Nyama Choma
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda (pan-East African tradition; particularly associated with Kenya)
Nyama choma — literally 'grilled meat' in Swahili — is East Africa's most elemental and socially significant food: goat or beef, cut into sections with the bone in, placed directly on a charcoal grill and cooked without marinade until charred outside and tender within, then hacked into pieces with a machete or cleaver and served with nothing more than salt and ugali or sukuma wiki. The simplicity is the point — nyama choma's quality rests entirely on the quality of the meat and the control of the fire. It is the food of celebration, of football matches, of political rallies, of Sunday afternoons at the nyama choma joint. The ceremony of eating involves dipping each piece in salt and sharing from a communal board.