Cooking for 40

The Lisu village homes lack many of the stuff we find comfortable.  Lisu people are used to sitting on the floor, sleeping on the floor, cooking on the floor, etc.  The homes are pretty much void of furniture.  Yet their pots and pans are big enough to feed an army.  Their material possessions suggest what they value.  Eating together is a priority and sharing is their way of life.  I watched the process of cooking up a pig.  I think every woman had a ladle in the giant pot of stewing pig guts and pumpkin.  Each had an herb or some other vegetable to add to the pot.  When the stew was done, the men took over and rendered the lard over the fire.

On the last night of our stay in the village we prepared a meal for about 40 or 50 people (which means that there was enough food for about 100).  Two pictures show the preparation of the killed pig and the remaining pictures show preparation of our last meal together.  

Rendering the pork fat

Students are pulling stems off of dried chilis.

Mashing the potatoes.

Adding cabbage to chicken foot soup.

Making the tofu stew

Ajan Gai stirs the cabbage

My ma stirring the pig guts and pumpkin stew

Students peel cooked potatoes with their hands.