Common Foods and Crops

Okay, some of you that follow me on Facebook may know that I've become somewhat (okay, maybe very) addicted to the virtual growing of vegetables and livestock on Farmville. Let's just say it's one of my guilty little pleasures to take my mind away to more mundane things in life. I've currently got a nice selection of produce ripening in my lush fields. The joys of virtual farming include the guarantee of lush, bountiful harvests as long as you click your mouse within the prescribed length of time allowed within the program's algorithms. If you don't, then your crops wither and die.

If only things in Kenya were as simple as a click of the mouse. Farming here is quite labor intensive. Most people still farm by hand, quite like I do with my little hoe on Farmville. The big difference being that it takes muscles and energy here in Kenya and a push of my index finger on Farmville. I never have to worry about whether my crops will suffer from a drought the way much of Kenya is currently suffering. I don't have to worry about getting my livestock to market through lands that are void of water. It all just magically happens for me.

Food prices have been increasing steadily over the last couple years. Prices first rose after the post-election violence and have continued to increase during the current drought. It's estimated that by the end of the year, up to 10 million, or one third of the population may need food aid. There is not a day that goes by in which there is not at least one article in the paper about the crisis.

So, what does the average Kenyan eat on a daily basis? It's a diet that is heavy on starch. There's a lot of corn (maize), cornmeal, rice, potatoes and beans consumed. Certainly, there are vegetables available. Meat, poultry and seafood are available at varying degrees based on location and income. For me, one of the wonderful things of being in Kenya is the availability of good fruit. So, let me decide where to start with the descriptions.

I would have to say that ugali is probably the main staple of the Kenyan diet. It is basically Kenya's version of our grits, Italy's polenta, or Zimbabwe's sadza. It is corn meal that is cooked with salt and water until it becomes very thick. It's then turned out onto a plate and formed into a round cake-like form. It's then served with the rest of the meal and is used as the base or filler. One breaks off a piece of the ugali, scoops up something else on the plate, and then pop it into the mouth. This is finger food at it's best (or worst, depending on your tastes). Personally, I enjoy ugali but it's an acquired taste since it is pretty bland. Many people will not feel that a meal is complete unless they have had some ugali.

Apparently, one can get an idea of what part of the country you are from based on how you treat your ugali. I was having lunch at a traditional Kenyan restaurant in Nairobi with a group of friends. Within the group we had some Bukusu, Kikuyu, Luhya and Luo. These are all different tribes of Kenya. One of the people started laughing and comment that I was becoming a Luhya. Apparently, Luhya's will tend to break off their piece of ugali, roll it into a ball, and then put a small indent into one side before scooping up the other food. This to me was just natural since I had learned to eat my ugali by parroting the people I was around.

Rice is another popular dish. It's eaten in place of ugali. Sometimes, a family will make crazy rice. This is simply rice with whatever vegetables are available and maybe some small amount of meat. Often, masala spices are added. This shows the influence of the Asians. Note, that Asians in Kenya are who we, in America, would call Indians. The Asians were brought into the country years ago by the British colonizers to be used to build the railroad. They've become an important part of the economy here and are often the business owners.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you.... well, maybe some of you know the rest of that little childhood song. Beans are probably second to ugali in being a staple. The most common bean is basically a red bean that is sometimes cooked alone and sometimes cooked with maize. When they are cooked with maize, it's called githeri. Githeri began as a staple dish among the Kikuyu but has become a staple dish across many tribes. Other beans are green grams (lentils) and cow peas. They're a good source of protein in the Kenyan diet.

Sukuma wiki is the number one vegetable eaten here. It's our word for kale. It's very finely shredded, what a chef would call a chiffonade. It's sauteed with oil and maybe some chopped onion of tomato when available. It would not be uncommon for a family to eat just some ugali and sukuma wiki and call the meal complete. I end up bastardizing mine by added chili sauce. Face it, I eat my southern greens in the US with hot sauce so why not do the same here?

Other common vegetables eaten and grown are carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and cabbage. It's not a huge variety, but it does the job. Certainly, the Nairobi grocery stores carry a much larger selection of imported vegetables. However, even within Nairobi, most of these vegetables are out of the price range of the average Kenyan. The grocery stores of the city are meant to be used by the expatriates and the upper class Kenyans. There is a small middle class that would shop there as well.

Fruits, now they can be heaven. Pineapples, mangoes, oranges, bananas, papaya and watermelon are all readily available. A smaller size pineapple costs me about $1.20 and is so sweet and juicy. I know I will upset one Hawaiian reader, but they beat the freshest pineapple from our 50th State. Most of the bananas are what I will call finger size bananas. They are small and very sweet. I'd like to ask Sunkist what they do to make their oranges so orange. A ripe orange here is still more green than orange, but sweet none the less.

Meat and poultry is consumed but not on a routine basis. It is simply too expensive for the average family. Lake Victoria tilapia is also easily purchased. I can buy a quarter kilo (half pound) of meat with no bones for $1. Even I don't buy it too often. Chicken tends to be quite tough and something I only get occasionally in a restaurant. I just don't know how to pluck and gut a proper chicken, nor do I want to know. And, without a refrigerator, I couldn't store the left overs. People also consume goats here. Eggs are freshly laid and bought by the piece. One egg costs me 8 kenyan shillings or about 11 cents.

So, there you have it. The basic foods of the Kenyan diet. I end up sticking to a similar diet as the native Kenyan but have to supplement a little bit. I sometimes feel that I struggle to get enough protein. With my HIV medication, I have to worry about my cholesterol. As much as I know I can get protein from the eggs, I limit the amount I eat. Breakfast is often the childhood standby of peanut butter and jam on bread.