Alenka’s Rwandan-Slovenian Christmas Twist

Merry Christmas! We’re treating you to a Rwandan-Slovenian twist on strudel today: choose between a delicious filling of carrots and pumpkin or a tropical mix of bananas, dried plums, and raisins — all lovingly prepared by Alenka Seher.

Alenka, who previously travelled with us through Uganda in 2007, has returned 17 years later to get a feel of Rwanda. She’s currently staying with us in Musanze, where she works her culinary magic daily. Alenka’s creativity is being put to the test by the challenges of gas ovens (a far cry from the familiar electric ones) and the art of adapting recipes to local ingredients — though she came prepared with many staples from Europe.

Do you know that Simba Supermarket, a popular Rwandan chain, opened in Musanze a couple of days ago? Definitely an improvement in terms of Alenka’s endeavours! What somewhere else in the world could be considered the basics (plain yoghurt, butter, sour cream, …) is not to be taken for granted in a rural African town, so every additional store with key resources is absolutely welcome!

Beyond her baking and cooking adventures, Alenka has already tracked golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park. She’s also planning to visit the serene Lake Bunyonyi and will cap her trip by hiking on the gorgeous Congo Nile Trail.

photos by Miha Logar