Coffee, cheese, and chocolate — each with its unique story, flavor, and cultural significance. Let’s uncover the 3C's of the Congolese kitchen, where tradition meets taste in the heart of the DRC.
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00:00Ready for the three Cs of Congolese kitchen?
00:05We will taste the country's three tastiest specialities.
00:09Let's see which one will be the hardest to swallow.
00:14Hi, my name is Esther Kayembe and today I'll be trying three different foods whose names start with the letter C.
00:21C for coffee, C for cheese, C for chocolate.
00:26Join me on this food tour that will showcase the three Cs ranging from the least to the most popular.
00:34Let's start the day with coffee.
00:37Cheers!
00:40Wow, it's very strong indeed.
00:43Tissia Mukuna is the pioneer of coffee plantation in Kinshasa, a departure from the usual locations in the eastern part of the country.
00:51She knows everything about coffee. She even has her own brand, La Quinoise.
00:55She will be the one to make Esther sip the third most popular C, which is coffee.
01:01Here you are, at the Malamo restaurant. It's a place where we serve our coffee, pure but also in cocktails.
01:08Over 11,000 coffee farmers are involved in the cultivation of two main coffee varieties, Robusta and Arabica.
01:16The majority of the produced coffee is exported without undergoing processing for local consumption.
01:21But why isn't the DRC a prominent coffee-consuming nation?
01:25To be honest, the DRC is a big consumer of coffee.
01:2940 years ago, the DRC was also a major exporter of coffee.
01:33Today, it's true that with La Quinoise, we are trying to revive this role as a consumer.
01:38How do you boost your clients' coffee consumption?
01:42All that we propose is really a lifestyle around coffee. We also offer cocktails based on coffee.
01:49That popular cocktail that Tissier offers is called La Quinoise Simartini.
01:54It's a bold blend of espresso made from La Quinoise coffee, vodka, Baileys, Kahlua and whipped cream on top.
02:03Delicious! So what is the most well-known myth about coffee here in Kinshasa?
02:08Coffee is known for giving energy, and some even think that coffee might have some small prowess for this gentleman in intimacy.
02:16Indeed, this coffee is very strong, but my journey has just begun.
02:22Next, my trip to the Three Seas in Congolese Kitchen brings me to Chef Angus, where I'll delve into cheese.
02:29Cheese made in DRC.
02:31In the DRC, cheese is made from cow's milk,
02:34the cows graze on the natural grass in North Kivu, a province in the east of the country.
02:40How do people prefer to eat cheese?
02:43People prefer to eat cheese in several ways. Like today, we can make cheese with a hamburger for you.
02:50Alright, you know how to make your burger, but now, top them off with cheese slices, add your preferred toppings and get your bite.
02:59My hamburger is finally ready. I am going to enjoy it. Look how big it is.
03:10Really, it's good. It's delicious.
03:13If we've understood Esther correctly, the cheese is even better than the coffee. Second C checked.
03:20Super good. The cheese, the meat, everything very good.
03:28In any case, I think I'm going to finish it on my own.
03:32After eating that huge burger containing delicious cheese made in the DRC, with the sunny weather, my dessert can only be an ice cream made of chocolate.
03:42Now, it's time for the winner. Esther's going to savour the last C, chocolate.
03:47It's very hot. What can you offer me today?
03:51I will offer you our popular dessert, la coupe bombe au chocolat.
03:55As we all know, chocolate is made from cocoa. But did you know that DRC has prime cocoa conditions?
04:02Despite not being known for it, the country's ideal weather makes it a cocoa hotspot.
04:07With volcanic soils, it's a cocoa dream.
04:10Even Starbucks and Theo Chocolate are eyeing those beans. But hey, are they keeping the chocolate love local?
04:17We import our chocolates because we don't really have a market that supplies us here in Kinshasa.
04:24With the war in the east, it's difficult. Because chocolate, you can only find it in the east here.
04:31Nevertheless, this overseas chocolate attracts many customers to this charming restaurant.
04:36But what is the most popular ice cream flavour they offer?
04:39Here, especially in Kinshasa, people prefer milk chocolate.
04:44It's made of a white chocolate scoop, a dark chocolate scoop and a milk chocolate scoop. It's so good.
04:50Now you know all the three Cs of DRC. And which one was the hardest to swallow?
04:56The chocolate ice cream? No.
05:00The oversized cheeseburger? Definitely not.
05:04Must have been the coffee cocktail early in the morning.
05:08Even if you prefer normal coffee, it remains the same.
05:13Coffee, cheese and chocolate. The three Cs from DRC are a 10 out of 10.