When one speaks of ‘rolex’ in East Africa, and one does not speak of it in the glass skyscrapers of Nairobi or Kampala, nor at the mundane parties of politicians and businessmen, but on the street, in front of a street food stall, or inside a modest house with a tin roof, one speaks of a gastronomic speciality that originated in Uganda but is increasingly in vogue in Kenya as well.
The rolex is nothing more than a chapati, the typical accompaniment to food that resembles the Greek ‘pita’ and the Romagna ‘piadina’, made with oil, water and flour, rolled around fried eggs to which vegetables, in some cases even avocado, and spices are added.
Its price can vary from 600 to 100 shillings (never more than 70 euro cents, in other words) and to prepare it, at the moment, all you need is a small kiosk with a small table (or a stool) where you can roll out the dough for the chapati, a small charcoal stove and a frying pan.
In Uganda it has quickly become something of a national dish, with the blessing of CNN, which called it the best street food in Africa a few years ago.
In Kenya it is difficult to oust ‘nyama choma’, or roasted meat, ox innards or ‘mutura’, liver sausages and black pudding.
But also thanks to rising meat prices, the fear of using unconventional animals such as donkeys, monkeys and dogs (sad discoveries and arrests are the order of the day), the rolex, which in some ways reminds one of the workers' omelette sandwich in post-war Italy, is increasingly popular.
There is a version with two eggs and two chapatis (double face) and even one with four eggs (Titanic).
Real menus began to proliferate, with Indian curry fillings, Mexican with guacamole and jalapeno pepper, or crudaiole. The ideal side dish for Africans is always chips, and the accompaniment is the ever-present local ketchup (or chilli sauce).
In Uganda, rolex is almost a way of life, even rolex festivals are established, with competitions for whoever makes the biggest or the fanciest rolex.
The Kenyans, who like to distinguish themselves by their elitist vocation, are already starting to transfer it from kibandas (or rather, ‘kibandaski’ as the kiosks-trattoria are called in Nairobi) to mid-range restaurants.
Just like in Cesenatico and Rimini, certain a-là-page bathing establishments and bars turned into trendy places have been offering their ‘rotoloni’ for years. No eggs and avocado, but raw ham, squacquerone cheese and rocket.
For that, in Africa, there is still time, but we will certainly get there. The beauty of this young and futuristic continent is that it still has a lot to learn, especially in the field of food, if it can afford to move from sustenance food to the pleasure of the taste buds.