The food in Kenya is based on fresh and local ingredients that grow bountifully in the equatorial climate, along with goat, beef and chicken, and fish from freshwater lakes and the Indian Ocean. More exotic game meats, such as ostrich or crocodile, are available in some restaurants, but they are rarely served at home. To get a feel for the country, try some traditional foods.
Corn is a staple in Kenya and appears in many forms and dishes. Kenyans grind it into a flour and turn it into ugali, a firm bread or cake that they use like a mini spoon to scoop up fish, vegetables or meat. Corn flour also makes posho, which is a porridge-like dish into which Kenyans mix beans, potatoes or greens. For breakfast the corn flour is cooked into a thin cereal called uji. Githeri is a dish of boiled corn and beans. Irio is made from corn, beans, potatoes and spinach. And Mukimo contains corn and beans mashed into cooked bananas or potatoes.
Meat is expensive and not necessarily eaten daily in Kenya, but goat, beef, lamb and chicken are all traditional. Kenyans prepare meats by roasting them or cooking them in stews. Kenyans serve ugali with beef stew called karanga. M'chuzi wa kuku is a curry dish made with chicken in coconut milk. Nyama choma is a popular way of preparing beef or goat. The cook seasons the meat with lemon juice, garlic and spices before being slowly roasting it over an open fire.
Residents along the coasts of the Indian Ocean and Lake Victoria often eat fish. Kenyans prepare fish fried, grilled or in curries and stews. Samaki na nazi is a curried fish and coconut milk dish. Mtuzi wa samaki is a baked fish in a spicy sauce. For samaki wa kukaanga, cooks season fish filets with lemon juice, garlic and chile pepper before frying the filets and serving them alongside rice.
Vegetables are a large part of the Kenyan diet and show up on the plate as main dishes, sides and condiments. Kachumbari is a salsa-like mixture of lemon juice, onions, cilantro, peppers and tomatoes. Leafy greens, such as spinach, kale or collards, are popular. The base of many meals at home is sukuma wiki, a stew that Kenyan cooks make of greens sauteed with garlic, diced tomatoes and broth. The name translates into "stretch the week," and the dish is designed to be served or mixed with other dishes to literally stretch kitchen resources.
The warm climate of Kenya provides for long and fruitful growing seasons along the coast and in the southern region, where there is an abundance of tropical fruits, which appear frequently on the Kenyan table. Coconuts are plentiful in the coastal regions. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are common, as are mangos, pears, papaws, bananas and pineapples.
Author and journalist Elle McLaughlin has been writing about travel and lifestyle topics for magazines since 1994. Always in pursuit of a good story, she has harvested agave in Mexico, made cheese in Vermont and picked grapes in New Zealand. McLaughlin attended the City University of New York, majoring in history and minoring in international relations.