Kenyan Delights and Thanksgiving!

Before we left, several people asked us what we will eat while we are abroad, especially in Africa. I never had a good answer so the food was a surprise to us (not really good or bad, just different) when we got to Uganda and then Kenya. It’s usually not too hard to find substitutions for some things we have in the U.S. (peanut butter and nuts have gone with us everywhere), but they are much more expensive than the traditional foods.

Going away feast for Villa, a volunteer from Finland.

As we begin our last week in Kenya, we have become somewhat accustomed to their traditional dishes. The cost and availability are the largest factors in deciding what to eat here. Overall, our diet here has been high in carbohydrates and low in protein which has taken some time to get used to since we eat so much more meat in the U.S. compared to here.

Their “go to” dish here is called “ugali.” It is made from corn flour and water and ends up looking much like a big cake with a spongy texture. It is always served with another dish (beef, vegetables, chicken, soup) to eat it with since ugali doesn’t have much flavor, if any. We eat it with our hands along with the rest of the meal. Rice or spaghetti and cabbage are other staples in our diet here. They are cooked and combined with tomatoes, onions, and salt. Being that I have never enjoyed cabbage, this again took some time to adapt, but by the end, I actually enjoy the meal if we don’t have it too much.

Chapatti is one of the foods that we liked right from the beginning and has become a favorite. We had our first taste of it in Uganda on our way to Kenya from someone selling them at a rest stop. It is made from flour, water, and salt and pan fried with oil. They resemble tortillas quite a bit but are thicker and more filling. They are awesome to dip in soups or use just like a tortilla and wrap other foods inside them.

Homemade Mandazi

Mandazi from Mandazi Magic Mix

Just like chapatti, mandazi has somewhat of an American counterpart. Mandazi is usually made with a special pre-bought mix (Mandazi Magic) and deep fried. The two things making them different from doughnuts are there is no sugar on them and they are square instead of round with a hole. These are very popular for breakfast and as you can imagine, these are also one of our favorites.

From left, clockwise - Rice, Ugali, Chicken Stew with Tomatoes and Onions, Pineapple

Off with his head.

Mr. McChicken roasting on the jiko (African grill).

On special occasions, such as Thanksgiving, a chicken is slaughtered and cooked. It can be fried or cooked in a stew. Since no chickens can be bought in our local town of Kima, we had to go to Luanda in the morning and buy one. Erin would have nothing to do with even touching the chicken so the task of carrying it and slaughtering it was left to me (with the help of Julius). Later that day, we walked back to the banana grove behind the house and killed it on banana leaves as they usually do. It wasn't as hard as I thought, but I had seen it done earlier in the week when a Villa, a volunteer from Finland, did the same thing for his "going away" meal. After plucking the feathers, Julius cleaned it and cut it up for the stew. Two hours later and we were enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving feast with the other volunteers from Japan, Moriko and Yumi, with chicken, ugali, rice, pineapple, bread, and tea. It all worked out well since Kipepeo had scheduled everyone to come for a visit to where we stay at Julius's place on Thanksgiving. They were totally unaware that it is the second biggest holiday in the U.S., but we explained it's importance to us, and it was definitely a Thanksgiving no one will forget.

Back - Sam, Jesse, Julius, Clinton
Front - Moriko, Erin, Yumi, Guddy

(Written November 24th)