They say when you find something you love stick to it. For me, it’s my love for food. I not only eat for sustenance but also for enjoyment. Just like a guy, how the food looks will determine whether or not I’ll eat it.
Having grown up in Busia, I consider myself a kienyeji. And yes, my palate is kienyeji too. Can you guess my favorite meal? (try) I do enjoy brown ugali. As I write this I’m thinking of how that leftover kienyeji chicken will sluurrpp with brown ugali tomorrow.
See, I’m intentional with food. I rather toil for hours making that bomb ass meal to just enjoy it for a couple of minutes. That is a labor of love. You can clearly tell what my love language is.
“Hello, I’d like to order a burger.”
Finding ‘fast foods’ in Busia was like trying to find a house in Busia with no thermos flask. It’s just recently (I’m almost 30) that you can find fast food joints such as Kach fries.
I am not complaining because if I was exposed to these foods at a young age, I would not have had the pleasure of enjoying my favorite meal. Can you imagine selling two pieces of chicken at that exaggerated price to a Luhya who has several in their homestead? No sales will be made.
“We have an offer today, any flavor of your choice.”
I can’t remember the first time I had a burger, can you? Since my first burger up to now I’ve had lots that I’ve come to two conclusion. It’s easier and cheaper to buy one than make one and that finding one you love is harder than making if yourself.
I was heartbroken when my favorite burger joint closed down. That is the only feeling I could equate it too. How was I going to live without her? Freshly baked bun stuffed with a well seasoned patty with a bacon and egg? Why didn’t I know this soon? I need to have it one last time! I need closure! Sounds like a relationship, huh?
“One beef and one chicken, please.”
They say, you never forget your first but I beg to defer. You replace that first with many other firsts. Therefore, it evolves! I couldn’t wait to have this first. The one that is meant to replace the picture of all firsts. As I was going about my evening routine, I knew that I had a price at the end of all that.
And then it arrived. The baby was asleep and the man was on his evening walk. It was just the burger and I against NCIS LA. Some me time!
The first bite put me in a daze. I was hypnotized by the burst of flavors. My mind froze trying to decode each flavor. So juicy a burger that the fillings were sliding off. And there it was, I hade tasted that sauce before in their pizza. It was so warm and welcoming with a hint of sarcasm and spice. It felt like home and that’s all I wanted.
It took a lot of self control for me not to go for the second burger and devour her right there. All I could think about was that ‘the s in fast food is silent’ meme. I know! I chose to practice delayed gratification and left the second burger for the next day. The amount of calories in the sauces in a burger is very high (Thank you Aproko doctor) but I do not care (at least not at this very moment).
Food is for pleasure too.
Oh! Burger!