10 Delicious Local Foods in Kenya

Kenya cuisine takes on its own unique personality through the use of native spices and local ingredients. You will discover a balance of different flavours cooked in healthy dishes. Kenya offers a variety of delicious foods in a variety of cultures practised by different communities. Wherever you visit, you will discover the ethnic heritage of Kenya in their local dishes.

To discover the delicious Kenyan foods, we asked our Facebook fans for the delicious foods in Kenya.

Kenyan Foods

Although, there are numerous delicious Kenyan dishes, we have picked 10 delicious local foods you mustn’t miss during a visit to Kenya.

1. Ugali

Ugali Photo by Meaduva on Flickr 

Ugali is the most popular food in Kenya. Ugali is a staple starch cornmeal made with maize flour. Our fans like to take Ugali along with saucy beef, mushroom or fish stew, Sukuma wiki or green vegetable soup.

2. Pilau

Chicken Pilau Spicy Chicken Pilau. Photo by: Alpha on Flickr 

Kenyans like eating Pilau – absolutely delicious. Pilau meal consists of rice flavoured with spices cooked in stock meat, chicken or fish.  Most Kenyan Pilau meals are made with goat meat.

3. Kenyan Chapati 

Kenyan Chapati Kenyan Chapati with saucy stew. Photo by : Oliver Peng on Flickr 

Chapati is Kenyans’ favourite bread for most meals. Chapati is very easy to make. It is made with white flour, salt and oil. Kenyans eat Chapati for breakfast with tasty stew or kachumbari.  A truly delicious meal!

4. Mukimo

Mukimo Mukimo. Photo by Tadaka on Flickr 

Mukimo is a popular food in Kenya. This traditional delicacy is made with potatoes, peas, corn and onions. It is served at all major Kenyan events. Incredibly delectable!

6. Matoke

Matoke

Matoke is one of the staple dishes in Kenya. Matoke is known as a variety of green bananas. The meal is made with banana, which is cooked and mashed into a meal. It is served with flavoured sauce. Extremely tasty and mouth-watering!

7. Nyama Choma

Nyama Choma Nyama Choma. Photo by: Chris Gansen on Flickr

Kenyans surely love their Nyama Choma. Nyama Choma is a grilled meat and it is barbecued over an open fire and usually eaten with Kachumbari. Utterly delicious!

8. Irio

Irio Irio, Lamb stew & Kachumbari. Photo by Kilagat on Flickr 

Irio is a delicious local dish, which consists of potatoes, peas and green vegetables. Sometimes corn is added as an ingredient. Irio is sometimes served along with grilled steak – Nyama choma and the combination is normally called Nyama na Irio.

9. Githeri

Githeri Photo Source: Photo credit: CIMMYT.

Githeri is a common Kenyan dish which mainly consists of maize and kidney beans. Maize and kidney beans are usually boiled and stewed. Githeri is nutritious and richly delicious.

10. Maharagwe

Maharagwe

Maharagwe – a delicious Kenyan Red Beans cooked in Coconut milk. This delicious meal is made with red beans and other spicy ingredient. Some people cook the red beans with chicken seasoning instead of coconut milk.

What do you think is the most delicious food in Kenya. Please, leave your comment below.

Our Readers Comments

  1. Nduma!!! I absolutely love nduma. It’s got different textures, diferent tastes as you go along one length of nduma. Plus you can have it as a snack, or as a starter, accompaniment in the main meal AND dessert.

    What else is so versatile?!

  2. Chicken, fish. Am I love pilau. Kenya has so many recipes that are delicious.

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  5. What is the difference between mukimo and irio?

  6. Thanks for sharing different ways of preparing the dishes.

  7. The last time I went to Kenya around November 2018 I had the opportunity to eat this food Maharagwe and it was delicious.. I hesitated to eat it because it was the first time but when I tried it, I enjoyed it.

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