There has been a lot going on behind the scenes here at Modern African Table. But I wanted to take a moment to share some of my favorite flavor pairings from 2024.
African Locust Beans
The closest African market is two towns away. The purveyors speak very little English, and I very little French and yet we find a way to communicate. The irony is not lost on us that we are in fact fluent in the languages of the old colonizers. Nonetheless, I am here on a quest for Kenyan Njahi beans when I happen upon a small colorful packet of dawa dawa (African locust beans). Only the week before, I learned of this plant’s existence and now found myself curious to explore it in our kitchen.