TRAVEL~UGANDA~STREET FOOD.
When Good Street Food Goes Bad
A cannibalism close call
When I arrived in Fort Portal, Uganda, back in 1998, Jackson’s samosas ruled supreme over the street food scene. He peddled two flavors from the three-wheeled cart he pushed around the town’s potholed streets: potato curry and beef and peas.
I was working on a chimpanzee project not far from Fort Portal and always bought a samosa or three from Jackson when I was in town for supplies.
No fan of peas, I stuck with potato curry.
It was a good thing I did.
As the months rolled by, I was never disappointed by the spicy, savory filling and the perfect crusty shell.
Then, one day like any other, I came into town and Jackson was nowhere to be found. I made a few extra loops, walking in the rain and fantasizing about the fragrant steam that would rise from the samosa after I took the first bite.
I looked over by the market. Couldn’t find him. I looked out past the post office. He wasn’t there either.
Eventually, I gave up and stopped by a restaurant run by Eddie, an expat Welshman, for a plate of chips and a beer before heading back to the chimps.
