There’s an aroma that invites hunger to the point that nothing else matters. The sizzling of oil atop the flat surface of a black pan, the precision in which the maker turns the chapati around and the way the cooked ‘flat bread’ is thrown in a basin, lined with newspapers, for the extra oil to get absorbed.
Chapati is said to have been mentioned in an old Sanskrit text from over 6000 years ago. At the time, India was a wheat hub and chapati easily became a quick meal to fix for sojourners on their way to and from places. This convenience soon gave birth to another – its perishability. Chapati was brought into countries via travelers: it was filling, lasted a significant amount of time and was packable for travel.
While on the subject of its manifestation across places, we’re working around two theories. The first is that Chapati was enjoyed so much by British soldiers in during the India Independence War that it became a preference to rice. The ease and filling nature of the chapatis soon morphed into the soldier food choice and may have come with the British to East Africa. The second theory is that the coolies assigned to construct the first railway from Mombasa to Kisumu came with their cultural love for Chapati, they traded for wheat from India and as their love for the bread came to be known, more people enjoyed the taste and how well it blended with every stew with either vegetables or protein. Both theories may even be merged together to result in a new perception of how Chapati came to Kenya but one thing is certain, we love our chapos!
What’s your one time of the day when Chapo is a must? In the morning as a meal or with tea? In the afternoon for lunch to keep you active for the rest of the day? Or at night, with a warm bowl of ndengu? Let us know.
To get you to your next level: Chapati Chef status, here’s a step by step process to make soft layered chapatis. How to make Chapos
