Spiritual Black Beans

On a cold night in Kigali, fresh off a plane ride from the bustling city of Lagos; the commercial capital of Nigeria and its most populous city, the east African wind blows softly into my loose outfit. First regret was not to wear something befitting of the weather but I was fine; I could linger on up until I get out of customs at the airport and straight to the hotel in the central district of Kigali. As I stepped into the customs box, what struck me was the presence of tiny cups filled with what I would call dark hot chocolate drinks that was suitable for the cold weather. Long before I knew, I was about to discover coffee and its obsession in this sub-region of the world.  

I got into my hotel after a short immigration stint and I saw an array of coffee drinks in the selection of drinks available. At this point, I knew coffee here was more than a drink, it was a religion, a spiritual affair that was tied to the innate lives of the people here. East Africa is unique among the broad global tapestry of coffee traditions in that coffee is not only a beverage but also a way of life and a cultural phenomenon that permeates everyday life. East African coffee culture is a sparse symphony of tastes, customs, and communities, spanning from the mist-covered highlands of Ethiopia to the energetic streets of Nairobi.

After a couple of days trying out various coffee drinks in Kigali, I flew to Nairobi for a continuation of my cultural experience with this spiritual drink. Turn your attention from Rwanda to Kenya, and you’ll discover a resilient, cohesive, and uniquely flavorful coffee culture. Coffee is a beverage that permeates daily life in Kenya and serves as a marker for social events in addition to being a morning habit. The “Chai na Chapati” custom is deeply ingrained in Kenyan coffee culture. Kenyans congregate here to enjoy a hot, flaky chapati with a potent, dark coffee. Simplicity meets depth. Rich, robust coffee flavors mix with the coziness of shared moments to create a spartan symphony that beats to the pulse of community. Kenyans have successfully found a way to adopt coffee into everyday life, with its flavor found in every fabric of society. I visited a mall and wanted some cold beverage and I was stunned when I found coffee flavored milkshake on the menu. They had taken coffee to another level.

One would think this was just a city thing and wasn’t evident in the country sides. You would be wrong in so many ways. Coffee culture is not just national but regional and eats deep into the societal fabric here. Off to the coast of Mombasa, a bustling city with deep history as a hub that connects Africa to the middle east, Asia and beyond, it was fascinating to find cute little coffee shops dedicated to serving visitors and locals alike. One thing is certain, a simple drink could be your gateway to understand complex societal structures and history.

Thanks.