10 kenyan street foods
Sim sim (sesame)
This snack is rich in fibre and is made using a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice and sesame seeds. The mixture is mixed and heated till it becomes golden brown, which is made in a ball shape. This can be eaten any time of the day, and it’s a favourite with kids.
Skari nguru (jaggery)
Rich in minerals, salts and vitamins, skari nguru is prepared by boiling sugar cane juice until it becomes a dark brown. This sweet snack is suitable as a quick bite while walking around or can be a dessert alternative after a heavy meal to ease digestion.
Smokies/ Mayai (boiled eggs) with Kachumbari
Often, this snack is sold by vendors who push carts in different areas or along the streets. This snack has quickly become Kenyan’s favourite evening snack because of its simplicity and ability to fill up your stomach quick. Kachumbari is freshly made salsa. A mixture of onions, tomatoes and coriander. Maya is Swahili for eggs, and Smokie is a type of pork sausage close to Havanas. They say one smoke is never enough. After the first one, you will be longing for the second one, which you will eat while walking away, not to be tempted to get a third and fourth one.
Mtura (intestines stuffed with meat and blood)
These are large intestines stuffed with blood and other meats and slowly grilled over a fire. Mtura is a popular evening snack you rarely see made earlier than 4 pm since it’s said that the dust and smoke from passing people and cars add to the taste. It goes well with kachumbari with a lot of chilly.
Maindi Choma (roasted maize) or Boiled maize
Slightly dried corn from the day of harvesting, the maize is put on top of a fire and slowly grilled for several minutes until it turns goldfish yellow. To add to it, you can squeeze the lemon and pepper provided, giving it an intense taste. Like most popular Kenyan snacks, this is often sold along the roadsides and available evening time. Boiled maize can be found in the morning as it is delicious to take with tea.
Chips mwitu
Mwitu is a Swahili word that means wild. This type of fries is often sold along the streets and is much more affordable than purchasing in regular fast food locations. Chips mwitu gets the name because of how it is prepared, which is often potatoes cut into much larger pieces and deep friend over a charcoal stove which somehow gives it a unique taste different from regular restaurant fries.
Mabuyu (wild coffee)
Coming from the Akamba word to mean wild coffee, mabuyu is made from the seeds of a baobab tree. The seeds are dried and then cooked in sugar syrup to create a spicy coating. Mabuyu is a favourite with kids because it turns their tongue to a red or blueish colour depending with the food coloring that was used.
Sugar cane
Sugar cane cut into small pieces and put in a polythene bag offers a snack that will be common to see people have while walking in the evening, possibly after leaving work or when they are travelling in buses.
Ground nuts.
Roasted groundnuts that might be plain, salty, or fried are a quick snack. They can also be taken with tea for breakfast, a quick snack at any time of the day and common to see men walking on the streets while having some.
Shingo, mguu, gizzard
Shingo is Swahili for the throat, and mguu is Swahili for the legs. These chicken parts are first deep-fried and then put on a grill over time. In some locations, the chicken legs would be wrapped with the chicken intestines. Granted, this might be an acquired taste.
Dawa.
Simply a mixture of honey, lemon and ginger, this drink is popularly known as Dawa, a Swahili word that means medicine. Popularised in Java restaurants, the drink is said to cure flu and boost immunity. It goes well with lighter accompaniments like samosas or croissants.
