Which Kenya Food Tickles YOUR Taste Buds?

Trying Kenya food should be a key component of your visit to Kenya. Why? Because no arena of Kenyan life perhaps reflects its rich and diverse heritage more than the food in Kenya.

When it comes to culinary delights, people here haven't had a full meal until they've eaten ugali, nyama choma and in some regions of the country, fish or mukimo.

National Food?

The national staple is ugali, which is often eaten with beef, chicken, goat meat or vegetable stew and sukuma wiki (kale). In many cultures, a male guest to a home would be offended if a roadrunner chicken (called kienyeji) was not slaughtered and prepared for him.

A lot of nyama choma (roasted goat meat or beef) and some kuku choma (roasted chicken) is eaten during festivities or by revelers on weekends and holidays. My favorite nyama choma joint continues to be Sagret Hotel which is just round the corner from State House.

If, like me, you prefer to have your nyama choma well-salted, be sure to so indicate as most of the food in Kenya is prepared without salt! While this is certainly good for the heart, it is not nearly as appealing to a saline-accustomed tongue like mine.

A lot of the other food from Kenya is region-specific.

Sample this...

Many Ways of Skinning (oops! - Eating) a Potato

In Central Province, Irish potatoes are a local specialty and they are eaten in many forms...

They are simply boiled. Or boiled then mashed with green vegetables such as spinach and mingled with a good measure of whole maize, beans and green peas. The resulting green meal is called mukimo or irio.

Another common meal is githeri where maize and beans are boiled together. These are then lightly pan-fried and spiced with stock cubes and seasoning, the most popular of which here is Royco.

Some of the other Kenya food that is eaten in this region is arrow roots, sweet potatoes, plantain and cassava.

Rice in all its Delicious Forms

The coast's main contribution to the Kenya food menu is its various rice dishes. Wali, which is essentially rice boiled in coconut milk is the local dish of Mijikenda people. Pilau, where lots of spiced rice is cooked with beef or mutton pieces is also a delicacy in Mombasa and it environs.

Chapatti (a tasty pan-fried dough that is much thinner than a pizza base) and mkate mayai which is a thin rolled pancake stuffed with fried eggs and minced meat are particularly well-made in Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu.

Nothing Fishy Here!

In Kisumu by the shores of Lake Victoria, no meal is complete without stewed or fried whole tilapia fish. This is often served with ugali or a nutritious dark brown millet or sorghum meal and some bitter vegetables.

Another delicacy among the Luo is aliya, which is smoked or sun-dried beef stew. This too is commonly eaten with ugali and bitter leaf vegetables.

Game Meat Anyone?

If your audacious culinary instincts beckon while you are here, be sure to try out game meat which is something of a Kenyan delicacy.

Crocodile (which, if you can fathom it, tastes like a cross between fish and chicken), ostrich, zebra, wildebeest and impala feature on many restaurants' menus and are local favorites.

Yoghurt with a Twist

Mursik is nutritious drink that is popular among the Kalenjin. Because it is made from fermented milk, it is a kind of unflavored yoghurt.

The only additive that sets it apart from ordinary yoghurt is the flavor and color that result from burning the gourd's inside with charcoal. And, it is best served, not in a glass but an oblong gourd.

Fruit Lovers Shh...

These meals are often washed down with fresh orange, pineapple, mango, passion fruit or sugarcane juices.

Desserts (and snacks) often consist of bananas, water melon, paw paw, strawberries and sweetened avocado (I still eat mine salted and not as a dessert) which are available virtually all year round.

Return from Kenya Food to the Facts About Kenya

Return from Kenya Food to the Kenya Travel Packages Homepage