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Lana Mihajlović ha publicado una actualización
Level:
Stagier
A Piece of Rwanda in Belgrade
Muraho, Rwanda (Hello Rwanda)
Yesterday, my dear friend Ingrid returned from Rwanda, a country that left a mark on me deeper than the red dust that settled into my shoes while I was volunteering there.
Waiting for her at the airport felt just like waiting for my flight to Rwanda again. Those same joyful butterflies in my stomach, that excitement that smells like rain and earth.
For fourteen years now, Ingrid has lived in Serbia, a doctor with a big heart and an even bigger smile. And yet, in her voice, I can still hear that warm Rwandan rhythm that always takes me back… to the hills, to the sun that caresses the skin, to the silence of the stars above Muhanga.
She knows how much I miss her country.
I miss their tiny bananas, sweet as if dipped in honey. The watermelons that smell like endless summer. The mangoes that melt on the tongue. The passion fruit that carries an entire tropical orchestra within.
I miss the taste of roasted peanuts sold warm in paper cones on every corner.
I miss Rwandan coffee, strong and earthy, and the ginger tea that could wake even the most tired heart.
And, of course, the brochettes… smoky, spiced skewers that could make the whole street smell like happiness.
I miss their climate… high, soft, a bit mischievous. I miss the soil, that red earth that cannot be washed off your skin, nor off your soul. I miss the greenness that grows from every glance, every word, every drop of rain.
Even the potholes, where I probably left every kidney stone I might have ever had 😂.
But most of all, I miss the people.
Rwandans, with their quiet dignity and those smiles that ask for nothing yet give everything.
I miss my children, the ones who made me go there, and the ones who make me return there in my thoughts every day.
Rwanda is not a country you can visit just once. It seeps under your skin, into your breath, into your memories. Once you touch it, you are never the same again.
So when Ingrid came back yesterday and brought me a gift (a small piece of Rwanda), a few ripe mangoes and tamarillos (Ikinyomoro) my heart trembled.
Of course, I’ve already eaten part of it 😄, but I’m saving the rest to make something special, something Rwandan.
One savory and one sweet dish, so that my kitchen can once again smell like my second homeland.
Because even though I’m physically in Belgrade, part of me is still walking along that red path through the green valley, carrying a basket of fruit and a heart full of Rwanda.
Murabeho Rwanda, tuzabonana ubutaha.
(Goodbye Rwanda, until we meet again.)
Betzabé Medina Alcántara, Anuradha Ruwanpura y3 más8 Comentarios-
Level:
Scoolinary Team
Dear Lana: this image feels like a love letter wrapped in fruit—such a beautiful way to honor a place that clearly lives in your heart. The arrangement is simple yet full of meaning, and those tamarillos and mangoes seem to carry a whole story within them.
I’d love to know how you plan to turn this gift into something savory and sweet.
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Level:
Stagier
@soldamiani Thank you dear. The most famous drink is “jus d’ikinyomoro” and Ikinyomoro sauce. Jus d’ikinyomoro is made by peeling off the skin, cutting the fruit, hollowing out the inside and blending it with a little water and sugar (or honey). Traditional dish would include isombe (boiled and mashed cassava leaves), but in Serbia they can be replaced with Swiss chard or spinach, and ikinyomoro sauce (tamarillo sauce) will give the dish that recognizable fruity-sour aroma. It is accompanied by chicken and rice, a typical combination in Rwanda.
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Level:
Scoolinary Team
@lanamihajlovic That sounds absolutely delicious—so thoughtful how you adapted everything locally.
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Level:
Sous Chef
Qué emoción, Lana. 🥹 Ese regalo es más valioso que todo el oro del mundo. Estoy deseando ver qué harás con ello. Y si, África cambia a las personas… Y esa tierra roja 🥰❤️🌍
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Level:
Stagier
@beatriztorijagmail-com Thank you dear… I hope to go back to Rwanda soon and Scoolinary challenges make there 😁
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Level:
Sous Chef
@lanamihajlovic eso sería maravilloso!!!! me encantaría verlo 😍
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Que hermosa historia!!! Disfruta esa fruta llena de sabor y amor
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Level:
Stagier
@betzamedina Thank you dear 🥰
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