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 frequently dabbles in borderline reckless ranges of spice, I felt a flash of envy: I’d by no means encountered something sizzling sufficient to tingle my hair follicles. That was till I attempted Akabanga chile oil, a Rwandan staple.
This summer season, my buddy 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, after all, basic Lao Gan Ma. Rwandan chile oil had one way or the other eluded me.
The fluorescent-orange oil got here in an eye-dropper container and appeared innocuous sufficient. However I rapidly regretted my determination 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 preferred branded model of urusenda, the habanero and African chicken’s eye chile-infused oil generally present in sub-Saharan properties and eating places. At first chunk, the chile oil is decidedly meaty, harking back to steak or mushrooms. Then, dizzying ranges of warmth coat the palate, buoyed by a slight savoriness. Not like most sizzling sauces, although, its spice doesn’t linger, which retains you going again for extra.
Rwandan road meals vendor and Akabanga creator Sina Gerard reportedly made his urusenda within the early Nineteen Eighties utilizing African chicken’s eye chilies, also referred to as peri peri peppers, to pair with the mandozi, or savory dough fritters that he bought from a road cart. His recipe included 80 p.c pure chile extract and 20 p.c 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 severe warmth. It didn’t take lengthy for Gerard’s chile oil to develop into so common that he started bottling and promoting the condiment, which subsequently made him a millionaire and the creator of two motivational books.
“Rising up, most households made their very own model of urusenda, so packaged spices weren’t widespread for us,” says Denver-based chef Vasta Muhimpundu. “Most Rwandans made their urusenda at house.” Nonetheless, Akabanga’s comfort was simple. Rwandans started utilizing “urusenda” and “Akabanga” interchangeably, very like Individuals do with “Tupperware” and “Kleenex.” It’s now widespread 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? Exterior 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 home made Akabanga as occasion favors for company at her marriage ceremony. Nshuti makes use of Akabanga for all the things 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 prepare dinner with it, however when 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 Sizzling Sauce Store within the San Francisco Bay Space along 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 lately. “I eat plenty of sizzling sauce however Akabanga notably is useful after I’m in search of one thing with none vinegar,” Keenan says. He finds that Akabanga differs from American-style sizzling 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 properly to South Asian dishes, reminiscent of daals, and works properly with soups like pumpkin, minestrone, tomato-feta, and pasta e fagioli. Its meatiness shines in shepherd’s pies, braised brief 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 home made 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 house,” Nshuti says. “The mere scent of it unleashes a flood of recollections: 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.