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From cardamom doughnuts and roasted meat, to stuffed pancakes and sugarcane juice.
What is it? Grilled or roasted corn.
Commonly found all over East Africa, this handheld snack is a sweet, crunchy, and often topped with salt, chili, and lime.
What is it? Skewers consisting of grilled beef, chicken, or goat meat.
Beef is the common protein of choice, but whatever the meat, it's always marinated and grilled over open coals.
What is it? Raw sugarcane sliced into bite-sized pieces or sold whole.
To enjoy this sweet treat, chew the sugarcane and suck out the sweet, molasses-flavored juice. Once you're done, spit out the fibrous remnants and repeat with the next piece.
What is it? Fresh, sweet juice extracted from sugarcanes.
The juice is often combined with lime juice and ginger for a tart and slightly spiced flavor. It's perfect in the middle of the summer when you need something refreshing with the perfect kick.
What is it? Deep fried Omena fish.
Salty and crunchy in textures, dagaa is usually chased with chapati or rice.
What is it? Fried cassava topped with salt, chili, and lemon.
Cassava is a starchy tuber similar to potatoes or yams. It's got a bit more bite to it, making it resilient to deep frying, slicing, roasting, and topping with delicious, spicy ingredients that'll make you come back for seconds.
What is it? Filled, deep-fried potato balls.
This street snack is boiled and filled with a chili-sour paste, and often topped with a coconut chutney and spicy pili pili sauce. The potatoes (served with fried chilies in the photo above) soak up the sweetness of the chutney and infuse together for a rich, addictive flavor. Locally, it's also known as "Viazi Karai."
What is it? Tomato and onion salad. (The recipe is pretty straightforward, if you want to give it a try.)
Fresh, light, and the perfect side dish to any grilled meat or bean dish.
What is it? Stewed mung beans.
Usually eaten with chapati, rice, and other protein-rice sides.
What is it? Blood sausage made with rosemary, spicy piri-piri chilies, and other herbs and spices.
This savory dish (of which many countries have their own version, by the way) is made by stuffing a mixture of offal and meat spiced with garlic, scallions, cilantro, and spices into cow or goat intestines. It's made with zero preservatives and eaten very shortly after being produced. If you're a fan of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, you might recall mutura from his Kenya episode.
What is it? Cornmeal shaped into doughy ball. (Here's the recipe if you'd like to recreate it at home)
This pillowy side dish is often used to mop up stews, savory meats, and other proteins. Western eaters might compare this to polenta. You can get it from a street vendor, but you'll also find it at most family dinner tables.
What is it? Crispy, coconut-like slices of hearts of palm (which are harvested from the inner core of palm trees.)
You may have tried this ingredient in your salad. This particular, raw version is nutty, crunchy, mildly sweet, and perfect as a mid-afternoon snack.
What is it? Roasted meat.
This succulent meat dish is eaten with your hands and often paired with an ice cold beer.