The Greeks are believed to have given rhubarb its name. Rhubarb’s oldest name amongst the Greeks was Rha Barbaron, a word that translates to “foreign rhubarb”. In short, a plant that is believed to have originated from China but dispersed globally from Europe, the foreign bit of the name has stuck around. We have however decided to create a welcoming environment in Gathĩngĩra for this gorgeous and flavorful plant. As a sign of our commitment to our promise, the committee of ThayũCulure, using the principles of Afro futurism, have arrived at the name of Mariuki( meaning resurrection) as the most appropriate local name.
We are delighted to have Mariuki flavor as a local gem to enhance our food experience. We are staying true to our believe that even indigenous foods are foreign in most of the places you currently find them. The best of us is the one with the biggest collection of clean organic and heirloom seeds that will ultimately become localized. In other words, one who resurrects clean seeds in their local zones.
It would be a form of self-imposed discrimination for me to leave in this world and to only experience life with the tip of my tongue. If I can live one good life, I can leave the collection of wonderful flavors we have for those who will come behind me. Depending on how good of a job we do, the flavors will mark our efforts and I hope that like Mariũki, those who will follow in our footsteps will know that they too are on transit and that they should both preserve and energize food, flavors and community to make this world a better place.
One way to kill that dream is to be stuck on only the food of your ancestors. If I ever become one, I would be highly disappointed if those who had a chance to eat better opted to pass the opportunity. Whatever their reasons, I hope I won’t be one of them. I practiced food sovereignty on a domestic level, by eating the best I know how, even when all I could do is guess. Don’t forget that the second name of rhubarb was “Barbaron” a word that means barbarian or savage. How interesting is that?
Compared to the Greeks, our ancestors did not think of seeds as foreign. Whenever traders and travelers would find new seeds while traveling, they would bring back some of them. If asked where they got the seeds from, the common answer was that the seeds had been offered by the highest deity amongst my people.
If all else fails, just find your way to Gathĩngĩra and walk “ .. down hill and up heal with the rhubarb medicinal energy.” I promise you that energy is sovereign. Africans have been living and eating like foreigners for too long and the consequences are obvious for anyone with eyes. It’s time to be majestic with our food and our consciousness of its consumption. If my ancestors treasured seeds to that degree, ThayũCulture must be following in their footsteps. We know of no better service to engage Gathĩngĩra in than to keep amplifying the work of our ancestors and keep refining it along the way.
ThayùCulture