ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Kenya
Five dishes to try in Kenya, the most typical first. Four are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Kenya
Nyama choma
Goat or beef roasted slowly over charcoal and chopped to share.
How to have it: Choose your cut by weight at a butchery-grill; eaten with ugali and kachumbari salad.
Ugali
Firm maize-flour porridge, the everyday staple.
How to have it: Pinch off a piece by hand to scoop up sukuma wiki greens or stew.
Githeri
Maize and beans boiled together, often fried with onion and tomato.
How to have it: A cheap filling lunch at local hotelis (canteens), especially in central Kenya.
Chapati
Soft, layered pan-fried flatbread.
How to have it: Eaten with beans, stews or tea; coast and Nairobi food stalls make them fresh daily.
Mandazi
Lightly sweet fried dough, sometimes flavoured with coconut and cardamom.
How to have it: A breakfast and tea-time snack from kiosks; dip it in chai.
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Questions
What food is Kenya famous for?
Nyama choma (goat or beef roasted slowly over charcoal and chopped to share) comes first on our list, followed by Ugali, Githeri, Chapati and Mandazi.
What is the national dish of Kenya?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Kenya is Nyama choma: goat or beef roasted slowly over charcoal and chopped to share. Choose your cut by weight at a butchery-grill; eaten with ugali and kachumbari salad.
Which dishes in Kenya are vegetarian?
Four of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Ugali, Githeri, Chapati and Mandazi. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Kenya
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.