This month, Publicist to the stars Anyiko Owoko indulges in several award-winning Amarula cocktails before taking off to Burundi where she samples Lake Tanganyika’s famed freshwater fish.
Tastiest Food
When in Burundi, you must sample Lake Tanganyika’s Sleek lates fish locally known as Mukeke and Michopo. Roca Golf Hotel in the heart of Bujumbura serves up a mean Mukeke (grilled or fried), served in mouth-watering Amaranth Leaves locally known as Lenga-Lenga. I loved Mukeke’s delicious flavour and the fact that the fish is only found in Lake Tanganyika. I also visited Bwiza area, located in the centre of Bujumbura, where we had Michopo—Senegalese made Grilled Goat Meat with seasoning including hot sauce made from Burundian red chillies, lime and spices. Both Michopo and Mukeke meals go very well with the sticky Ugali made from Cassava.
Most Burundian Moment
Photo: https://www.nationalpedia.com/
Burundian people have a culture of running to keep fit. Away from Burundi’s scenic hills and mountains, the first thing I noticed upon arriving was several people jogging up the winding roads, at all times of the day. Burundians have a long history of jogging that started during the times when the country was in war and conflict. For years, citizens used jogging as a means of expression against political tension. Jogging has been inculcated into their culture and is today a hobby for many Burundians. In recent years, Burundi’s President Pierre Nkurunziza banned jogs involving thousands of people. For a large group jog you must first join a jogging club or register with the government, after which you must pick one of the approved venues.
Best Discovery
Photo: @sirdexrjones
I have just discovered that Blitz The Ambassador, the Ghanaian-American hip-hop act and visual artist based in Brooklyn, USA, has written and produced his first feature film titled “The Burial Of Kojo” set for its premiere at Urbanworld Film Festival on September 21st 2018. “The Burial Of Kojo” is a drama/thriller film about a man trapped in a mineshaft by his vengeful brother while his daughter embarks on a magical journey to rescue him. The film’s budget came from crowdfunding which saw Hollywood greats like Ava Duvernay and Jesse Williams kick start the fund. It exceeded its goal of 75,000 USD by garnering 78,291 USD in total!
Funkiest Cocktail
While at dusitD2 Hotel I recently sampled Tembo (elephant) cocktail created by the award-winning bartender and mixologist based at dusitD2: Angeliqua Rivera. The Tembo cocktail is made from Amarula and a Kenyan mix of Black Coffee, Black Syrup and Angostura Bitters. It’s the best crème liqueur cocktail I’ve had since I can remember. I loved how the taste of Amarula and Black Coffee seamlessly blended together and to make the drink a bit light yet good enough for any type of drinker. Angeliqua Rivera and her cocktail came in second position in the category of Kenya Bartender of the Year at the 4th Kenyan Edition of World Class premiere cocktail competition held across 60 countries.
