East Africa · Dessert
Kashata (Caramelized Coconut and Peanut Brittle)
A classic Swahili coastal candy loaded with toasted peanuts and fresh coconut bound in spiced caramelized sugar syrup.
The story
Encountered at lively street corners, ferry docks, and bus stations from Tanga to Stone Town, Kashata is the definitive confection of the Swahili coast. Traditionally carried in portable wooden glass boxes, it is custom to savor small squares alongside tiny cups of kahawa chungu, a concentrated bitter ginger coffee. Crucially, the addition of a small measure of sweetened condensed milk disrupts pure sugar crystallization, bestowing the brittle with its celebrated firm snap yet pleasantly chewy center.
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