One Italian tourist who has settled in Uganda because of the cheaper cost of living after he discovered that he could buy a mansion in upscale Kampala at a ‘mere’ Shs 700m and enjoy great fresh foods and weather, says he does not know why Ugandan supermarkets still stock that much foreign processed juice yet the country is blessed with the best natural, tropical and sweetest fruits he has ever eaten.
A Zambian who often shops for fruits whenever she comes for workshops in Uganda, wonders why Ugandan fruits go to waste yet other countries are yearning for them. Travel to even neighbouring Kenya and you never want to touch their tasteless bananas.
While many Ugandans would marvel at Lajolla restaurant pricing its fruit platter at Shs 20,000, a foreign diner could not believe how ‘cheap’ fruits are in Uganda. Lajolla’s platter comes with at least two diced apples, one seedless apple mango, maybe a quarter a pineapple and two seedless oranges and a few ‘scattered’ grapes (most likely imported) and watermelon slices.
Even by Ugandan expectations, it is a fair supply enough to serve up to four people, but to this Zambian guest used to buying one avocado at Shs 15,000 back home and pineapple at Shs 40,000 each, this was a bargain.
We had to remind her that here, Shs 40,000 should be able to get us a minimum of 20 big pineapples at the markets and about 40 to 50 pieces off the farms.
Back to Lajolla’s platter, the fruits, especially the watermelon are as fresh and juicy as expected. This reminded me of last year’s Swahili (Kenyan) food night at Protea and fruit presentation and preparation was one of the major themes. It is such deliberate efforts that can bear the intended fruit.
fkisakye@observer.ug
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