“So this is goat.”

Le 13 fevier   Americans eat cow meat and chicken meat almost on a daily basis. In my region, we eat seafood quite often, too. We even go out on a limb and try rabbit or venison, or bison if we’re feeling risky. But why is it that we don’t eat goat?

Is it that we don’t have goats wandering the streets as they do in places like Jamaica and Rwanda? Is it that we think eating a poor, sweet, little goat would be cruel? Well, that can’t be it – we eat lamb.

I’ve gotten quite used to eating goat here in Rwanda (after getting over an initial hesitation), and have become quite fond of it. Most Rwandans, when they go out for a meal with their friends to a pub or restaurant, will order “brochette” (shishkebabs) of goat with a side of fried or grilled bananas. Condiments consist of “pili-pili” and maybe ketchup. Pili-pili is any type of concoction that includes hot pepper, and you can only put a small dab on each bite because that alone will clear your sinuses.

Needless to say, “try goat brochette” was on our Rwandan to-do list. Being efficient as we are, we decided to knock it off the list on the first day.

The waiter came and we ordered a plate of fried bananas, one of grilled bananas, and six brochettes of goat. An hour later (because there is no such thing as “fast food” in Africa), our dinner arrived, accompanied by our fantas, of course.

Again, I’ve gotten used to this idea. Not just the idea of eating goat, but that the only efficient way to eat it is directly from the skewer, pulling at it with your teeth until it slides off. And you really have to put your heart into it. (Not first date food.)

Let me just tell you that my father eats French fries with a fork. Goat brochettes in the middle of Rwanda? They were going to be eaten with a fork, too. The neighboring table was lucky not to have a piece of stray goat fly at them. In the end, he gave in to the ways that are tried and true. When in Rome, right?

Another thing about goat (I’m assuming most of you have not had the luxury) is that it’s often not lean which makes it awfully chewy. We had long periods of silence between question and answer during this crucial first day where we had so much to discuss. And there’s really not too much you can do about it – “Once you put it in your mouth, you’re committed,” Dad said.

So maybe they won’t be up for having goat again while here, but at least we were able to check it off the list and have a few laughs while we were at it!