Has anyone on this board ever eaten ugali, the food of the running gods in Kenya?

No good recipe, but a TA from Kenya brought it in for a food day on the last day of class where we were required to meet but had no final exam, stuff tasted amazing. Like a doughy corn bread. But agreed, the cornmeal had a very unique and specific taste that I hadn't had from anything around here in the states. Assuming you'd have to seriously hunt and search for an ethnic market to get the right maize.

I don't understand how they don't have orthopedic issues early in their lives being on their feet so much...

mofarahnot wrote:

How many of you heard over and over about a Kenyan saying they ran 4 miles to school, 4 miles home for lunch and then 4 miles back, and then 4 miles home. That's 16 miles in one day. And, it is probably not unusual over there. Here? That kid would be called "Forest Gump", made fun of, and put on the paper for his/her "unusual" habits.

That doesn’t mean it, true.

clomping tom wrote:

mofarahnot wrote:

How many of you heard over and over about a Kenyan saying they ran 4 miles to school, 4 miles home for lunch and then 4 miles back, and then 4 miles home. That's 16 miles in one day. And, it is probably not unusual over there. Here? That kid would be called "Forest Gump", made fun of, and put on the paper for his/her "unusual" habits.

That doesn’t mean it, true.

Except it is when you actually look at where they live, where the school is and the availability of transporation in the area. Most Kalenjin villagers do not own cars and mass transit is not readily accessible in the villages. But the kids have to go to school...So, you either walk the 4 miles, or you run and jog. Pretty sure that those who were capable jogged/ran to school.

This is common with villages in Ethiopia as well.

clomping tom wrote:

mofarahnot wrote:

How many of you heard over and over about a Kenyan saying they ran 4 miles to school, 4 miles home for lunch and then 4 miles back, and then 4 miles home. That's 16 miles in one day. And, it is probably not unusual over there. Here? That kid would be called "Forest Gump", made fun of, and put on the paper for his/her "unusual" habits.

That doesn’t mean it, true.

Also, after doing the trip to school for a few years, that 4 miles starts to seem pretty short and you develop the confidence to do it faster and faster.

On National geographic TV they showed an african guy peeling bark off a tree and pulling out a giant worm, which they put in a pot and ate .

This is so accurate. I had ugali while I was in Africa a few years ago and have made it back home a few times, mostly when I want to feel nostalgic about my previous trip. I agree with others, it’s mostly a base and needs sauce and toppings. The ugali does not make them run fast, their genetics and lifestyle do. So if you are trying to eat ugali to become faster, you are simple minded.

Also, another name for ugali is corn fufu - makes me chuckle every time.

RunnerGirl99 wrote:

you are simple minded.

The absolute truth

My buddy studied the Kenyan diet and brought it was a test drive thinking it would help him become a better runner. While doing it, he indeed became a better runner, and the diet helped. However, he ultimately determined it wasn't the kenyan style food he ate, rather it was because he was eating a healthy high carb, highly nutritious diet that made a difference. He also drank a lot of tea. For ugali, he bought special "while style" corn meal on Amazon.

Why? That’s precisely why they don’t have problems. Because they are up and moving all day. Like humans were created (or evolved, depending on your beliefs) to do.

Bad Wigins wrote:

before the US welfare-state revival, the USDA used to hand out free bags of corn meal. On the bag was instructions for making a heated mush. It was essentially the same thing as ugali. In the south they make a more palatable version called grits. But it's all disgusting, and not nutritious in the least, just a few complex carbs, no animal protein and way too much fiber.

The USDA also handed out big tubs of peanut butter.

You're babbling again. Go to bed kid.

Bad Wigins wrote:

But it's all disgusting, and not nutritious in the least, just a few complex carbs, no animal protein and way too much fiber.

Fibre is good for you.

As for the claim that it is "not nutritious in the least," what a load of tosh! On its own it's not the most nutritious food (but still better than stuff like bread or chips which are not "disgusting", I guess). Combine it with something else, as everyone here does, you get a nutritious meal at little cost. Ugali and beans, the meal I ate every day in boarding school and still make at home ocassionally, nutritionally complement each other and provide the recommended values of protein and carbohydrates. To this is usually added green vegetables, providing vitamins, additional protein, and essential amino acids.

Why do I love it? It is not overly processed (I refer to whole cornmeal), has a high fibre content, and contains no additional sugars.

Yes I use to eat Ugali and is very good for running. In Italy we have normally the yellow maize flour. But in ethnic shop I use to buy the white maize flour. With yellow maize flour we use to do "polenta" same as ugali but yellow, it was the main food before and during ww2. And still now is very popular in north Italy. The white maize flour has a more delicate taste. I found it fantastic has a carbo load before a long run or a race. To me is better than pasta or rice. I normally eat it with some cooked vegetables , like spinach or cabbage or kale. But I think it can be eat in a endless of variations.

One of my Kenyan runners made it for me last year. As others have said, it's similar to grits. It was not that great by itself, but I could see it being okay if used as a base with a stew or something else on top of it. She also made chipate (sp?) for me which was similar to a pita bread at that was pretty good. Also something better used as a bread with meat or other food in it rather than alone.

Something like this, maybe?

http://www.grocery.com/store/simba-white-cornmeal-ugali-flour-4-4lb?language=en&currency=USD&notax=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxsrDvs7q5wIVEFYMCh25vgKPEAkYASABEgKJXPD_BwE

I recently started making it again - this time on the stove and not the rice cooker (significantly better). I heat up a pack of frozen vegetables and add chicken and organic bbq sauce to it. Not exactly how the Kenyans eat it, but pretty solid.

For cooking it, I bring 2 cups of water to a boil, lower the heat to 30-50% then slowly add in the corn meal, like 1/10 of a cup at a time, continuously stir for a minute or 2, then add another 1/10 of a cup or so. It will eventually form to a denser than mashed potatoes-like consistency. Once you've added all of it and are good with the consistency, try to spread it around the pan and cook for a few more minutes so you will end up with some crunchy parts. Those are pretty delicious.

Enjoy!

gottarun215 wrote:

She also made chipate (sp?) for me which was similar to a pita bread at that was pretty good. Also something better used as a bread with meat or other food in it rather than alone.

Chapati.

If it's not served at McDonalds, I don't eat it.

I assume it's the same as in Malawi, where it's called Nsima, which is cornmeal dried out in the sun and pounded to remove the nutrients, and then boiled into cakes, quivering jello-like collections of white, steaming hot thick slabs, which you eat with Ndiwo, relish, which was their word for any other food that they ate with Nsima, vegetables, fish, meat, rice, etc. Nsima done well has a good consistency but is tasteless and all carbs. However, when you do not sitting in chairs, walk much of the time (or run if you're Kenyan), use squat toilets and then also squat instead of sitting when you're talking with your friends, you don't need to worry too much about carbs. (Kenya may have better conditions and a lot fewer Chimbudzis or hole in the ground toilets for all I know).