Jennifer Lewis, Samosa Expert.

            At first, the hardest thing about moving to Mombasa was leaving behind certain delicious foods. My personal favourites included everything bagels with cream cheese and chocolate covered pretzels. Unfortunately, it’s too hot in Kenya for chocolate covered pretzels to resist becoming ''pretzels within a chocolate blob'' and I've found nothing comparable to a New York bagel. Luckily, Kenya offers some tasty alternatives, such as viazi (battered and deep fried potatoes,)  mandazi (basically a doughnut,) and the beloved samosa. All of these bitings are sold right on the street, usually outside of the woman's house that made them. Viazi and mandazi you can find anywhere, but before you go into the village looking for samosa, you should consult an expert. Better yet, the expert!

I'm proud to say I've spent a substantial amount of time hunting down and sampling all the samosas in Bombolulu. Because of my frequent wanderings around the village, I've been able to see much more of Bombolulu than I would have otherwise not seen. Bombolulu is currently undergoing a rainy season makeover. The main road has been paved, and large trenches have been dug to drain water away from the shops and houses. If you're really craving a samosa and all the vendors on the main road are sold out, you may have to venture deeper into the village where most people live. Beyond the main street, Bombolulu gets quite fascinating. The streets condense to a generous meter, and the tightly scattered shacks and houses become a maze. Women and adorably friendly children sit outside their homes, cooking or seeking shade from the sun. It is impressive that most Bombolulu residents can easily navigate their way through the narrow streets without getting lost. I haven't had such luck, but whilst I was wandering in Bombolulu's labyrinth I've discovered and sampled a majority of the samosas.

            I've found that the products vary in taste, size, consistency and accessibility.  Most samosas, or as the locals call them ''sambusa,'' will sell for 3 shillings, or about 5 U.S. cents! However, posted up just outside Olives Rehabilitation Center you'll find miniature samosas for just one shilling each. Everyday like clockwork, a woman sells these lovely little snacks and offers you a spicy spoonful of chilli sauce. These samosas get top marks in consistency and accessibility, but due to the small size and less substantial filling, they do not deserve the title of ''Best in Bombolulu.''

            Now, I'm not sure what the secret is behind the golden ratio of samosa crispiness and savouriness, but I do know where to find the samosa guru of Bombolulu. She has been nicknamed by the locals, ''Madam Sambusa.'' Just a short walk from Olive's you'll find her fast asleep next to  the samosa mountain she creates every morning. You may be wondering why this woman could sleep so soundly next to her coveted prize. This is where her samosas fault in accessibility. In order to obtain her perfect samosas you must successfully complete a series of  tasks.

First, you must leap over a trench. After you've made it over, you will then scale a 10 foot long, narrow, and rocky ledge. If you fail either of these tests, you may prolong the samosa goodness. Once you've made it to the samosa pile, it is then time to awaken the sleeping master. Here you must proceed with caution. The woman must be awoken gently or she will be cross with you and angrily serve you the worst of the batch. However, if all goes well she'll load up a piece of gently used newspaper with the most delicious samosas you could ever imagine, but the mission is not yet over.

Next you need to safely navigate yourself and the samosas back across the ledge and over the trench. Make sure to resist the urge to sample a samosa before you've made it back, as this could endanger yourself and the samosa! Finally, once you're back on stable ground you may then devour the samosas. The effort to get these amazing samosas is less a test of athleticism, then a test of how badly you want the best samosas in Bombolulu.

                          By Jennifer Lewis