauce, is considered to be their national dish.  Palava sauce is a dish made with molokheya, a leafy green vegetable from the mallow family.  It gets that same gooey texture that okra imparts and is readily available in Liberia.  The sauce is stewed with dried fish and chicken, red palm oil and some heat from scotch bonnet peppers.  Rice bread and sweet potato pone (cornbread), are also loved treats in Liberia.

So let’s enjoy a Liberian meal:

The Menu

Starter

Rice Bread (Made with Mashed Bananas)

Drink

Pineapple-Ginger Beer (A non-alcoholic drink)

Main Course

Liberian Chicken Gravy (Chicken and Shrimp in Sauce)

Served with

Check Rice (Spinach and Okra Rice)

Dessert

 Milk Candy

We set the table with the colors of the Liberian flag, which very much resembles the flag of the United States of America;  red, white and blue.  A white star represents the first, independent, western-styled republic in all of Africa.  A tire was placed to signify their robust rubber industry and cocoa, coffee and iron ore were added to represent other important exports.  We included a ship to symbolize their very prominent ship building industry.  Palm fronds were placed to characterize the Sapo National Park.  This very significant, rain forest is home to many tropical birds and animals, including the rare, pygmy hippopotamus.  Finally, we added a statue of a  beautiful, African woman, to represent the hope that the current president brings to this nation.

Our meal began with a delicious slice of rice bread.  It is similar to banana bread, as it is made with mashed bananas and combined with cream of rice for a lovely snack, any time of day.  We enjoyed it warm, straight from the oven.

With our meal, we served a drink called pineapple ginger beer.  Despite the name, it does not contain any alcohol and is ubiquitous in Liberia.  It is a refreshing drink made with pineapple skin and ginger root that is boiled and then strained.  Served icy cold, with a squeeze of lime, I will remember to make this revitalizing drink on a hot summer day.

For the main course we had a dish called Liberian chicken gravy.  It is a much loved dish in Liberia and for good reason.  The sauce combines complex flavors with spicy heat.  This sauce was somewhat reminiscent of the African pepper sauce that we discovered from Cameroon (which I have made countless times since that journey.)  The chicken gravy is made with both chicken and shrimp for a hearty meal.  It was served with another loved dish, called check rice.  Typically made from jute leaf, (also known as molokheya), I made the dish with spinach and okra, which are common substitutes for molokheya.  To be perfectly honest, I have never really appreciated the consistency of okra, however the taste is quite lovely.  I know many people around the world and especially in the deep South in America, love it.  I decided to make it, as I always want to experience what moves the the culture through the food that is loved.

For dessert we had what they call milk candy.  It is made from sweetened, condensed milk and is a simple, little candy treat that was topped with a roasted peanut.  It was soft and creamy and reminded us of dolce de leche, from Argentina.  It is simply delicious and very easy to make.  Milk candy can be made to any consistency you like; the longer you cook it the harder and deeper in color it gets.  This was a scrumptious, sweet end our Liberian meal.

After our meal we set up for a game of scrabble, since the scrabble association in Monrovia is an important meeting place to discuss politics.  As the country continues to heal, there is a recognition that people can forgive but it is often hard to forget.  Time can only help to heal their wounds.  I  am looking forward to reading a book by Graham Greene, called, Journey without Maps.  He  wrote this story in  1935, about a 350 mile, four week walk, through the interior of Liberia, searching for the”heart of darkness” in Africa.

I leave you with a couple quotes from the ultra famous and remarkable Oprah Winfrey, who has traced her African roots to Liberia:

“The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”

“Don’t worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow.”

and

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.  If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.

Until next week,

Warmest regards,

Darlene