The spice trade between East Africa and India goes back hundreds of years. When the British colonized East Africa, they brought Indian laborers to help build the rail network. Many of these workers settled in the region; generations later Indian flavors and ingredients have been adopted in local recipes across Kenya. So many dishes from my childhood that I assumed to be traditionally Kenyan, were actually derived from India.
In Eritrea and Ethiopia, the iconic spice mix 'berbere' that flavors their dishes is made from cardamom (Southern India), fenugreek (Mediterranean), cumin (Western Asia), pepper (India), nutmeg (Indonesia), dried chilis (the Americas), paprika (central Mexico), allspice (Central America), garlic (western China), cloves (Indonesia). We are all connected by the foods we eat.
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