The Black Food Festival was born out of curiosity for international cuisines and the experimental nature of culinary minds across the globe. The brainchild behind the concept is Regina Boros, a Hungarian foodie, blogger, and marketing professional from Budapest who founded the initiative in 2016.
The festival was planned back in 2016 and after some planning and organization, the first Black Food Festival was held in Budapest on November 2018. Now the festival is making its way to our city and here's you chance to entice your taste buds with some black food.
This Mashujaa Weekend, October 20th, Foodies will convene at J's Fresh Bar & Kitchen to indulge in a culinary adventure like no other!
Black Foods are all the rage now. These safe edibles have been developed by nutritionists and food techies.
As food trends go, this one's pretty enticing - and rather mysterious. We all know how beneficial it is to eat foods that are green, but what's so great about black food? What is it about black food that has propelled regular food items it to super-food status?
That depends on the food you're starting with. So we've decided to break down a few blackened foods and show you what this black magic is made of.
Black garlic
Black garlic is a type of caramelized garlic made by heating whole bulbs of garlic for several weeks. (Photo: mnimage/Shutterstock)Black garlic is actually fermented garlic. It happens as a result of letting whole bulbs of garlic sit for several weeks over low heat, spurring a chemical reaction that creates those distinctive black cloves. Taste-wise, you're left with a combination of molasses-like richness and tangy garlic undertones. Texture-wise, it's a soft, melt-in-your-mouth consistency similar to dried fruit.
And then, there are benefits. In ancient Taoist mythology, black garlic was thought to bring immortality to all who consumed it. In modern science, it was discovered that this stuff's got nearly twice as many antioxidants as regular raw garlic. It also contains S-Allycysteine, a natural compound that's been linked to cancer prevention.
From cakes to dips to soups to noodles, there's a whole litany of ways to use black garlic in your cooking.
Black ice cream
The black ice cream frenzy has officially gone global. This dark-as-your-soul confection is all the rage in scoop shops from around the world.
Black tomatoes
Black tomatoes are a cross-breed originating in the Arava region of Israel. No, that's not some unusual plum variety that grows on a vine. It's a black tomato! Specifically, it's a "Black Galaxy" tomato, first grown in 2012 by an Israel-based agriculture company called Technological Seeds DM.
It's a slight variation of the Indigo Rose tomato grown at Oregon State University, but that one's legit purple. And though it gives off a deep purple tint in the above photo, its growers say it actually gets darker as it ripens.
Black lemonade
Activated charcoal is used to turn this lemonade black. Between ice cream and this crafty black lemonade (Instructables recipe here), you can truly turn your sunny days into a goth-food paradise. This drink is made simply by adding activated charcoal to regular lemonade. You can buy activated charcoal in capsule form and just dissolve them into the drink for the lemonade of your jet-black dreams.
Black pasta
Someone had the brainy idea to inject squid ink - or cuttlefish ink, since both creatures excrete ink - into pasta. It's used frequently in Asian dishes, and it's also really fun to make around Halloween.
Black latte
The black latte. Goths need caffeine, too. A new trend in lattes counts activated charcoal as a key ingredient in achieving black color, somehow almost blacker than black coffee. Activated charcoal is said to have detoxifying properties because toxins in the body bind to it. WebMD says it helps rid the body of unwanted substances and is sometimes taken to treat drug overdoses. There are also claims that it can help cure hangovers and lower cholesterol, but science has yet to validate this.
At the core of Nairobi Black Festival, are small artisan kitchens( food handicrafters of Kenya) who are the foundation of Kenyans' daily meals as well as handcrafted artisan products such as jewelry, accessories and the likes.
The festival is the result of a partnership between Let's Cook Kenyan Meals Community headed by Pamellah Oduor, Mombasa Farmers and Artisans Market.
During the event a prestigious jury panel made up of gastronomy professionals will evaluate the food offered by the exhibitors and the "Black Food of Nairobi 2019" and "Black Drink of Nairobi 2019" prizes will be awarded to the makers of the most creative and finest products.
Registration is open for the exhibitors/vendors and any black food, drink or artisan idea is more than welcome. Admission is limited and with purchase of an entrance ticket only, prices (Early Bird Price 500 KSH in advance).
