AUTHENTIC PURE KENYAN TEA

KENYAN DAWA DRINK

The dawa which is (medicine) in Swahili is a drink that is usually made to heal or help in curing the cold. It is a concoction that is made with ginger, lemon and hot water and can be alcoholic or like a mocktail. It was supposedly invented at the Carnivore restaurant in the Langata suburb of Nairobi, Kenya.

METAL CUPS AND SWEET TEA

I have been away for so long I miss being in the kitchen. But I travelled to grandmas at the village where I have been so relaxed that I forgot city life... just a bit... I promise. Today's post is random since it's about my stay at the village with grandma. I love Tea and if anybody knows, great tea is in how it is prepared. At the village grandma always uses the old traditional cooking methods, cookware and utensils. For instance at the village we still cook with a three stone open fire flame. So this is our authentic tea preparation at the village. Cows are milked at 5am latest. Jiko ya kuni kwa mawe tatu (3 stoned open fireplace) is used to cook the tea in a mud thatched kitchen. A large sufuria (heavy bottomed pan) blackened at the bottom from constant use on the open fire is used to cook the tea. Sugar is poured into the tea just before it is removed from the fire place. I suspect grandma doesn't trust people putting individual spoonfuls of sugar in their tea. Especially "sisi watu wa nairobi" (nairobi folk) ;)... once the tea has thoroughly boiled its poured into huge birikas (silver metal tea pots) and then poured into metal cups. You can "poesha" (cool) the tea or wait for it to cool on its own. Hot tea in metal cups burns your lips, nothing serious, I promise, but that is the beauty of village tea! Tea is usually served with njugu (peanuts), mabwoni (sweetpotatoes), mahindi boiled (boiled maize), nduma (yams) or leftover githeri (boiled maize and beans)... I usually drink 2 or 3 cups of this sweet tea! What are your favorite village experiences and food that you always look forward to when you visit upcountry/the village?