meet Carole

WHAT ARE WE  EATING LEO??

By Carole Keingati

Leo. (E as in egg) means Today in Kiswahili.  And today I’m so glad to hear our project is getting the green light! 

Im super excited to be a part of this project! One I love to write, Love Africa and yes I looove to eat!

So what can I say about myself?  I’m freshly in my thirties, and working as a creative writer in a Radio Station in Kenya (The Best Country in the World).  I love to write, read, theatre, music, great conversation and generally enjoying this life. Hmm..what else… I can be pretty indecisive, but hey, I’m a second-born middle child, Cancer-sign, who can be a tad emotional, regards herself as a free spirit ( ok not THAT free—get your mind out of the gutter) and someone who loves to love.

Did I say I love to eat?  But not just eating, it’s the whole ceremony and act of sharing with friends, taking in the air, tasting, thinking, laughing, quibbling…

So lets see…

It’s Friday at my work place. This means, pretty much everyone has walked in through the doors in an upbeat mood, because it’s dress-down Friday— the only day in the week that we’ve dropped the suits, stilettos and slacks for open sandals, sneaker and jeans. Someone will even throw in a baseball cap, hat or beanie, or the bright geometrical patterns of a Lesso crafted into a modern maxi dress--after all this is one of Kenya’s largest radio stations. We’re hip!  Our General Manager has probably came to work on Motorbike. The air is festive; most already have their Friday plot (evening plan) in mind but most importantly on Fridays, we sneak in our 1.5 hour lunch. Friday Lunch…unofficially, the start of the Weekend. (Gathering the troops is another headache that makes lunch all the more satisfying…for example…via SMS/Email…Person 1: aah ah I don’t like that place!  Person 2: what??I’m broke!  Person 3: Totally! No red meat tho I’m on a diet…. )

…It’s a pretty fascinating process that we take to plan this lunch; Usually we love to eat  outdoors—it’s Nairobi so that gentle breeze against the 30+ degree sunshine suits us perfectly. We can watch  that  Friday traffic which starts as early as 1pm , bumper to bumper I kid you not) till late until late evening buzz. Over lunch we can watch it trudge along and be completely unaffected it by it having left work at 12.50 sharp!

Eating Outdoors in Nairobi takes different glorious forms from posh Alfrescos uptown for Italian, French, Lebanese or Indian Cuisine, a quick bite at malls for neon-lit fast food, or more grounded ethic-styled places; small and fast -paced  eateries that create delicious traditionally Kenyan dishes from containers and tin structures along the roads.

 It’s quite an experience as there is usually a (fat) ‘mama’ cooking up a feast from behind the counter as patrons huddle together over small tables. Here you’ll mainly eat by hand, a huge plastic overturned drum will serve as the washing area—some are often heated by the sun to provide a hot stream of water to sanitize your hands. You have to be ‘chap chap’--quick-- within 30 min your food is served, devoured and cleared away for the next batch of Nairobi professionals.

 You’ll find these eateries close to office buildings --providing consistent quality lunch reminiscent of a home cooked meal. They are some with bar counters nearby known as vibandas (round huts, with Makuti (reeds) on the roofs only for the effect (puleese this is NAIROBI), and tables that wobble and just sigh like you will after the feast is over.  I guarantee it!

Today I’ve ordered my Favorite; Fish (Whole Fish with the eye staring at me and all)  Chapati and Sukuma.  Chapati is an Indian Flat-bread that we Kenyans inherited and gladly distorted into fatter, puffier versions of the original. Sukuma Wiki is Kale, that salty leafy tasting leaf that I love! (The Name Sukuma Wiki is completely other story for another day..) all I can say is….Goes down Great with Friends!!

Suki Wiki with fish in Nairobi