The traditional foods of the Luchazi people
The traditional foods of the Luchazi people
The main staple food of the Luchazi people is a thick meal porridge known as civundu. It is prepared from cassava meal, millet meal, or maize meal and is usually served with a variety of relishes. These include meat ,(ntsitu), fish (vantsi), chicken (kasumbi), mongu (caterpillars), beans (makunde), and vuihua (mushrooms), as well as vegetables such as cassava leaves, mutete, and zindzilo (eggplants).
Traditionally, the preparation of meals is mainly the responsibility of women, while men cook only in specific ritual contexts. Cultural beliefs also influence cooking practices. For example, a menstruating woman is traditionally not allowed to add salt to food, as it is believed that doing so may cause those who eat the food to develop a cough.
Luchazi food is prepared using various methods, including boiling, stewing, braising, and roasting over an open fire. Cooking utensils traditionally include wooden cooking sticks, clay pots, cast-iron pots (including three-legged pots), as well as modern steel pots and pans.
Typical Luchazi Foods
1. Root Tubers
Cassava (muandza) is the most important and valuable crop among the Luchazi people. Cassava tubers are usually harvested after about three years. The tubers may be eaten raw, roasted, boiled, or prepared as cassava meal porridge (civundu ca muandza).
Because raw cassava contains cyanide, only certain non-poisonous varieties are eaten raw, and proper preparation is essential. Even boiled cassava must be carefully peeled and thoroughly cooked. Traditionally, cassava is soaked in running water for four to seven days to remove toxins. After soaking, it is peeled and sun-dried on specially constructed drying platforms. Some of the soaked cassava may be roasted and eaten as a snack, often served with roasted dry groundnuts.
Women then pound the dried cassava using a pestle and mortar to produce cassava flour (vunga vua muandza), which is used to prepare civundu. Cassava tubers are also used in the brewing of traditional alcoholic beverages.
Other root tubers consumed by the Luchazi people include sweet potatoes (musambe or tuvanja), which are boiled or roasted and eaten plain or with roasted dry groundnuts as a breakfast meal or snack. Sweet potatoes may also be mashed and cooked in powdered roasted groundnuts or groundnut butter sauce. Another edible tuber is vukola vua ntsoni.
2. Cereal Grains
The major cereals used by the Luchazi people include finger millet (valuku), bulrush millet (masangu), sorghum (masa), African multi-coloured maize (lipungu or pungu), and maize (mundele). These grains are used to prepare various dishes, especially thick meal porridge such as civundu ca masangu and civundu ca kutongela, which is made from a mixture of cassava meal and maize meal. Cereals are also important in the brewing of both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.
3. Legumes
4. Mushrooms (Vuihua)
5. Vegetables
Mutete (Roselle) is one of the most important traditional vegetables of the Luchazi people and is widely cultivated for household consumption. It is a tropical plant from the hibiscus family, commonly known as Roselle. The leaves and buds are usually cooked plainly, sometimes tossed with hot chillies.
The processing of agricultural products is carried out almost entirely by women. They sun-dry vegetables such as Roselle (mutete), melons rinds, and mushrooms, storing them in calabashes for later use. Dried mutete leaves and buds may also be cooked and mixed with pounded dry groundnuts, African green eggplants, or dried or fresh fish.
Recent health studies have highlighted several benefits of consuming mutete, including the potential to lower blood pressure and blood fat levels, support liver health, and provide compounds that may help prevent cancer.
In earlier times, for supernatural reasons, the consumption of cassava leaves (ntsompo) was strictly forbidden in some village communities. Women were not allowed to pound cassava leaves or cook them within the village compound. Instead, pounding, cooking, and consumption of ntsompo took place outside the village. Cassava leaves are pounded with a pestle in a mortar (ku sopa), soaked in water for several minutes, and then strained before cooking. They are typically cooked plainly, though cooking oil or red palm oil, tomatoes, and onions may be added.
Today, pounded cassava leaves have become the main traditional vegetable dish among the Luchazi people. However, cassava leaves must be properly processed and thoroughly cooked before consumption, as eating improperly processed leaves may cause serious illness or even death. Ntsompo is also commonly cooked and mixed with pounded or powdered groundnuts, dried fish, or African eggplants.
Melon rinds are also treated as vegetables especially the dried rinds of Matanda (melons), Mahapua (watermelons), and Vitende (horned melons). These rinds may also be cooked and mixed with pounded dry groundnuts, dried meat or dried or fresh fish.
Zindzilo (African green eggplants) are staple vegetables among the Luchazi, often cooked plainly or simmered with cooking oil (or red palm oil), tomatoes, and onions.
7. Mukele or Mukele ua Lindzumbu
Before the widespread availability of commercially produced table salt, the Luchazi people traditionally produced and used mukele ua lindzumbu (ash salt or vegetable salt) as an important seasoning and food-processing agent. This indigenous salt played a vital role in everyday cooking and was highly valued in many households.
Mukele was commonly added to soups, porridges, vegetables, and traditional sauces to enhance flavour. Beyond seasoning, it also served practical culinary purposes. It was used to reduce the cooking time of hard foods such as dry beans and tough leafy vegetables by helping to soften them more quickly. It was also known for maintaining the vibrant green colour of vegetables during cooking and for improving the consistency and thickness of certain sticky traditional sauces.
Historically, ash salt formed part of a broader African tradition of producing mineral-rich salts from plant materials long before imported or industrially manufactured salt became readily accessible. Among the Luchazi, the knowledge of making mukele was traditionally preserved and passed down by women from one generation to another.
The process involves burning selected plants, trees, or agricultural residues such as bean pods, maize stalks, and sorghum stalks to produce ash. Water is then carefully filtered through the ash to extract a mineral-rich alkaline solution. This leaching process is known in Luchazi as ku veteka mukele. The resulting liquid may be used directly in cooking or further processed to obtain a concentrated form of ash salt.
Unlike ordinary table salt, which consists mainly of sodium chloride, plant-based ash salts generally contain higher levels of potassium and may also provide small amounts of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Their distinctive mineral composition contributes not only to their culinary properties but also to their characteristic taste and traditional importance in Luchazi food culture.
This practice stands as an example of indigenous knowledge and resourcefulness, reflecting how Luchazi communities utilized locally available natural resources to meet their dietary and culinary needs long before the introduction of modern processed foods and condiments.
8. Chili Peppers
Chili peppers (zindungu) are an essential part of Luchazi food culture and are widely used as condiments to add heat and flavour to meals. They are eaten fresh or dried and are often ground into chili powder. The most common varieties are Kahombo (Scotch bonnet chili pepper) and Kanike uasina (African bird’s eye chili pepper).
Luchazi folklore highlights the people’s love for heat: legend has it that men would sometimes take their civundu (plain porridge) straight to a chili plant and eat it right there, using the fresh peppers as their only "relish."
9. Meat
Traditional Luchazi diets include beef, goat meat, game meat, large rodents, and reptiles such as snakes (manoka) and tortoises. These meats are typically prepared by stewing or braising, often with tomatoes, onions, and sometimes hot chilies. Meat and offal—thoroughly cleaned entrails and internal organs—are cut into chunks, cooked, and served as relish. Common preservation methods include drying and smoking.
When visiting relatives—such as grandchildren or great-grandchildren—come for visitation, holidays, grandparents traditionally present them with a goat or pig as a sign of goodwill and strong family ties. The animal is later slaughtered and the meat shared among households.
The History of dog and snake Meat
The Luchazi were historically known for consuming snake meat, especially pythons (Mboma) and puff adders (mambuambua), as well as dog meat—a practice that is no longer observed. According to tribal elders, not all Luchazi communities consumed dog meat. Some communities, particularly lineages from the Cimona clan, regarded dogs as members of the family, reflected in the saying:
"Civondo ngombe, katali muana muntu,” meaning "you may eat beef, but a dog is a child of a human being.
Dog and snake meat consumption by certain communities began during periods of famine and drought between 1830 and 1930, which were compounded by locust plagues. During these difficult times, dog meat became a delicacy. Even after the famine ended, the practice continued in some areas, giving rise to several proverbial sayings, such as:
- “Katali katumba na muntu ua tumba,” meaning, the one who dies first is eaten by the other.
- “Mu ku lila katali, u mu muena ha ku vavula,” meaning, when mourning the dog, you will see it when it is scorched.
- “Ciyambi ka zimbalesa viose muomu a hasa ku lia katali keni,” meaning, a hunter never loses everything, because the dog can still be eaten.
- “Ku mutue ua katali ka kuesi ntsitu; vitsiha ni ku via kala,” meaning, there is no meat on a dog’s head, only bones.
These proverbs illustrate how widespread dog meat consumption once was.
Dietary restrictions and taboos
Traditional Luchazi culture included several specific dietary laws:
- Royal rites: the hearts of dogs were reserved for royal rulers during traditional rituals. Similarly, lion and leopard meat were consumed exclusively by noblemen.
- Gender and age: women who had not yet reached menopause were traditionally forbidden from eating "pawed" animals, such as rodents, rabbits, and honey badgers.
- Initiation: uncircumcised boys were prohibited from eating tortoise meat, as it was believed the wound from their circumcision would fail to heal if they did.
- A menstruating woman is not allowed to add salt to the food she is cooking because it is believed that if she does so those who will eat the food will become sick with cough.
10. Dairy and Milk
Interestingly, dairy was not part of the traditional Luchazi diet. Fresh, sour, or fermented milk from cows or goats was generally avoided. This was due to a cultural association between milk and sexual reproduction, making its consumption feel inappropriate within their food culture.
11. Poultry
Poultry includes chickens, ducks, wild birds, and eggs. Traditionally, among the Luchazi people, chicken is more highly prized than any other meat—beef, pork, or goat—and no feast or ceremonial gathering is considered complete without chicken stew. For this reason, chicken is generally reserved for special occasions and is served to honoured guests, especially in-laws or visitors, as a sign of deep respect.
Before a chicken is slaughtered, a ritual gesture is performed. A feather from the chicken—taken from a cockerel if the honoured guest is male, symbolising that there is no other husband, or from a hen if the guest is female, symbolising that there is no other wife—is placed on a plate and covered with another plate. These plates are then presented to the guest as confirmation that a chicken will be slaughtered in their honour. If the visitor is a relative, such as a cousin, niece, nephew, or grandchild, a live chicken (either a cockerel or a hen) is first presented to them before it is slaughtered.
After slaughter, the chicken is cut into pieces, including the entrails and internal organs, and cooked over an open fire in a three-legged cast-iron pot—a method believed to bring out the stew’s rich and distinctive flavour. Once fully cooked, the entire chicken is served in the pot together with thickened mealie porridge (civundu). This meal is presented to the honoured guest, who eats either alone or with a carefully selected child or companion, usually in the ndzango or inside the house.
It is considered an offence for a guest to fail to finish the chicken stew. If the guest is staying for several days, the remaining stew is carefully preserved and served repeatedly until it is completely consumed. If the guest is leaving earlier, it is customary for them to pack the remaining pieces and take them along. In all cases, the pot must be returned empty. Serving chicken stew is the highest expression of honour and respect accorded to a visitor.
Traditionally, village or indigenous chickens are preferred over exotic broilers. The high value placed on chicken stew explains why Luchazi people rear chickens so carefully. Beyond nourishment, chickens are also used as a means of appeasement for wrongdoing and play an important role in reconciliation rituals. It is therefore not surprising that the hen is referred to as Nialuvinda, meaning “mother of misfortunes.”
In the past, women and uncircumcised male children were not permitted to eat eggs. This practice has since changed. Today, eggs and chicken are more affordable, and in urban households women and children commonly eat eggs and gizzards, which are widely sold in shops.
12. Fish
Fresh and dried fish are dietary staples, typically simmered in water to create a flavourful soup served as relish. The Luchazi are familiar with a vast variety of freshwater fish from local rivers. While many do not have direct English equivalents, some of the most common include:
- Mingumba (Sardines).
- Lipuli (Sharptooth catfish)Ndembe (Bulldog fish).
- Nkundu (Red-bellied bream).
- Mukunga (Tiger fish).
Other local favorites: Kapala (young fish), Kafuti, Ntsondzi, Ndzeza, Cimbumbu, Musuta, Ntundua, Nguesi, Cilamba, Ngali and Niamukava.
13. Insects and Foraged Delicacies
Edible Caterpillars and Insects: the Luchazi are skilled at harvesting protein-rich caterpillars and insects. To prepare caterpillars, the internal contents are squeezed out before they are sun-dried for preservation. When eaten fresh, they are briefly boiled, drained, and then fried to a crisp. Popular varieties include makilakila, tukomba, makese, mayaya, tukandu, mbandama, tuvamba, viuva, masalia and masenda, among many others.
Other edible insects, such as locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, and large flying termites, follow a similar preparation:
- Boil in water for one minute.Drain thoroughly.
- Stir-fry in a pan until all moisture has evaporated.
- Season with salt and chili to taste.
- While insect consumption varies by household, they are especially popular among women and children.
14. Indigenous Fruits
The Luchazi enjoy fruits such as Matanda (melons), Mahapua (watermelons) and Vitende (horned melons). The forests provide a lush bounty for the Luchazi. Foraged wild fruits—such as makolo, zimbungo, zinjindu, zintsakala, mantikala, makolongondzo, zintsala, zindzongolo, zindzele, mahuvi, zintsole, zintsombo, zintsivi, zimpungo, malolo, zimpundia—are enjoyed fresh as snacks. Many of these forest fruits, including zintsole, are also harvested to be fermented into traditional alcoholic beverages.
15. Traditional Snacks
Between the main meals of civundu, several traditional snacks are enjoyed:
- Pumpkins (mamputu) and Bottle Gourds (mativa): These are often boiled or roasted and eaten throughout the day.
- Cindanda: A unique and beloved snack made by roasting soaked cassava and dry groundnuts, then pounding them together in a mortar to create a flavourful, energy-dense treat. (see the picture below). This is a snack which is eaten between meals.
Beverages of the Luchazi People
The Luchazi possess a rich tradition of both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages made from grains, grain bran (vuhole), honey, wild fruits, and tubers. Traditionally, these drinks are prepared by women and served as refreshments during daily activities, social gatherings, ceremonies, and communal events.
Non-Alcoholic Beverages
The most common non-alcoholic drink is visangua. It is prepared from grain meal or a mixture of grain bran that is cooked into a thick porridge. To this, a small quantity of soaked and pounded maize that has begun to germinate is added, giving the drink its distinctive flavour.
Another popular beverage is milava, which is made by adding washed and peeled shreds of milava roots to cooked thick porridge. The roots impart a characteristic taste and aroma, making the drink a valued refreshment.
Alcoholic Beverages
Luchazi alcoholic drinks are produced either through fermentation or distillation. Among the most notable are the following:
1. Kacipembe
Kacipembe is a traditional distilled liquor made from vimbuende, a fermented mash of cooked cassava. The mash is typically left to ferment for about five days before distillation.
- A large pot used to heat the fermented vimbuende.
- A removable lid known as kaliangu, which seals the pot.
- A condenser called cingolengole or lingolengole, consisting of a metal pipe connected to the kaliangu and passing through a hollow vessel filled with cooling water.
- A receiving container placed at the end of the condenser pipe to collect the distilled liquor.
A related variety, Kacipembe ka Zintsole, is distilled from fermented wild fruits known as zintsole. This liquor is prized for its distinctive fruity flavour.
2. Ndoka or Vualua vua vampulu
Ndoka is an alcoholic beverage produced by fermenting honey mixed with water. It is traditionally brewed in a calabash or in a clay jar known as an njava.
3. Vualua Vua Masangu
Alcohol Production During the Colonial Period
During Portuguese colonial rule in Angola, local communities in the interior continued to produce traditional beverages such as cassava- and millet-based beers, honey wines, and distilled spirits. At the same time, imported alcoholic drinks, including Portuguese wine and later Brazilian sugar-cane spirits, reached parts of the interior through commercial trading networks connected to coastal settlements. Despite the growing availability of imported alcohol, indigenous brewing and distillation remained central to local social and cultural life.
Customs and Social Responsibility
According to Luchazi custom, alcoholic beverages are intended for adults only. Providing intoxicating drinks to minors is considered a serious breach of social norms. An adult who violates this rule may be summoned before the village elders in the ndzango, where the matter is publicly addressed. The offender is strongly reprimanded and may also be required to compensate the child's parents, with the severity of the penalty depending on the consequences of the intoxication.
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