On the Hunt for Traditional Foods in Kenya
By John Kariuki, Slow Food vice-president and graduate from the University of Gastronomic Sciences.
Agriculture is the backbone of Kenya’s economy. However knowledge about the ways and traditions of farming the land sustainably are being lost rapidly as the gap between the old and young generations increases. Stories and information are not being passed on, practical skills are not being shared and the culture is seeing an increasing loss of indigenous knowledge.
As young Kenyans who recently graduated from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy, Peter Namianya, Jane Karanja and myself have returned home to spearhead a search for indigenous products across the Molo and Western Regions, in the hope of discovering and revitalizing the healthy, local foods that were once relied on in our communities.
Local knowledge is critical to the health of our people. It is the root of our advancement and skills, our ecological and cultural health, our livelihoods, and the value systems that guide the community. Further, loss of indigenous knowledge is contributing to a great decline in agricultural and biodiversity resources and locally available food.
The story of the loss of our traditional foods is a common one across Africa. People have begun to turn away from local products in favor of exotic western alternatives, particularly younger generations who take pride in their consumer power. However, as the understanding of the nutritional value and cultivation of local edible plants is lost, poverty, famine, and malnutrition worsen in many rural areas.
Preliminary research for our study commenced in September 2008 and enabled us to draw up a shortlist of products. This was followed by in-depth field research in January 2009, working with a wide range of people from organizations and institutions, community groups and individuals. This has led to the identification of a number of interesting products with strong connections to the territory.
The research – financed byStiftun Drittes Millennium, coordinated by the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity and achieved thanks to the collaboration of the Kenyan convivia - will result in the selection of several key products to be included in the Ark of Taste and possibly new Presidia projects.
The project is bringing together agricultural, nutritional, cultural and market data for these products; promoting the cultivation, consumption and marketing of these foods through field demonstrations, educational materials and the media; cataloguing traditional recipes utilizing these products; and identifying key individuals in communities who hold much of the local knowledge of indigenous food crops.
Some of the foods identified so far include:
Reed Salt
This salt is made from a particular reed found in swampy areas. The reeds are collected and burned in a closed container to produce ash, which is then mixed with hot water – which also serves to sterilize the mix. This solution is then distilled to removing foreign particles such as sand and the remaining liquid is boiled until all the water has evaporated, leaving the almost-clear salt crystals. The salt is ready to use at this point, and is packed in dry banana leaves. It has a unique taste, and some people mix also spice it by adding pepper. Today production is limited as it is a very labor-intensive process and many choose to buy standard salt from supermarkets. A small production of this reed salt is now being sold in farmers’ markets across western Kenya.
Stinging Nettle
The indigenous communities living along the Mau Escarpment in Western Kenya relied on the native forests where they collected herbs, leafy vegetables and building materials. Stinging nettle was a popular wild green as it is widely available when other vegetables are not in season and throughout droughts, and it continues to be used today. Traditionally it was eaten as a vegetable, prepared in special dishes for the elderly, and used for weaning babies and in herbalists’ remedies.
Due to de-forestation in the early 1980’s, the occurrence of stinging nettle and other native plants declined. Hence, the communities decided to experiment with cultivation of the nettle and discovered it grew best in cowsheds. This technique continues today, and patches of nettle seen in the landscape signal the previous existence of a cowshed and highly fertile land.
Mucunu Chicken
A strange looking species from the poultry world, the mucunu is between a turkey and a chicken and features a completely featherless neck and head. These heavy birds have long, elongated bodies and possess around half the total number of feathers found on average - meaning they are much quicker to pluck than other table birds. The mucunu chicken feathers range over black, white, cuckoo, red and blue. Women have kept this breed as free ranging birds for generations in the Molo district and they remain popular to this day. However, their availability has declined today and a revitalization of breeding needs to occur to ensure their survival.
Traditional Yoghurt
Locally known as mala ya kienyeji or kamabele kambou, this unique yoghurt is made from zebu cow or goats’ milk – usually unpasturized – and has a homogenous texture with a thick but fluid consistency. The milk is poured into a gourd or calabash (traditional flask) and left to settle at room temperature for between three and seven days. No artificial starters are used and fermentation and acidification occurs spontaneously after a few days, either from the natural flora of the milk if raw, or from the bacteria found within the vessel. When the milk begins to coagulate some whey is removed and the vessel is topped up with fresh milk. This process is repeated and the vessel is shaken regularly for around one week, until the container is filled with yoghurt.
Other products include:
Itsundu - semi-domesticated small birds found in the western region of Kenya
African black nightshade - traditional leafy vegetable
Knob wood - a spiny shrub used as a flavoring and herb
Finger millet - native to Ethiopia, this cereal is well adapted to arid environments
Pokot honey - a honey made from the nectars found in local indigenous trees
Rabbit - a local breed, well adapted to the local conditions
Tamarind - An indigenous tree, the fruit of which is used in a popular drink
Spider plant - an herbaceous plant used as a vegetable
Sesame - seeds are used for making a paste and cooking oil
Pumpkins - traditional variety cultivated in the Mau escarpments
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