Tea Time for the Traditionally Built, is the tenth book in the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. I love these books, I rarely read something written with such warmth.
I recommend you start reading from the first book, but I chose the tenth because the title remind that sometimes a good cup of red bush tea might be the best solution of all. Madame Ramotswe never starts the day without it.
The main character is Precious Ramotswe, a traditionally built lady who really enjoys her food. She says that men wanted women whose shape reminds them of good things on the table.
You will naturally come to empathize with her, following her believes in the traditional Botswana moral and human values. She runs a small detective agency, cooks traditional Botswana meals for her husband and two adopted kids. Special moments in her life are late afternoon chats with her best friend who makes the best fruit cake ever.
Despite this irresistible fruit cake, you will discover sweets as banana cake and ginger loaf bread.
For Botswana people beef plays an important part in alimentation. She often reminds us how Botswana beef is fine, grass-fed beef, and taste so much better than the meat of those poor cattle which were kept cooped up or fed with food that they shouldn’t eat.
The main vegetable is pumpkin. On a daily base she prepares beef stews, pumpkin soups and pumpkin chilly, or just boiled flesh of a pumpkin softened with a lump of butter and served with a slice of beef, dripping in a gravy.
I believe you will enjoy these little novels, that their good humor will bring a smile on your face and that the food will bring the sunshine of Botswana in your kitchen.
And don’t forget an occasional cup of tea ☕