An unexpected difficult search for the Ugandan delicacy katogo in Malaba town. But worth the wait as the flavors of this rendition of a beloved meal left me wanting for more.
Unlike Busia town which with its array of hotels, restaurants and kibandaski invites one to stay a while before crossing over, the experience of Malaba town is more hurried. When in Malaba town, it feels like one is constantly being hustled to cross over to the Ugandan side of the town.
Often, I have yielded to the pressure from the ‘customs’ and ‘forward and clearing’ brokers who are a dime a dozen on the streets of Malaba town. Partly because my curiosity got the better of me. However, during my recent trip, I chose to enjoy the Kenyan side. After tons of window shopping that mild weathered Saturday morning, the pangs in my tummy indicated that it was time for my other favorite thing: eating.
My Short Malaba Town Kibandaski Tour, Hunting For Katogo
I am generally not a fussy eater. Often my company chides me as being a prime candidate for cholera, amoebiasis and other food related diseases. This is because I love and therefore seek out what we Kenyans call the kibandaski food experience whenever I go visiting. My first attempt at Malaba was a nyama eatery somewhere close to the border point. I washed my hands by the door as it is custom, sat down and ordered for katogo.
The waitress looked confused by my order. I repeated my order: k-a-t-o-g-o. She scuttled to the cooking area and was back in milliseconds.
We have no katogo. Maybe you should try our choma.
Dissapointed and hungrier from gulping down plumes of smoke from the roasting meat, I made my way back to the street. I had just started to make my way away from the border barrier when I spot a lady inside a boutique feasting on matoke.
I want some of what you are having… to be precise, where can I find katogo?
The kind lady interrupted her lunch and in English laden with a Ugandan accent, pointed me towards heaven.
You see there… the post office? Just behind the post office,there are vibandas there. They are the only ones who make this kind of food.
Finally, Some Katogo
Being me, poor with directions, I messed with finding the rather straight forward spot. Then I spotted the iron sheet structure full of patrons digging into their chapati-madondo, ugali-mix and other kibadanski favorites. I found a spot at the edge of a bench made off timber off cuts and made my order.
“Katogo,” I asked.
K-a-t-o-g-o mbil!” The waiter shouted to the sweaty guy behind the counter. Soon after our meal arrived. I must admit that I was initially skeptical of the dish as it wasn’t katogo in the traditional sense. Katogo is an everything goes serving made when green bananas are cooked together with whatever one fancies in a single pot.
This particular katogo was matoke served with a sauce of groundnut with a generous piece of enyama esike. It had a nutty, meaty, smokey flavor. While katogo is traditionally a breakfast meal, in true kibandaski fashion, the portions were generous enough to sooth lunch hunger pangs. Needless to say, the katogo went well with chatter from my table mates. Not that I participated in the talk – they were truck drivers regaling exploits of their sexual escapades. This is because as interesting as they chest beating sounded, I found the flavors of my dish more earth shattering.
