Showing posts with label it's cheaper in Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label it's cheaper in Australia. Show all posts

Saturday, 24 May 2014

Maziwa. Or, why use coconut milk instead of real milk.

This is maziwa. Also known as milk.
I was wondering why so many breads use coconut milk here... An old coconut for grating is about TZS500 (500 shillings)  - about 30 cents. The box of coconut milk powder imported from Malaysia via the middle eastern market will set you back about $2.75, between TZS3500 and 4500. Ok so it doesn't have the nutritional value of an actual coconut but you also don't have to grate t, it keeps for a whole, and makes a decent amount of coconut milky flavoured stuff. 

BUT: this UHT milk from Kenya cost me TZS1200 for 250mL. Which is less than a dollar, but works out at 4800/litre. Which is more than $3.00/litre. Seriously???

Looks like it's powdered coconut, all the way. *has a little "it's cheaper in Australia!!" tantrum*

It's the little rorts like this that make me realize: living in Africa is expensive. I know I shouldn't cry over spilt milk, but it's more the fact that this isn't an isolated incident. Carrots are $2/kg and they're fairly common foodstuffs. Compare the wage I was on in Australia to the average income here... Poverty happens. Simple.