Being vegan in Kenya is arguably one of the easiest places to be vegan in the world. The reason is twofold: 1) the abundance of fresh fruit and veg (duh) and 2) most everyday Kenyan meals are 'accidentally' vegan (accidentally here not because of animals rights, but rather because it's cheaper than eating flesh and fluids). At least Kenyans know already that it's not just possible, but healthy and delicious to be vegan! In this blog post we're going to be exploring vegan dishes that you can find, finding out which foods grow, talking a little about vegan restaurants and vegan safaris :) Let's get started!
Vegan Dishes In Kenya
This includes Kenya's national dish, Sukuma Wiki! Seriously, how often have you travelled somewhere and found out their national dish is vegan? Because for me this is the first time lol. Here's a short list:
- Sukuma Wiki: Kenya's magical national dish - cook sukuma leaves (aka collard) with onion, tomato, stock (or water) and spices;
- Ugali: served with most meals - white maize flour is cooked into a porridge-like meal;
- Irio: boil potatoes and peas and then mash them;
- Githeri: beans, maize, onions, tomatoes, paprikas and spices are cooked into a stew;
- Maharagwe: coconut, kidney beans, tomatoes and spices cooked into a curry;
- Mahamri: fried bread - usually vegan but double check it wasn't made with milk!
Fruit & Veg In Kenya
It's amazing that's there's so many great vegan dishes in Kenya, but for those that of you that like or even prefer to eat at home (or home away from home), what are the best things to buy in Kenya? Wherever we go, we like to eat whatever is grown local - fewer food miles means less pollution which is better for the environment (where animals live), plus I think local food generally tastes better (fresher etc) and it's usually cheaper too. So, let's see what grows in Kenya.
- grains & vegetables: maize, rice, wheat, beans, potatoes, cabbage, carrots;
- fruits: passion fruit, oranges, bananas, pineapples, pears, pawpaws and so many more!
This isn't a full list, but as you can see there is plenty of variety in Kenya!
Vegan Restaurants In Kenya
Whilst I don't think it's hard to eat as a vegan in most restaurants in Kenya with all the accidentally vegan options, it's still nice to support vegan restaurants where possible. There are a total of five fully vegan restaurants in Kenya. Two in Nairobi, Kenya's capital; two near(ish) Mombasa and one in Arusha.
Vegan Safari in Kenya
Apart from the health vegans, most vegans are vegan because they love animals. And people who love animals often want to see them in the wild like you can do at Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru safari. Going on safari is something most only dream about, but what about food options? Many safaris in Kenya can accommodate to vegans (again, going back to the fact that many dishes are accidentally vegan there). Check before hands and take extra snacks just in case.
Photographing animals in the wild and taking those photos home to show people how animals should be living (as opposed to in cages), is something you might want to do. Bigmac Africa Safaris for example offer options like Masai Mara Safari photography safaris.
Wrap Up: Vegan In Kenya
All in all, it seems quite easy to travel or live in Kenya as a vegan thanks to a happy coincidence that vegan food is already widespread there. It's great that vegan restaurants are popping up there already and that there's such beautiful fruits growing there.
