I have been cooking since before I can remember. I have heard stories about me helping out in the kitchen as early as three years old, that’s when I would stir the pot!

I moved to Los Angeles, California in 2017 and I missed Tanzanian food. Mount Vernon, New York is a hub for Tanzanians in the United States because our ambassadors home is in Mount Vernon and the Tanzania Mission is on 42nd Street in Manhattan—three train stops away. I was raised Tanzanian living in America. Kiswahili was spoken in the home, the music was solely from the Continent, Swahili food was cooked religiously, respect and discipline was a non-negotiable and we had way too many people living in our apartment. Being surrounded by a rich Tanzanian culture for 25 years, my move to Los Angeles rocked me in ways I never imagined. Los Angeles does not have a strong African presents with the exception of Ethiopian and Eritrean communities and even though East Africa shares similar cuisines like sambusa, it wasn’t the same. I found myself missing home and used food to cope. I would have strong cravings of ugali with the best mchuzi, sauce rich in color covered over some nice, nice samaki, fish. Mchicha, spinach on the side to balance out the meal rang familiar tones of my Bibi who always said, “where is your mbogas, greens. You do not have enough mboga my dear.” My Bibi worked for the Food & Agriculture Organization with the UNICEF as a Nutrition/ Program Officer and was a trailblazer in her field. Vegetables are her speciality and no meal is complete without your veggies.

Cooking made me feel closer to both my homes, Mount Vernon, New York and Tanzania. I had no recipes to follow and a lot of what I created were my interpretations of Swahili food and quick conversations with my mom saying,—how did you do this and what did you put in here to make it taste like this? With limited Swahili ingredients, my mom began to send me some of the world’s finest spices only to be found in Tanzania and this changed the game! At the time I was living with a roommate who is a foodie and first generation Korean. Our first generational experiences combined with our strong cultural backgrounds unveiled deep lines of connectivity. We both used food as a conversation tool to share. The only difference was that she has more access to her cultural foods and ingredients than I did. We were both exposing ourselves to the western world except I felt that she had a leg up since Los Angeles has Korean groceries stores. Watching her make Bibimbap made me want to make Pilau & who better to try my Swahili dishes on than my foodie of a roommate who understands the intention—my perfect taste tester.

I began inviting my friends over for curated dinners and making to-go plates when I had extras. I used all my friends as taste testers and the feedback was unbelievable. Cooking is fun and thats the easy part but, what I enjoyed the most was watching my friends spool over the flavors. This was something they had never tasted before and I wasn’t surprised. How would they? Tanzania isn’t even talked about in the Western world unless you know someone who is from there, visited there or just happened to be extremely well cultured. It’s Africa’s hidden gem!

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I just completed my first in person cooking class where I taught new and familiar faces how to make Swahili Goat Tacos and Pilau. The event was a success and it was my first time sharing my talents with strangers. Looking for more ways to share my food with my community, I went to social media and began posting more of my cooking. With the extra time on my hands, my cooking became more intentional and I realized my food has a lot to say. I am not just nourishing your body but, I am nourishing your mind and soul. I am exposing a whole new part of the world to people who never imagined such a place existed, with breathtaking views and tasty food. This concept of food is bigger than me and I just took on a passion project that excites me more than ever.

I can’t share Swahili cuisine without sharing what Tanzania is. I would not be doing my people and my country justice. But, I also can’t sit here and act like I know everything. I need to do the work! 2020 was a year that will never be forgotten. Not only were we in a worldwide pandemic but we were also dealing with a worldwide racial dilemma. Black lives matter and Black people around the world are ready to tell you why. We are tired of feeling used, abused and unrecognized for everything we do. We are unapologetically BLACK and as I do the work, I am realizing that I am not just Tanzanian but I am Black too! When people look at me they do not see that I am a Tanzanian that just happened to be born in America, they see me as a Black person and I have learned to accept that and understand what that means. I am conscientiously undoing the work that allowed me to believe that I was different than Black Americans and, using the tools I have now to bridge that gap through the food I make. I am so multifaceted it is crazy!

Throughout the past four years I have traveled back to Tanzania multiple times and each time the trip gets longer and more intentional. I am not a chef. I am a Tanzanian, Black, Women who curates Tanzanian experiences through food. Food is what brings people to the table, I am what will make you stay!