{"id":1443,"date":"2020-01-19T20:31:40","date_gmt":"2020-01-19T17:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/?p=1443"},"modified":"2025-12-18T14:21:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T11:21:13","slug":"the-top-7-kenyan-dishes-to-try","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/the-top-7-kenyan-dishes-to-try\/","title":{"rendered":"The Top 7 Kenyan Dishes To Try"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When you\u2019re planning a trip somewhere, one of the first things you think about is the food you\u2019re going to eat there. Crepes, bread, and cheese in France, pasta and wine in Italy, noodles and rice in Asia, and tacos and burritos in Mexico. But while many of us are familiar with those cuisines, not many of us know about Kenyan cuisine.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a variety of amazing Kenyan dishes <\/strong>that you\u2019ll want to try on your trip. From warm, starchy ugali to sweet, fluffy mendazi, Kenyan food is filled with gorgeous flavors and rich spices. Read on to discover some Kenyan dishes you have to try while you\u2019re on your safari experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nyama Choma<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to go straight for the centerpiece on a Kenyan celebration table, you need to try nyama choma<\/a>.\n This roast is somewhat the equivalent of a Thanksgiving turkey in the \nUnited States. The meat roasted is usually goat or beef and can vary in \npreparation from region to region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the western part of Kenya, nyama choma is often goat meat roasted \nover eucalyptus wood. But in Nairobi, the roast is closer to what we \nmight think of as a normal beef roast. It is served with kachumbari, a \nsort of salsa made from tomatoes, onions, chili, and lime juice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ugali<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The other dish you\u2019re likely to run into a lot in Kenyan culture<\/a>\n is ugali, a corn-based dish. This polenta-like dish comes served in a \nslab and is considered the perfect starchy comfort food for Kenyans. \nHowever, ugali can be somewhat of an acquired taste, so keep an open \nmind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ugali can be considered bland if you aren\u2019t used to it, but give it \ntime. Mashed potatoes might be considered bland, too, but they\u2019re the \nperfect side dish for heavier meaty meals. And with the right blend of \nspices, ugali can come to life and be every bit as much a star of the \nshow as nyama choma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uduvi Wa Kupaka<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seafood is popular in Kenya, in particular, tilapia, which is the most common fish in the country. Most freshwater fish come from Lake Victoria, which Kenya shares with Tanzania and Uganda. But shrimp and prawns are also a popular seafood staple in Kenya<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Udivi, which means shrimp, and kamba, which means prawns, are common in Kenyan cuisine<\/strong>. Oftentimes, you\u2019ll see them served wa kupaka, which literally means \u201cwith a rich coconut curry stew.\u201d This wa kupaka preparation is popular with a variety of meat preparations, including kuku kienjeyi, a sort of free-range chicken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sukuma Wiki<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sukuma wiki is one of Kenya\u2019s most popular staple vegetable dishes. \nThe dish name means \u201cend of the week,\u201d which shows the history of a \ncountry that has often had to scrape to make food last through a whole \nweek. You\u2019re more likely to find this on an everyday Kenyan dinner table\n than nyama choma, which is more a dish for special occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sukuma wiki consists of collard greens cooked with onions and spices.\n You may also see kanzira, manage, and terere, all different varieties \nof Kenyan greens. You may also hear the term \u201cmboga\u201d used; this is the \ngeneric Kenyan term for vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Githeri<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not a huge fan of greens, you may want to try githeri. This\n dish is part of a group of Kenyan cuisine called pulses, which are \nsimilar to what we would call casseroles. Other popular pulses include \nndegu, or mung beans, and njahi, or black beans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Githeri is a casserole made mostly of corn and beans, a starchy dish \nthat would be at home in Southwestern cuisine. It\u2019s often served with a \nside of avocado and is flavored with curry powder and white pepper. If \nyou\u2019re visiting Nigeria or Camaroon on your trip, you may also see this \ndish called adalu or corn chaff and served with meat, smoked fish, or \noil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendazi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have something of a sweet tooth, you need to give mendazi a try<\/a>\n while you\u2019re in Kenya. These pastries are shaped like samosas, which \nare also popular in Kenya. But far from the savory spice of samosas, \nKenyan mendazi taste like doughnuts and are a popular breakfast treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mendazi may also look similar to beignets, as they\u2019re light and \nfluffy and served with powdered sugar. They\u2019re made with coconut oil and\n seasoned with cardamom and cinnamon to create a lovely sweet breakfast \npastry. If you want something with a little more substance, try vibbi, a\n sort of rice and coconut pancake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chai Masala<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chai masala may sound like an Indian drink, but it\u2019s very popular in \nKenya. This drink is a sort of spiced tea with a milky base that\u2019s the \nperfect warm accompaniment to a breakfast of mendazi. The tea uses a \nblack tea base and adds spices like ginger, cardamom, nutmet, cloves, \ncinnamon, saffron, and pepper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Kenyans\u2019 first love is tea, they also grow amazing coffee. In fact, if you\u2019re a coffee enthusiast, you\u2019ve probably seen Kenyan coffee<\/strong> at your favorite coffee shop. So if you enjoy a cup of joe, take any opportunity you get to try Kenyan coffee<\/strong> live and in-person while you\u2019re visiting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discover Amazing Kenyan Dishes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kenyan cuisine is amazing, a warm, spicy blend of Indian and South \nAmerican-style cuisine. It\u2019s filled with savory vegetable pulses, rich \nspiced meat dishes, light fluffy doughnuts, and warm, milky tea. No \nmatter what you try, it\u2019s hard to go wrong, but any of these Kenyan \ndishes will give you a solid introduction to the beautiful food culture \nthat this country has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to experience Kenyan cuisine<\/strong> first-hand, check out the rest of our site at African Sermon Safaris<\/strong>. We have tours of Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, and various combinations of these countries. Check out our Kenyan safaris<\/a> today and experience an amazing dive into this unique African culture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re planning a trip somewhere, one of the first things you think about is the food you\u2019re going to eat there. Crepes, bread, and cheese in France, pasta and wine in Italy, noodles and rice in Asia, and tacos and burritos in Mexico. But while many of us are familiar with those cuisines, not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1444,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1443"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2108,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1443\/revisions\/2108"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1444"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/africansermonsafaris.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}