Not one sip or matte pink pill of Pepto Bismol had ever passed my lips before my arrival in Togo.
(OK, Mom and Dad, if you remember a point in early childhood that refutes this statement, keep it to yourself. It's true as far as I can remember...)
But in Togo, Pepto is a PCV's best friend. Togolese cuisine is characterized by oil and piment. Roughly in that order. Fry it in oil, cover it in piment powder or spicy sauce, and you've got yourself pretty much every Togolese snack or meal. But really.
And while I indulged in my fair share of fatty and rich foods in the States, fried food did not play a large part in my diet. I didn't mind spice, but adding some sriracha to my eggs was about as far as I usualy went.
Now I ask for extra piment powder to be added when I buy kalima (steamed bean cakes) or for more spicy sauce on my fried soja. The women in village who sell food are used to me asking for more, but I still astonish street vendors and marche mamas in Atakpame with my un-yovo-like love for piment. I can already say that I will miss piment IMMENSELY upon my return to the U.S., as well as the variety of fried items it comes sprinkled upon. Maybe the hot climate explains my sudden love of spice, but regardless, I will miss it.
Given the heavy - one might say exclusive - reliance of Togolese food on oil and spice, it should come as no surprise that I discovered Pepto quite early in my Peace Corps career. Besides, our medical staff, upon hearing of any stomach ailment, without fail will recommend taking Pepto first for a couple of days. Stabbing stomach pains? Try Pepto. Haven't gotten off of your latrine in the last 24 hours? Try Pepto. As you might imagine, this has become rather a running joke among frustrated volunteers looking for another diagnosis.
When I first arrived in Togo, I hated the chalky, bubble gum taste of Pepto. I resented having to take it when I was pretty sure I already had cystic amoebas. (Jury's still out on that one.) I'm not at the point where I enjoy it, unlike some volunteers who claim it is "just like candy." But hey - I've only been here for 9 months. Maybe by the end of two years I'll be saying the same thing.
