The Kenyan sweet culture is peculiar because we tend to be people of a sweet-tooth as well as healthy snackers. The same person who reaches out for a crispy green apple from a fruit stand at 10 a.m. will be the same one standing in line at 4 p.m., waiting for some sugary mahamri.
One of our favorite sweets that’s unique to the Kenyan scene is mabuyu, or baobab sweets. Growing best in the northeastern part of the country all the way down to Ukambani, baobab trees have been mesmerizing us for as far as we know. With their upside down look, they have been the subject of many an African tale. The fruit of these trees, however, is even more fascinating than the branches from which it hangs. Rather than becoming overripe and falling to the ground, these fruits dry naturally in the sun, allowing them to still yield an energy-packed powder even after dehydration. This powder is mixed with syrup and food coloring to coat the seeds of the baobab tree. And thus, we receive the blessing of mabuyu.
For simsim balls, sugar is what holds everything together. But, without the tiny seeds that make this sweet so flavorful, it would just be a ball of sugar. Sesame seeds/simsim are so eager to become snacks that, when they’re finally mature and ready to be harvested, they burst from their pods found in Mandera, Busia, Meru, Kwale, and many other locations. Finally, those with the skills sit down to accomplish the intricate task of preparing simsim; because the seeds are so small, roasting them takes utmost care to avoid burning or undercooking them. The sugar, too, has to be heated to just the right temperature before the roasted simsim are poured in. Then, before the mixture cools too much and hardens, but after the sugar will not burn the cook’s hands, the sugar-sesame seed mix is rolled into the crunchy bits of paradise we now enjoy.
The Kenyan sweet conversation would not be complete without the golden, cakey delight of mandazi, mahamri and kaimati. These triplets are basically birds of a feather. Mandazi is the standard form. Its weaker raising agent, baking powder, stops it from puffing up like its sister, mahamri. With yeast and coconut milk, every bite of puffy mahamri takes you back to a warm memory or a good place in your life. Then we come to kaimati, the circles coated in sugar crystals, reminding us of a gem-encrusted egg.
And now, a deviation to the fruit stand is necessary. Here different assortments of fruits, fruit salads, juices and smoothies await. If it wasn’t the nutritional value of the fruits that drew you here, it was the vivid color of crimson to yellow mangos leaning against red and green apples, watermelons, whole and split revealing their juicy pulp, bananas hanging lazily in the air, chilling with their friends, waiting to be picked one by one or as a bunch. Alafu, those days when you just need a quick pick-me-up, there’s always a miwa guy walking around with his modified wheelbarrow, carrying his carefully chosen sugarcane stalks. As his sharp knife works at blinding speed, you sigh a breath of gratitude.
It’s good to be Kenyan and enjoy Kenyan sweets.
