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Samosa’s, the (Dutch) bitterballen of Kenya

Before we start the Ugali, Nyama Choma, Chapati's or Irio here, we drink a cold Whitecap and order some samosas, the Kenyan version of the Dutch bitterball...

Charlie's Travels | Blog | Samosa’s, the (Dutch) bitterballen of Kenya

Substitute for the Dutch Bitterball

Samosas are triangular, crispy, deep-fried snacks that can be filled with fish, meat, vegetables (lentils!) or even feta or sweets. We said it before: this (often rather greasy) snack is the ultimate replacement for the bitterball!

Ishaq al-Mawsili

Like many other foods in Kenyan cuisine, samosas are not 100% Kenyan. Because Kenya lies on the Indian Ocean, there are quite a few dishes with an Asian/Eastern edge. For instance, the samosa is an ancient snack: as early as the 9th Century, the dish was praised in a poem by Persian poet Ishaq al-Mawsili.

Amsterdam Food Pitch

So samosas are not only available in Kenya, but since Kenyans have embraced the triangle and you can get the snack just about anywhere in the country on every street corner, we think the samosa deserves a bit more attention in the Netherlands too. Which comes in handy, because in 2018, you could vote for the dish as a ‘New Culinary Hit’ for the Amsterdam Food Pitch!  

Samosa on the drinks menu

Our good friend and chef Elizabeth ‘Mama Kenya’ Njeru didn't win the Amsterdam Food Pitch, but we think she's going to make sure the samosa ends up on the drinks menu all over the Netherlands. That the 400,000 Africans living in the Netherlands won't just have a cheese stick or bitterbal, but also can order a delicious  

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