Food: Chipsi Mayai

Basic chips mayai. 

Literally meaning "chips eggs", chipsi (commonly shortened to just 'chips') mayai is one of my absolute favorite Tanzanian foods. More considered to be a snack, chips mayai is ubiquitous in Tanzania, found in eating establishments from proper restaurants to a woman on the side of the road with an open fire and a pan.

Chips mayai getting cooked on a basic setup.  

In its most simple form it is chips (french fries) mixed in with egg to make a kind of french fry omelette. The chips are usually prepared in the morning with huge buckets of potatoes getting filled with potatoes to be fried. Although it seems like it would be a breakfast food, due to the preparation of the potatoes it's usually not consumed in the morning, though vendors frequently used day (or multi-day) old chips that are displayed in a box.

I haven't met a Tanzanian that doesn't like chips mayai and it's a favorite among foreign expats. It certainly follows the unfortunate dietary rule of, "the more delicious it is, the more unhealthy it is". The chips are obviously fried and then when the egg is added an additional pool of oil is added. They usually drain the excess oil by holding a pan over the top and tilting it to the side.

The chipsmayai is usually served with a bit of greens such as a few slices of cucumber. It is almost always served with tomato sauce and chili sauce. The tomato sauce is like ketchup, but unlike most westerners conceptions about a singular style of ketchup, the tomato sauce here is often homemade, as well as the chili sauce. It can be eaten with toothpicks, fork , or your hands and it's a great food to enjoy with a cold beer in the evening.

Chips mayai with mishikaki (shishkebab). If you put the mishikaki in the chips mayai, it becomes a zege (cement).