Friends, some time ago …. (several years) on the open island in the Asia-Pacific basin, I met a unique person and part-time, a famous restaurant in St. Petersburg, as well as a participant in various programs telling “abou
By the way, I recommend a restaurant in Varvara, Skobari, Bar Butherbrodsky and a new project of Alexander for guests of the city – hostel 40/96.
So what am I talking about … .. And well, yes)) and just recently he said that he wants to write an article about African cuisine. I could not help but use such a chic moment and asked for permission to publish an article on my blog.
So: Alexander Zatulitrov:
Kenya kitchen
For a long time, Africa’s kitchen as a whole, and Kenyskaya in particular, was something mysterious for me, as if coming out of adventure books. The imagination painted the brains of monkeys, baked in turtles, raw snakes and huge crocodile steaks. And for some reason meat. Huge pieces of raw meat …
The first physical acquaintance with African cuisine rapidly destroyed the picture exciting my receptors in my head.
This happened in the distant 90th year, and not in Africa at all, but in the capital’s metropolitan microdistrict of Matveevskoye, in the hostel of Mesi.
Fate, in the image of the deputy dean and the head of the hostel, abandoned me into the Three (three rooms), whose neighboring beds were occupied by the Ugandyan Hassan Vassva Sentagira and Kenyz Bantsimba Michael.
The height of perestroika did not allow to portray the intelligibility in food, so I readily began to study the kitchen of Central Africa “live”.
Of the whole variety of dishes, I remember two – they faded, a strange type of pudding made of manking, which my African friends used instead of bread or even instead of a spoon, smearing dense porridge, similar to the dough in bizarre scoops and chicken “))))))))))))))))))))) )))) ”, Which was a great addition to this very was faded.
The chicken was stewed for a long time in a mixture of a giant amount of butter, tomato and arachyis pasta and was abundantly seasoned with spices. Already now I understand that this dish, like many others, appeared in Kenya thanks to Indian entrepreneurs who ended up in Kenya a little more than a century ago.
It was in the 90s of the 19th century that the ancestors of the Indian community of Kenya, which were successful today, first stepped on the African land in the port of Mombasy to build one of the great railways of the continent-the Ugandan railway.
Despite the fact that this railway was immediately baptized by the “crazy line” due to the high cost and the standing dangers that builders faced daily, years later it also organically joined the country’s life, stretching out to Uganda, like the Indian community of builders , bringing his own way of life, their customs and their cuisine.
If we take into account that all the dishes that Michael had to be drunk should be washed down with tea, brewed milk (hello, the British), it became clear that it was impossible not to be interested in this kitchen. Because Kenyan cuisine is a kind of prototype of culinary Esperanto.
Kenya’s kitchen can be divided into three main groups
Street food, to which local residents attach great importance – after all, food for Kenyans is not a special cult, but I always want to eat.
The traditional cuisine, in a bizarre way, connected the traditions of entire continents not only with recipes, but also with names.
And, finally, the tourist cuisine, which contains the most exotic dishes and combinations, and which the average Kenyz sees as often as a resident of Novosibirsk.
Let’s make a small tour in these areas. So that later, during a visit to Kenya, not to be surprised when seeing Shish-Kabab in the menu, or, conversely, not seeing the brains of the monkey in batter there.
Street food
As in the rest of the world, meat from meat on fire is very popular.
Tricks (small meat pieces of meat cooked on open fire); Corn on the cob, charred on open fire directly in the leaves;
Samos, yes, real Samos, is a dish showing the influence of India on the country-small triangular deep fried converters with spicy meat or vegetables inside.
And, of course, hot chips, usually covered with transparent amber sauces resembling an Asian sweatshirt or tomato sauce. Chips are served with a set of different grass, characterized by a composition at different times of the year.
Spicy banana chips, as part of the hellish mixture are sold throughout Kenya. In supermarkets and in street markets, they are sold in the “Chevdo” (also known as Bombai Mix), which consists of fried fried noodles of choneless flour, peanuts, spices, lentils. As an addition to traditional “Tusker” beer, it is especially good.
TRADITIONAL CUISINE
The average Kenyan resident feeds on rice, potatoes, mais, beef, chicken or goat. As you can see, nothing exotic.
The main foods are: corn flour (you and I, thanks to Michael, now know it called Ugali (like a dish) or unga (as a product) and rice. Fridged is usually served in the form of a white dense digested porridge suitable for dipping in the rag transformations into an impromptu spoon when you eat with your hands. Rice can be served differently, but usually it is ordinary boiled rice.
In special cases, such as weddings and holidays, simple rice turns into a wonderful fragrant mountain, shimmering in various colors and filled with spices (saffron, turmeric and Kayenn pepper), as well as nuts and dried fruits. Kenytsy call this festive food … Correct Pilau (Pilau).
Stewed dishes are mainly served for lunch and dinner.
They are known as vegetarian options, as Maharagwe (tasty stew from beans with onions, tomatoes and spices) or meat, usually a kid. The same dishes are served and are a cross between soup and the second dish. The fact that in the Caucasus and Central Asia is called the no less strange name “sauce”.
