Fast food is associated with a plethora of synonyms: convenience, affordable-ish, greasy, sugary, timely, and comforting. While we may not agree on all of them, one thing remains certain – Kenyans spend a chunk of time – buying, taking pictures of, and devouring fast food. In every city or business district around Kenya are small to medium-size restaurants grilling chicken, frying beef or chips, chilling milkshakes and the like. As people who have found some joy, a necessary distraction, in these delicacies, we can’t help but find ourselves once in a while above a tray or plate of fast food.
The convenience aspect of our fast food joints is that you order your meal and you watch it come out of the fryer and into your waiting hands in less than three minutes. So even if you aren’t the patient type, it’s a small price to pay for your meal. Fast food is considered affordable in some places where, for less than Ksh 200, you get a quarter chicken and chips (usually served in generous portions); the cost isn’t too excessive and you essentially get value for money.
Greasy and sugary are the terms that correctly describe fast food. Leave alone the whole meals and healthy foods. Fast foods instead contain fat and are often targeted at the sweet-tooths who like sodas, ice cream and milkshakes. Truly, there’s something about these foods that make them comforting especially when you are having a bad day.
Needless to say, Kenya’s fast food industry is booming with restaurants on nearly every corner. What’s more inviting is some are open throughout the day/night, and so if you’re on your way home from a night out or would like to order in just before midnight, these restaurants literally have you covered. Speaking of ordering in, technology has helped in this process. There was actually a time when food delivery didn’t exist, then it slowly grew and now we have several platforms that ensure the food we want – the fast food we want – is delivered to our doorstep. All we need to do is make our order and meet the rider at the gate. It doesn’t get any easier.
However, despite these pros of fast food, it would be wise of us to caution our readers that too much of anything – especially greasy and sugary foods – is not good for your health. While a cheat day is usually okay and a sad day is bound to happen, we don’t encourage an every-day consumption of fast food. Still, these are the Vyakula(s) that us Kenyans are familiar with.
