Today I will share a little snippet of my East African journey. The current high interest in the African continent is especially great because of the ongoing FIFA World Cup. Many people are more curious about the various cultures that exist there. Unfortunately, none of the countries I visited made the tournament, but trust me, they are football-crazy and united behind every African team.

Interestingly, every person I met had a fascination with Jamaica. Many would love to visit, but it is a very expensive destination for them, yet they love our culture and support us in sports. It would be great if one day there could be direct flights, because the historical ties are profound.

East Africa was simply amazing. I have visited the North (Morocco) and the West (Senegal) of the continent, but this was the Africa of my dreams. Wildlife abounded and I observed the delicate existence between animal and man, especially amongst the Masai people.

As an animal lover, to see the “Big 5” up close (lion, elephant, giraffe, hippopotamus, rhinoceros), in their natural habitat where they belong and not confined in zoo cages was truly humbling. To visit the cradle of civilisation where the human race originated was just overwhelming. I can’t articulate how much this trip affected me as a person and how I view life. The vast landscapes made me feel like a speck of dust and realise that certain factors I thought were important are trivial and brought me closer to my spiritual self.

I witnessed extreme wealth and extreme poverty. I felt love and tension emanating from different ethnic groups. Kenya in particular was just recovering from the awful clashes of their most recent election. It was interesting to listen to the perspectives people shared with me of varying tribal groups as well as those of my expatriate friends.

East Africa straddles the Indian Ocean and as a result, over the centuries the culture is where African, Arabic and Indian influences collide, especially along the coast. Like Hindi in India, Kiswahili is the main language, which bridges alltogether despite their mother tongues and English. However, deep in the bush and remote areas, I did meet quite a few people who spoke no English, so I was quite proud of myself that I had taken the time to buy a Swahili book weeks before my trip to practise some basic phrases. During my stay I picked up more of the language.

Of course, in all my travels I always befriend the locals and discuss food. It’s a natural ice-breaker, like music, to get conversations flowing in a relaxed fashion. I had great conversations over Tusker, Kenya’s favourite beer, whose unmistakable black can with the elephant symbol also has a lovely motto on it “Bia Nunga, Nchi Yunga” which translates ‘to my beer, my country’. Kilimanjaro beer is very popular in Tanzania.

I found that East Africans loved their beer and soft drinks. Passion fruit juice was offered everywhere and cashews were in abundance. Tanzania had fields of gorgeous sunflowers from which they produce oil and seeds to eat. In Zanzibar, due to its strict Islamic culture, neither pork nor alcohol was permitted except for one place, and you know I had to find it; it was called the Africa House where the chic bar had the best sunsets and is the old colonial club of the British, now converted to a hotel. I met the owner who had this adorable pet monkey. Now I know why they are called cheeky monkeys, because this one was so mischievous and loved to take a sip of the guests’ drinks!

My trip began in the cosmopolitan city of Nairobi; from there I went into rural Kenya, crossed the border into Tanzania and flew to Zanzibar at the end. The restaurant scene in Nairobi is excellent with so much to offer. South African wines are prominent on bar lists. You can get anything from wild game meat to the tenderest filet mignon.

I went to a down-to-earth local spot and enjoyed nyama choma: barbecued goat with ugali, stiff cornmeal, kamchumbari salad, which is a mixture of tomatoes, onions, carrots, and cilantro with lime juice. After my city sojourn was over, my cute dresses were put away and out came the khakis, sweaters and hats as I headed off on safari. I stayed in different game lodges. One of the most beautiful was my lodge on the border of Kenya and Tanzania in Amboseli, with the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, as the backdrop. My favourite national park was the magical Serengeti in Tanzania.

I witnessed a cheetah kill a zebra. I watched with a mixture of horror, fascination and sadness, but it’s the cycle of life at work. My driver told me it was extremely lucky because some people come on safari and it takes them days to see some of the animals, much less the action of predator versus prey. Fortunately, the Great Migration was taking place.

This is when hundreds of zebra and wildebeest travel hundreds of miles across the border to the Masai Mara in Kenya. One of my best experiences was a champagne ‘Out of Africa’ breakfast at the crack of dawn. It was surreal because outside of the first course, which featured a mélange of tropical fruit, I also ate English bangers (sausages) and for me it was quite amusing in that setting. I was freezing cold and had on three layers, not to mention a little nervous, wondering if some lion was going to creep out of the bush and devour any one of us. The temperatures vary from quite cold to very hot, so you have to wear layers and take off and add on depending on the temperature.

Zanzibar was a completely different experience, scorching hot and a welcome respite from the gruelling safari. It is known as the Spice Island (like Grenada) and is famous for its cloves, vanilla, cardamom, amongst others. I went on a spice tour and as you can imagine, I went crazy stocking up on these delightful spices straight from the farm.

Stone Town, its capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The roads are narrow and winding, some of the buildings are beautiful in their crumbling splendour and have magnificent elaborate doors which signify the wealth and origin of the original owners from centuries gone by: African, Indian or Arabic based on the designs.

Mosques are everywhere. I was awakened each morning by the loud singing of the muezzin calling the Muslim faithful to prayer. I loved the markets and the buzz and tried to eat as locally as possible in little dives with no tourists. Being a woman was hard in a very male-dominated culture, but I survived it by dressing conservatively and respecting the customs.

Today, I will share with you a few East African recipes. Do enjoy!

East African-Style Chai

In East Africa, everyone loves their chai (tea). As a matter of fact, it is usually the first beverage offered when you go to someone’s home, regardless of the weather. Kenya is a major tea producer, so it’s good- quality stuff. This is a basic recipe, yet so delicious.

If you want an Asian-style chai which is flavoured with cardamom, ginger and other spices you would ask for a Masala Chai. If you don’t have Kenyan loose tea, substitute with Assam. Remember, loose tea is far superior in taste to regular tea bags, so although this may look like a boring recipe on paper, the proof is in the tasting. Every chai I drank was very fragrant, sweet, and served in generous mugs. This recipe is for 6 people.

Ingredients:

6 Cups of Water

6 Heaped Tsps of Loose Kenyan tea leaves

6 Cups of Milk

12 Heaped Tsps of Sugar

Method

Add water and tea leaves to a large saucepan and heat until boiling. Allow it to boil for at least 10 minutes (if you are making Masala Chai, you add your spices during this stage)

Add milk and bring it to a simmer.

Strain into a large teapot and mix in the sugar.

Serve at once.

I wish to express my gratitude to my sponsors, Megamart.

Contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appétit!