PRODUCTS
23-04-2024 by Leni Frau
Come the rains, Kenya is showcasing a new culinary asset: mushrooms.
Global climate change, which partly affects Kenya, has both positive and negative effects on the fertile land on the African equator.
One of these, given the increasingly close temporal and climatic link between the big rains between May and July and the small rains of October and November, is the presence of edible mushrooms on Kenyan soil.
So the local population, as well as foreigners who are already familiar with the pleasures of the palate, are also beginning to cultivate a passion for mushrooms, even if there is not yet a culture for recognising the good ones from the poisonous ones, with institutions gearing up to launch an information campaign and avoid unpleasant episodes caused by a lack of knowledge of this natural resource.
In the meantime, packages of mushrooms, chanterelles and mushroom-like mushrooms are appearing in national supermarkets.
For some, the origin is indicated (from Eldoret, above all, but also from the forests around Nairobi), others come from African countries not far away (the delicious Rwandan "Portobella", with tasty capsules that can also be grilled), but often some bear no indication at all and most probably have not undergone any special checks by the health office.
This year the rains have not really stopped, although since February we have seen a rise in temperatures which has accompanied two months of drought. However, the forests and vegetation have benefited from the humidity and the mushroom trade has increased.
Even in Kenya, there are good, edible mushrooms, some of which are rare and precious.
They may not be as prized and fragrant as porcini, but they have the pleasant texture and good taste similar to some of the varieties we can find in our country.
Chanterelles, chanterelles, prickly pears and champignons are abundant in Kenya's forests and can be found, for example, in the Taita Hills or the Arabuko Sokoke Forest near Watamu.
In the boutique at the entrance to the forest, you can sometimes find mushroom-like mushrooms that don't really taste like much, but are not to be ignored for a risotto.
From Naivasha, on the other hand, come good champignons, which are excellent sautéed, fried or fried.
But the most prized and unusual one comes from the Rift Valley, in the Luhya lands.
It is the obukufuma, a mushroom that the local people have always picked and cooked, after drying and smoking it, and which the international Slow Food Foundation wants to protect, along with other rare resources of this wonderful land.
Dried, it vaguely resembles a cep, with a greyish crown and white stalk, which can reach up to 40 centimetres in height (the cap is up to 30 centimetres in diameter). Luhya people usually smoke it because it can last up to six months, and use it to flavour soups or mix it with maize or beans.
Obukufuma is harvested during the morning hours in the Epanga Valley and generally in the forests of Vihiga County in northwestern Kenya.
Obukufuma also has an important meaning for the local community.
Those who find mushrooms are considered virtuous and lucky, while those who dream of them but do not find them may have problems in their families.
Obukufuma mushrooms grow naturally on fertile soils and are harvested both for sale and for home consumption, but they are becoming increasingly rare due to civilisation and fertilisers used close to the forests.
EVENTI
by redazione
Saturday, December 4 at the Malindi Sea Fishing Club is staged the appointment with the Christmas market...
NEWS
by redazione
The Ministry of Trade and Industry of Kenya has decided to close all shops selling retail products or materials...
PLACES
by redazione
September news at the OIimpia Club of Casuarina in Malindi.
From...
ACTIVITIES
by redazione
With the arrival of the season, the reopening of venues and resorts in Watamu, the wide selection of...
EVENTS
by redazione
The World Week of Italian Cuisine this year in Kenya is celebrated on the shores of the...
PLACES
by redazione
A Latin American weekend at the Tangier Lounge in Malindi.
In ...
by redazione
A month and a half of well-deserved holidays, and one of the landmarks of Italian and international catering in Malindi reopens its...
PLACES
by redazione
Everyone on the beach to celebrate our Italian spirit. On Friday 29th the World Week of...
FOOD IN KENYA
by redazione
We know well the history and hardships of the African continent: a few strains and thousands of tribes scattered over an area of ​​about 30 million square kilometers, which have paid a bitter duty to the evolution of the Western...
ITALIAN EMBASSY
by redazione
With an evening of haute cuisine by Michelin guided chef and taste ambassador Luca Mastromattei...
EVENTS
by redazione
The Apulia region will be the protagonist of the evening on Friday as part of the World Week of ...
OPENING
by redazione
Since the first Saturday in October, Malindi has been enriched by a new restaurant with classy...
WEEK OF ITALIAN CUISINE
by redazione
In the eco-sustainable turnaround of the Kenyan capital's road system, there is also an...
PLACES
by redazione
Two more hours of opening in the evening, with a curfew postponed to 9 p.m., for a restaurant means the...