In Season 2, Episode 5 of Style the Nation, Padma Lakshmi shares suya-spiced meat with actor Yvonne Orji and laughs as she says, “It’s so spicy, my scalp is itching!” As somebody who commonly dabbles in borderline reckless ranges of spice, I felt a flash of envy: I’d by no means encountered something scorching sufficient to tingle my hair follicles. That was till I attempted Akabanga chile oil, a Rwandan staple.
This summer time, my good friend Malaika gifted me a pocket-sized bottle of Akabanga as a memento from her journey to Rwanda. Till that time, my pantry included Japanese Rayu, a gentle chile oil made with paprika and Sansho peppercorns; “xtra-spicy” Sichuan chile oil; a tarka-inspired South Asian chile crisp; and, in fact, basic Lao Gan Ma. Rwandan chile oil had by some means eluded me.
The fluorescent-orange oil got here in an eye-dropper container and appeared innocuous sufficient. However I rapidly regretted my choice to dip my grilled cheese in a quarter-sized puddle: these items was industrial-strength. I felt my face warmth up and my scalp tickle.
Akabanga, which loosely interprets to “secret” in Kinyarwanda, is as enjoyable to eat as it’s to say. It’s a well-liked branded model of urusenda, the habanero and African fowl’s eye chile-infused oil generally present in sub-Saharan houses and eating places. At first chunk, the chile oil is decidedly meaty, paying homage to steak or mushrooms. Then, dizzying ranges of warmth coat the palate, buoyed by a slight savoriness. Not like most scorching sauces, although, its spice doesn’t linger, which retains you going again for extra.
Rwandan avenue meals vendor and Akabanga creator Sina Gerard reportedly made his urusenda within the early Nineteen Eighties utilizing African fowl’s eye chilies, also called peri peri peppers, to pair with the mandozi, or savory dough fritters that he bought from a avenue cart. His recipe included 80 % pure chile extract and 20 % vegetable oil. What the condiment lacked in texture (you wouldn’t discover any fried garlic chunks or flakes of chile right here), it compensated with smokiness, wealthy umami taste, and critical warmth. It didn’t take lengthy for Gerard’s chile oil to turn into so widespread that he started bottling and promoting the condiment, which subsequently made him a millionaire and the writer of two motivational books.
“Rising up, most households made their very own model of urusenda, so packaged spices weren’t frequent for us,” says Denver-based chef Vasta Muhimpundu. “Most Rwandans made their urusenda at dwelling.” Nonetheless, Akabanga’s comfort was simple. Rwandans started utilizing “urusenda” and “Akabanga” interchangeably, very like Individuals do with “Tupperware” and “Kleenex.” It’s now frequent for Nigerians, together with rapper Burna Boy, to hold tiny bottles of Akabanga wherever they go. But when each Rwandan is aware of in regards to the chile oil, is it actually a secret? Outdoors of Africa, it appears so.
“Akabanga is to Rwandan delicacies what ketchup is to American delicacies,” says the Cape City-based meals educator and recipe developer Jane Nshuti. For her, Akabanga evokes “nationwide delight and cultural heritage,” one thing she felt so strongly that she deliberate to make selfmade Akabanga as get together favors for company at her marriage ceremony. Nshuti makes use of Akabanga for the whole lot from a dipping sauce for samosas and chapatis to bases for bean curries and greens.
For Muhimpundu, although, Akabanga is strictly a ending oil. “You may cook dinner with it, however in case you do, you’ll lose a lot of its aroma and be left primarily with the warmth,” she says. To protect its full taste, she drizzles it on the finish. Muhimpundu additionally makes preservative-free variations of the chile oil with extra spices like rosemary, thyme, and habaneros.
Dylan Keenan, who owns Warmth Scorching Sauce Store within the San Francisco Bay Space together with his spouse, Rebecca Gibbons, first imported Akabanga in 2015 after a buyer requested it and says he has seen an uptick within the demand for it in recent times. “I eat lots of scorching sauce however Akabanga significantly is useful once I’m in search of one thing with none vinegar,” Keenan says. He finds that Akabanga differs from American-style scorching sauces and Chinese language-style chile oils in its simplicity. “It’s the most well liked chile oil we promote,” he provides.
Akabanga’s heat additionally lends itself effectively to South Asian dishes, resembling daals, and works effectively with soups like pumpkin, minestrone, tomato-feta, and pasta e fagioli. Its meatiness shines in shepherd’s pies, braised quick ribs, and hearty stews. Solely two to 3 drops are wanted to offer a grown-up edge to my boxed mac and cheese. I’ve added a drop to selfmade cranberry chutney, breakfast sandwiches, and roast greens and have additionally whisked it into yogurt for marinades and cream cheese for bagels.
“I catch the distinct aroma of Akabanga and I’m immediately enveloped within the comforting embrace of dwelling,” Nshuti says. “The mere scent of it unleashes a flood of reminiscences: my brother’s cooking and laughter-filled meals.”
Mehr Singh is a meals and tradition reporter primarily based in New York. Her work seems in Bon Appétit, Food52, and different publications.