My sister asked me the other day if I was “starving” over here in Kenya. Goodness no! Fortunately, Malewa Bush Ventures has a wonderful staff and Christine has invited me to several meals with her and Granny. In fact, yesterday I had a rendition of Macaroni & Cheese- homemade, of course, with tomatoes on top! It was served with a side of some very bizarre large bean-like food with hard black seeds similar to wood inside…Granny and I decided we could live on without every trying them again. Most of the white Kenyans in the area are of British descent, so breakfast is tea, coffee, toast, and fruit, with an egg if I request it. I’ve had dinners of cottage pie, soup, vegetables, and freshly baked breads. Lunch, however, has been “on the road” and at African restaurants for the most part. They serve a lot of cooked cabbage here, and I’ve had cabbage with rice, cabbage with ugali (a traditional African maize mixture that is pretty bland), cabbage with french fries, cabbage with any type of starch- you name it! Kenyans apparently love their meat, and I have to close my eyes and look away when I see some of it, served on the bone in large portions. They also love to use salt- my dad would be happy here!
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| Some type of beef, vegetables and cabbage, and chipati (the bread-like pieces) |
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| Rice and Spinach (maybe some kale mixed in there) |
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| Chicken and Chips- there are advertisements for this meal everywhere! |
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| Cabbage and Ugali (a maize dish that is very common and inexpensive) |
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| Samosa filled with veggies and meat |
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| Potatoes and Beans |
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| More Chipati |
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| Beef, Rice,Vegetables, and Bananas |
Similar to my travels in Ecuador and Peru, fruits and vegetables are abundant and inexpensive. I went to the market on Wednesday and bought 2 large avocados, 1 large mango, 8 tomatoes, 8 onions, and a bag of carrots for about $1.10. I bought some staples like bread, rice, pasta, vegetable oil, soup mix, etc. at the store for less than $10.00. Pretty amazing! The fruits and vegetables aren’t nearly as colorful in Ecuador and Peru, but considering Africa has fairly dry land throughout, they are pretty good. The large delicious avocados are by far my favorite!
One of the wonderful things about Kenyans is that they are very hospitable people. If you pass their home on a trip, they will always invite you in for tea or something to eat. I like my tea with water, nothing more, but they usually serve something very sweet and milky. I always drink a bit to be polite and show gratitude for their hospitality.
I’m not much of a fan of soda/pop either, but I’ve had a few since my arrival, as the water often still tastes a bit “off” to me (more about water in another post, as that is a long subject!). Most seem to like their Coca Cola, served in a glass bottle with a straw, and apparently Tusker is their adult beverage of choice.
All in all, I try to stick to foods that look and sound safe to eat. Hot foods, non-dairy products unless I have them prepared at Bush Ventures by Christine’s staff, and bottled water or bottled soda at restaurants. My own water bottle is with me each day too!
