Traditional Food of the Kikuyu People of Kenya
A Nduma dish with potatoes and carrots for additional flavour. Steamed cabbage has been added to balance the diet. The Kikuyu of Kenya and what they Ate The Kikuyu were a mixed farming community. Their diet was mainly from agricultural produce. They kept cattle and goats, but mainly for ritual purposes and as a currency for the purchase of goods and the payment of dowry. They therefore ate meat during ceremonies that required the slaughter of a goat or cow, and not just because someone had not eaten meat for a long time. Like in the Maasai community, the Kikuyu were forbidden from eating wild animals. It was also taboo to eat birds like chickens and ducks. However, these taboos did not apply to uncircumcised boys, and families adopted from communities that had no qualms about eating the forbidden animals. For example, Ndorobo Kikuyus were known as 'Athi,' a term that translates as 'hunters,' among other meanings. They, therefore, were free to eat the produce of their l...