Hilary in Kenya: Olepolos: The Good (Nyoma Choma) And The Bad (Blood Sausage)

I’ve mentioned in previous posts that nyoma choma (roasted meat) is one of the main meals here in Kenya. Goat is usually the meat of choice, although there is often chicken as well. You select your meat(s), and they throw it on the grill - some time later (we operate on African time here) you have dinner! There are lots of nyoma choma places in Nairobi, but most locals recommend a place called Olepolos. It’s located about 30 or 40 kilometers outside of Nairobi. The location overlooks the Rift Valley, and everyone has assured us it has some of the best nyoma choma around and that the restaurant has a great atmosphere for hanging out and enjoying an afternoon with friends.

So, a few weekends ago, Jessica, Trey, Vicky and I decided to make a trip out to Olepolos to see what all the fuss was about. Our driver Peter accompanied us - he’d heard of the place as well, and wanted to check it out. We had a fun drive out of the city. Turns out, all of us (well, not Peter, but everyone else) are big Glee fans, so we had a bit of a sing-a-long, since Peter’s car has a sound system that plays iPods - I’m sure Peter was regretting the decision to buy that sound system as he had to listen to us belting out tunes without abandon the entire drive.

The drive out to Oleoplos was beautiful - great views of the Rift Valley. Upon arrival, we were shown to a table on the deck, and all I can is that the view was incredible. No civilization, just open land as far as the eye can see. Peter went to order food, while the rest of us settled in for some cold Tuskers and conversation. The first course was sausage (called matura). It’s actually blood sausage. It looked (and smelled) amazing. Sadly, I can’t recommend the taste - the only way I can think to describe it is - it tastes exactly like a goat smells. Kind of like a petting zoo or something. Not my favorite - I can’t believe I found a meat snack that I don’t like. The other unfortunate thing was that I happened to mention the whole “tastes like a goat smells” thing right as Vicky put a piece in her mouth - the look on her face was priceless. Needless to say, Peter ate most of the sausage. He swears the stuff that he makes himself is even better - I think I’ll pass.

Even though the sausage wasn’t the greatest, the rest of the food was amazing. I can definitely say that my stomach has gotten a lot stronger since I’ve lived in Kenya. I ate goat intestines and heart, and even ate most of the choma off the bone. I was given the shoulder bone - apparently eating the shoulder is an honor. When you are done, you are supposed to pierce a hole in the bone and plant it in the ground to ensure future feasts and good luck.

As with any African dining experience, eating lunch took most of the day, but it was passed in good company and with plenty of cold Tusker. I really like the relaxed culture of eating here - it’s meant to be a time to socialize and relax with friends. It’s definitely refreshing - except when I want to grab a quick bite to eat!

We returned to Nairobi late that afternoon full and happy and recharged for another week.

Jessica and I outside Olepolos, just before eating. I've worked with Jess in the past, and she's been here the past 3 years. She's also the lead of most of the ADP work going on in Kenya. I'm really happy that she's here - although I've made a ton of friends, it's great to have someone that knew me before Kenya, and who knows about my family, etc.

Ah, the African toilet. Don't be fooled by these fancy boxes - inside is literally a hole in the ground. They are called drop toilets, and they are really prevelant - roll up your jeans before using! This type of toilet is pretty common in most places - including some of the government buildings.

The spread! There's ugali and chips (fries) and chipati on the side. The main courses are the goat heart and intestines (middle) and ribs/shoulder/leg meat (on the sides). Can you spot the ever present Tusker? Not present: the less than awesome sausage.