The history of this tasty dish is the history of humanity

The dish: Nyama choma, Kenya

Plate up

You can already speak some Swahili, even if you aren’t aware of it. Hakuna matata: it means no worries. In Swahili. This problem-free philosophy was popularised globally in The Lion King, which also introduced the world to several more Swahili words: “Simba”, for example, means lion, “rafiki” means friend, and “pumbaa” means being foolish or silly. So there you go, you speak Swahili. And now you speak a little more because today we are talking about Kenya’s national dish, nyama choma, Swahili for “grilled meat”.

Nyama choma is a dish of exactly that and little else. It’s usually goat meat marinated in garlic, salt and other spices then barbecued over wood fire or charcoal, though beef is also sometimes used. That charred meat is served with kachumbari – a salad of tomato and onion – plus ugali, the East African staple, a sort of stiff, maize-meal porridge. You will find this meal served everywhere from roadside stands to fancy restaurants across Kenya.

First serve

To trace the history of nyama choma, you basically have to trace the history of humanity. Or at least, the history of our mastery of fire. Key tribal groups in Kenya such as the Maasai, the Kikuyu and Kalenjin have been cooking meat over flames for millennia – it’s impossible to know who first hit on the idea (or when). This is cooking so elemental as to have no history. What we do know, is that the preparation of nyama choma is and always has been as important as its eating – a social ritual that’s richly cherished even among modern-day Kenyans.

Order there

In Nairobi, head to The Carnivore restaurant, and legend on the local scene (tamarind.co.ke).

Order here

Though it’s not Kenyan, the Sudanese restaurant Omdurman Centre in Blacktown, Sydney, does excellent grilled meats (no website). In Melbourne, Safari Lounge in Malvern East serves a range of “choma” dishes (safarilounge.com.au).

One more thing

In its original draft script, The Lion King was called “King of the Jungle”. Producers decided to change the title after the savannah setting was decided on – and, no doubt, after realising lions don’t live in the jungle.