Coastal Snack · Fried Bread
Mandazi
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This pillowy fried bread has coastal roots that trace back to Indian Ocean trade, not inland Kenya.
A lightly sweet, fluffy fried bread — sometimes triangular, sometimes round — often flavored with coconut milk or cardamom. Vendors fry batches fresh in the morning and evening and sell them hot, usually alongside tea.
Why it's made this way: Mandazi originated on the Swahili coast, where centuries of Indian Ocean trade brought coconut, spice, and frying traditions together into a cheap, portable snack.
Roughly what's in it
280kcal
5gprotein
40gcarbs
11gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.
More from Kenya
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
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