I've got the nibbles- Kenyan style.

By Carole N Keingati 

I love to nibble. I think I eat more on the run than I do at dinner. I think  it allows your  mind  to flow. As I am a writer, it’s got to be the best cure for mind bloc. Just something to tantalize the taste buds and occupy that jaw is otherwise accustomed to  yapping away…Give it something to you, if you may.

So I decided to look at some classic Kenyan favorite dry snacks comparable to the western Crisps, or consumed like you would say popcorn.  Better yet,  I’ll tell you about  whatever dried snacks are  available In my pantry! Exclude all fruit bars, brand name crisps and chips that are found world over, we have our own –or adapted Kenyan choices.

 I suppose to  call it African Junk Food-except it really isn’t junk in that sense as we use real organic ingredients with methods such as drying, roasting, pickling and all those lovely natural processes. They  are way healthier than the ones massively manufactured out of modified ingredients and  packed choker bloc in sodium and other chemicals and preservatives .

Most of the snacks that im going to share with you are derived from the Indian and Arabic cultures that weigh very heavily on the National Kenyan identity—its stuff you’d find in the average Kenyan home.

So let’s dig around and see…
Mabuyu

These are seeds from the Baobab that glorious African Tree. I remember my  Dad telling me about the Baobab tree…it goes that God made the tree and the devi in his jealousy un-rooted it and stuck it back into the ground so that the roots became its branches. It’s a beautiful tree that grow sto be really, really large, often with thorns completely covering itd bark with large almost comic-like flowers. I digress…but had to share!

 Baobabs everywhere

So the seeds are rolled in a paste of sugar, salt, chilli and red food coloring and some spices and dried. You suck on these for that sweet and sour tang with hints of cardamon sometimes just lemon juice. You don’t eat the seed –just throw them out. Why all the work with the seeds just for the covering? Originating from the coast  where Baobabs are indigenously found, I suppose it’s something to pass time for the coast-arians as we people from ‘bara” (the mainland) have  a traditionally flawed view of coastal people as being terribly lazy, just luxuriating under a mango tree waiting for the tide to come in. it’s quite an offensive belief but has been around ages. 

          a pic of the Mabuyu and the packaging it came in : Sweets Seeds. Manufactured in Mombasa.

Which reminds me of my other favorite coastal snack…Achari. These are strips of sweet mango dried/cured with chilli and sometimes salt. Very sweet and chewy and completely addictive!  It’s very common for the coastal treats to be sour-sweet or a mixture of salt and sugar because it just brings out each individual flavor, have them bump into each other in your mouth as this wonderful  tickling sensation on the tongue. Salt doesn’t always mean savory here…it enhances many a sweet goodie very naturally (Try a dash of it in a cup of Sweet Hot Cocoa if you don’t belive me—Delish!)

Chevra

Your find a bowlful at parties, a favorite in every kids suitcase off to boarding school: this medley of dried treats is the real fun fare of snacks. In boarding school we used to pile on ketchup and smack it between two pieces of bread. (Ah boarding school cuisine..what a nightmare!).But Chevra… I’ve been known to be found on the couch covered in  these little crumbs, some slipping into odd grooves on a lazy Saturday evening of movie marathons. Savory and tangy in that nice way.

Made of  strips of potato chips, similar strips made from Gram pulses, Rice flakes, then added to is Peanuts, Cashewnuts, Chili, Sugar, salt Tumeric and Curry leaves, the taste of  Chevra is really hard to describe! I think its what fireworks might taste like if I were asked. Indian by origin they are my personal favorites, esp when you dig in and get a surprise of the few Cashew nuts in the mix…these ones pictured here  my Partner   labeled HOT! He’s a sucker for chilli whereas I’m a wuss of the tongue and can’t handle the heat( I should go into his lengthy pickle and chilli sauces and chilli bulb collection-a story for another day) .



Ive also found some not too exciting stuf..known universally, such as Peanuts.We eat them whole with peel as it has been roasted or dried too so its flavorful. Salt is added.

Dates Dried Dates which are very sweet, chewy  and sticky..my teeth are afraid of them. Tried them not dried but fresh the other day –hmmm very Curious taste! I now know why they are dried! 

 Well that’s the nibbles  I’ve got so far.  If you get a chance try them, they color our cuisine!