How the Colonized Exploited the Colonizers

A Guide to Kenyan Cuisine



Craving my favorite snack, I walked outside to make Mahindi Choma (roasted maize/corn). My mouth watered as the corn turned brown. When I finished making two, I placed them on a plate to cool, on the side of the kitchen. But, a few seconds later they were gone! Aware of my roasting process, my siblings awaited till I had placed the corn on a plate. Then they ran and stole them. Grumbling as I sat down to make some more, I hoped the maize would burn their tongue. But I understood their deceptiveness. After all, Kenyan cuisine is irresistible. 


Although Colonialism Sucked, At Least They Brought Food

Kenyan Cuisine comes from ingredients all over the world. Colonizers introduced new  food to Kenya during colonial times.  The Portuguese brought “maize, bananas, pineapple, chilies, peppers, sweet potatoes, and cassava.” Meanwhile, Europeans brought “white potatoes, cucumbers, and tomatoes.”  And of course, the British brought in their love for tea and Indian “curries, chapattis and chutneys” (Kenya). With all these ingredients, Kenyans used their creativity to create a platter of food that makes up Kenyan cuisine. 

I’m going to dive deep into a few staples of Kenyan cuisine. Keep in mind, Kenyans are resourceful. So they eat these foods at any time of the day. But I will break the food down into different meal times to make it easier to digest.

  • Breakfast: Chai and Mandazi
  • Lunch and Dinner: Ugali + Sukuma Wiki or Nyama Choma or more
  • Snack Time: Chapati


Breakfast



Chai: The Kenyan Tea

COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO! As the rooster continues his song, you not only awaken to its sound but also the rich smell of Chai drifting through the air. Made with an equal amount of water and milk, 1 ½ tablespoon Kenyan tea leaves, and 2 teaspoons of sugar, this is not like the Chai you order at Starbucks (Jeanne). It tastes better than water with a little flavour. Instead, Kenyan Chai is thin yet rich in flavour. Its sweetness is enough to satisfy sweet tooths among all ages. Although it lacks caffeine, its brisk taste is enough to energize you without causing an addiction (Why Is…). In Kenya, Chai is usually eaten with Mandazi. 



Mandazi: The Kenyan Beignet or Donut

Most people refer to Mandazi as the African donut. I disagree. Mandazi “combines the hollow inside of beignets and the fluffy feel of donuts” (Wingate).  In essence, Mandazi is an oxymoron. It's hollow yet full. Crispy yet fluffy.  And because of its stubble sweetness, Kenyans eat it not only with chai but also stew.  Although contradictory by nature, it tastes nothing less than mouth-watering. 

You may be wondering, how did the Kenyans achieve this? In four simple steps.

  • Mixing things up. Create dough with a mixture of flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, salt, egg, and coconut milk. 
  • Making it with love.  Put the dough on a surface with flour and knead until it is smooth. Then cut the dough into triangles
  • Marinating it in oil. Fry the dough in a sufuria (pot) with hot oil.
  • Serving it fresh. Eat



Lunch and Dinner



Ugali: The Kenyan Cake

A common saying in Kenya is: “Rice is for the Sick and Ugali is for the Strong.” According to my mum, Kenyans love Ugali so much that the only time they will not eat it is if they are sick. We eat Ugali not only once but twice to three times a day. 

We make Ugali with two ingredients: water and cornmeal. Then we add Cornmeal to hot water and stir it around until it makes a play dough consistency. It is usually made to serve in a round shape, like cake!

You may be wondering, why would Kenyans love flour and water that much? This is because Ugali represents two things.  

  • Foundation and Variety
  • Family



Foundation and Variety

Although we eat ugali every day, this does not limit its variety. You can eat Ugali with many things.

  • Sukuma Wiki (or other greens such as “kale, collard greens, cassava leaves, pumpkin leaves, sweet potato leaves, or spinach”) (Jeanne. “Sukuma..)
  • Nyama Choma ( roasted goat, beef, chicken, or fish meat)
  • Stew
  • Mavere (sour type of milk)
  • Eggs 

Ugali is the foundation of the meal and then you can always change how you decorate it. 



Family

Ugali is never eaten alone. Traditionally, everyone sits around the table with ugali at the center. Then they wash their hands by passing around a sufuria (pot) and a jug filled with water. This is crucial not only for hygiene but because Ugali is not eaten with any utensils. Just your hands! 


Snack Time



Chapati: The Kenyan Tortilla

The most insulting question to ask a Kenyan while they eat a chapati is…Is that a tortilla? The answer is no! They may look like tortillas, but Kenyan chapatis come from India, not Latin America.  


Chapati is like flatbread(Kenyan). But the process of making them is like making Mandazi.

  • Create a flour dough. 
  • Then knead the dough on a floured surface and flatten it into a round circle. 
  • Then fry it in a pan.


You may be wondering: That still seems like a tortilla. What’s the difference? In my biased opinion, chapati tastes better than a tortilla for two reasons.


  • Sweet and savory. Chapatis have a lingering sweet taste. But they have both salt and sugar, so Kenyans eat them with a variety of food. You can eat chapati with Chai. Or you can eat chapati with Githeri (a mixture of beans and corn with a lot of spices)
  • Freshness. In grocery stores, what do you see in packages: chapatis or tortillas? Tortillas! Kenyans, don't package Chapatis because we eat them fresh. This makes it more enticing to your tastes buds.


Straight Outta Colonialism



Kenyan cuisine is like a never-ending buffet. You can mix and match different food based on your craving.

  • For breakfast, you can have Chai and Mandazi for a rich and contradictory flavour.
  • For lunch, you can have Ugali and Sukuma Wiki for the foundational Kenyan meal.
  • For dinner, you can have Ugali and Nyama Choma for some exquisite variety.
  • For snack time, you can have Chapati or for an enticing taste.

Kenyan cuisine highlights Kenya’s motto: Harambee. This means “all pull together.” Kenyan cuisine pulls together a diverse range of tastes and flavours. You could travel all over the world by eating one meal.








Work Cited

Jeanne. “Chai Recipe.” All Things Kenyan, All Things Kenyan, 30 Dec. 2015, https://allthingskenyan.com/countries/kenya/chai-recipe. 

Jeanne. “Sukuma Wiki Recipe.” All Things Kenyan, All Things Kenyan, 29 Dec. 2015, https://allthingskenyan.com/countries/kenya/sukuma-wiki-recipe. 

“Kenya.” Food in Every Country, Advameg, http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Kenya.html. 

“Kenyan Food Overview: 20 of Kenya's Best Dishes.” Migrationology, 6 July 2020, https://migrationology.com/kenyan-food/. 

Moju, Kiano. “Mandazi Recipe by Tasty.” Tasty.co, Tasty, 10 June 2019, https://tasty.co/recipe/mandazi. 

“Why Is Kenyan Tea Different?” Williamson Tea, 24 Dec. 2019, https://www.williamsontea.com/bush-to-cup/kenyan-tea-different/. 

Wingate, Keira. “What Is Mandazi and What Does It Taste like?” Mashed.com, Mashed, 5 May 2021, https://www.mashed.com/401642/what-is-mandazi-and-what-does-it-taste-like/. 


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