Chevra
Monday, June 5th, 2006 at 6:24 AM
Whenever I hear of someone going home to Kenya for a visit I always ask them to bring me back the same thing (I do not wait for them to offer, I more or less demand it). All I want from home is Chevra.
There are two things which Kenyans make like no one else on the planet, Fanta Orange and Chevra. Both are beautiful! In Manchester Asian supermarkets have rows of different types of Chevra. But none of them hit the spot.
2006 has been a bad year for my Chevra exploits. It started with a valuable bag of stuff disappearing into the Sultanate that is Qatar. At least I got to go back home to restock so I recovered from that disaster. Those stocks were quickly depleted. Since then two people I know have headed home, each one promised to come back with my Chevra fix, but no! They did not even bother to offer excuses. I was given the “We couldn’t be bothered with a trip to the supermarket and what are you going to do about it” treatment.
All seemed lost until last week another so called friend txted me from Nairobi to ask if there was anything I wanted. Oh Yes! What a superstar! They landed in Manchester yesterday.
Me: Where is my chevra superstar?
SS: Kwani you didn’t hear Uchumi shut down?
Me: argggggggggggggggggh!!!!!
Oh well at least they thought of an excuse (a very crap one).
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Entry Filed under: Kenya, Rant
23 Comments Add your own
1.
Guessaurus | June 5th, 2006 at 8:37 am
I know nothing (said in an Italian Accent)
2.
Shiroh | June 5th, 2006 at 8:51 am
I am just laughing.
3.
Shiroh | June 5th, 2006 at 8:52 am
he he he. Thats a nice one. Uchumi closed with all the Chevras inside.
4.
Emily | June 5th, 2006 at 9:35 am
I totally get what you are saying, I live in Sudan and I carry tons and tons of chevra ( and other stuff) While I can share my other stuff, there is no way I can share my chevra not on your life no way APANA
5.
dangerouslyshy | June 5th, 2006 at 10:01 am
Bwehehe..
Lol@Guess
Fine ill unleash…
Mental you need to get yourself down to east radan (east london to you and me) where for 80p, you can purchase a bottle (yes i said bottle, glass and all) of fanta from nairofi as well as your beloved chevras…Upton Park is where i go and its got mingi kyuks mpaka its easy to sahau you are in the UK and just when you do you skia “sasa auntie” and you are right back to sokoni mode..
6.
mzeecedric | June 5th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
LOL, I love chevra! Thats the stuff I order from Kenya as well. And some Tusker and fruits, tons! Mango Papaya, Avocados
7.
kabinti | June 5th, 2006 at 4:19 pm
my best chevra brand can be found at that supermarket on the first floor in Yaya, I forget the name now…..
8.
Mentalacrobatics | June 5th, 2006 at 4:27 pm
@ Guess - cough cough x100
@ Shiroh - now you know what to get me for my birthday!
@ Emily - i’ll forward to you your membership card for the Chevra Appreciation Society
@ dangerouslyshy - we’ll talk kando
@ mzeecedric - now thats what am talking about. Although they do not let us carry food here
@Kabinti - chandaria supermarket or something like that?
9.
Adrian | June 5th, 2006 at 4:45 pm
yani you couldn’t have done this post without the pic?!
memories…
10.
uaridi | June 5th, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Adrian is right - please do not spread the suffering - we miss home enough as it is.
I did not knowother people (apart from my family) loved the stuff. A shop in Eldy made chevra that hit the right spot. Meanwhile, send someone to break into Uchumi for the chevra.
11.
Ms K | June 6th, 2006 at 8:35 am
Heh heh you was played!!!
*ducking stones*
12.
kenyanmusings | June 6th, 2006 at 9:05 am
Chevra? Chevra mental? Chevra? tsk tsk…its 36 bob dooood!!
**walks off shaking head**
13.
Mentalacrobatics | June 6th, 2006 at 11:02 am
Adrian + Uaridi - A picture tells a thousand words eh!
@MsK - cough cough x100
@KM - imagine … only 36 frigging shillings yet people still let you down!
14.
Guessaurus | June 6th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
While you are threatening to infect people with bird flu, it would be wise to remember that asking someone to ask someone to do something, then the someone who was asked asked the person asking them to do the something cos the person who is asking the person who asked them is busy or summink, then the person who asked but is being asked just cant be asked cos …..
*shaking head and moving on before she is put in a chicken cage and transported to Uchumi, live*
15.
sokari | June 8th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Ok - what is this? looks like crayfish to me? is it sweet or sour please i want to know so I too can enjoy this delicious!
16.
Mama Mia | June 8th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
lol, haven’t had chevra in years … I must get me a pkt soon …..
17.
JKE | June 9th, 2006 at 12:11 am
Funny - I bought a paket of my favourite chevDa brand while in Kenya (the good ones from Monties @Sarit Centre) and took it with me. Finished it in 10 minutes.
Ah, and what about Biltong?
18.
Ntwiga | June 10th, 2006 at 4:18 am
Thanks for the memories, this post brings back some good ones.
Hmmmmm.
Did someone forget about Farmer’s Choice sausages?
I always thought that supermarket-bought chevra was the do-all / end-all until I met a true chevra affectionado who knows real chevra.
She introduced me to fresh cooked chevra at one of the Indian shops on Ngara Road.
All I can say is “My name is Steve and I an a chevra-olic”
I have not eaten supermarket bought chevra since then. In fact, I consider it to be worse than boiled cabbage.
-Steve
19.
stpdblessd | June 12th, 2006 at 4:13 am
@ntwiga –what about nyamabite? The one thing that would stop me from being a vegetarian, no kidding.
20.
JKE | June 13th, 2006 at 1:24 am
@Stpdblessd - ROFL!! Nyamabite…..omg….I bought it, had to. DEL ICIO US, but don’t wanna know what s inside…
Steve, fresh Chevra? I clearly missed this. As for those Farmer’s Choice sausages - BEST! I remember I bought a packet of them for 126 /= KShs at Uchumis the other day…
21.
Steve | June 14th, 2006 at 3:58 am
I have to agree with JKE about the nyamabite. tastes great but do I want to know whats in there?
I THINK NOT.
Lets have another one.
Steve
22.
Jaber | June 21st, 2006 at 12:27 am
what I wouldn’t give for some chevra … and the spicey mabuyu’s too!
23.
Mentalacrobatics » &hellip | May 18th, 2007 at 11:33 am
[...] just have to smile. If you do not trust my culinary opinions (perhaps because I nearly started an international diplomatic crisis over chevra) check out what the professionals are saying [PDF of Review of Blanco’s by Daily Nation’s food [...]
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