Planning a trip to a safari in Kenya? Part of your experience is appreciating their cultural foods and understanding what is included in those foods could make you more confident in your travel taste buds! Kenya’s most common dishes include beans, meat, tomatoes, and spices.
Ugali
This dish is made of cornmeal, salt, and hot water. It usually goes in the middle of the group and you tear a piece off, roll it into a ball, and stick your finger in the middle of it to make a hole. This turns it into a spoon to scoop up meat, fish, soup, etc. Be sure to wash your hands vigorously before eating this meal because it is eaten by hand.
Githeri
This dish looks a lot similar to beef stews at home. It contains red beans, potatoes, onion, meat, and corn in a beef and tomato gravy. Common spices include curry powder, paprika, and chili. Many Kenyans eat this dish for lunch. This dish is served hot which decreases your risk of illness. Heat kills most germs that can make you sick.
Nyama choma
Known as the unofficial national dish of Kenya, you have to try this meal if you are staying in Kenya for any period of time. It contains meat (often goat, but sometimes beef, chicken, or fish) and salt, which is cooked slowly over coals. Nyama choma is usually served with rice, chapati, and kachumbari. This dish can be found in most restaurants and local street vendors.
Kuku Paka
Kuku paka is almost like a chicken curry. It is a creamy mixture of chicken, coconut milk, tomato, garlic, onion, ginger, and spices. It can be a little bit spicy to some people, but served hot-this is a pretty safe dish to eat.
Mandazi
Mandazi is a Kenyan dessert favorite. Imagine a fried donut served with tea or fruit juice. It can also be dipped in fruit flavored dips, powdered, or cinnamon sugar. If you frequent Mexican restaurants, you may have had sopapillas before. This is the Kenyan take on desserts.
Taking precautions like washing your hands and eating hot foods can help decrease your risk of getting sick during your travels. Diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, and more can spread through poor hygiene, food, and water. Luckily, these diseases have vaccines to help provide protection. Make an appointment at Away Clinic to speak with a travel health specialist about your upcoming trips!