OUR PLANET
Food
One delightful element about Kenya food is its diverse flavor. Kenyan cooking draws upon a variety of ethnic traditions and
merged with the seasonings and tastes of Indian and Arabic cuisine. Samosas, chapattis, masala chips, biryani and bhajia
and roasted corn cob sprinkled with chilli, all reflect the Indian influence over Kenyan cooking. The Kenyan diet is comprised
of ugali, rice, bread, githeri (mixture of boiled maize and beans), beef, chicken, goat, tilapia, and an assortment of fresh
vegetables and fruits. Nyama choma - a form of charcoal grilled beef or goat meat, is regarded as Kenya's national dish. It is
a very popular food item found in authentic Kenyan restaurants and pubs.
The Kenyan diet also includes tea. . When it comes to drinks, Kenya tea in the form of Chai (tea with milk and sugar) is the
beverage of choice. It is served for breakfast, at mealtimes and also during Kenya's regular teatime. Clearly, Kenya culture
embraces many different cultural influences: teatime is a custom borrowed from the British colonial past and the Chai style of
cooking tea originated in India.
Values and Etiqutte
Kenyans are a friendly and hospitable people, regardless of ethnic affiliation. Greetings are an important part of social and
business interaction. Hand-shaking when greeting people you meet for the first time is customary. Eye contact is important to
build trust.
Kenyans also place great importance on family. Kenyan families are often large and usually include the extended family.
Kenyans honor collective responsibilities and traditional values, which include treating the elderly with respect and reverence.
Sport
Kenya' most popular sport is soccer; however, it's
Kenya's long distance runners who have gained
worldwide renown. Athletes from around the world
look up to Kenya's legends- Kipchoge Keino, Henry
Rono, Paul Tergat and Catherine Ndereba, among
others.
Music
Apart from its own traditional music styles, modern
Kenya music has been heavily influenced by foreign
sources:American, Jamaican Jamaica.The live scene is
mostly limited to Nairobi and the cities and villages along the coast. But the matatus (public minibuses) make sure very loud
music is heard everywhere in Kenya, and cheap CDs and cassette tapes can be bought in many shops and road stalls
Here is some basic Swahili to help you make the most of your Kenya's everyday communicating words.
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