But here, it is called ‘letlhafula’ – an evocative word, signifying, among others, the movement of this food from being a side dish to being the centerpiece of our daily diet. As with all healthy foodstuff, it is herbivore but with an acceptable trick and a deliberate twist to appeal to the palate of a society likely to be more carnivorous than being herbivorous. Because it is colourful, it pleases our aesthetic eye. Because it has minerals, vitamins, fibre, roughage, etc, it is nutritious and because it enhances our immune system in readiness for inclement seasons, it is literally food for our survival. Since the other food – the one that does not have its roots in the soil of the earth - is consumed simply to address our starvation, and is thus a default, we must remember that this autumnal food is different and requires from us a deliberate choice of it. After all, not all food is created equal. Thus, wisely, we ought to make the autumnal soil produce our deliberate food choice.
It is during this season that we can largely be fed with goodies from elsewhere other than a grocery store. In fact, during this season, our ploughing fields, gardens, forests and roadside vendors often have all that is required to make that intentional choice of preferring our soil’s foodstuff. Yet even before they are cooked, these varieties of the produce of the earth are themselves a result of providential beneficence.
