Mvure

Mvure is the traditional food serving dish for the Duruma, Giriama and I presume many of the other Mijikenda ethnic groups, along the Kenyan coast.

The mvure is carved out of the trunk or branches of a hard wood tree. I was fascinated to see the mvure as I had not seen such a utensil; it is rarely used as most homes now use 'modern' utensils; made of aluminium, stainless steel, glass, ceramic or plastic. This mvure was approximately 10 inches in diameter, 10 inches height and weighed approximately 3 kg. The household estimated it was more than 30 years old.

Food would be served in this dish, and since people ate communally they would eat right out of the mvure rather than from individual plates.

I wondered if the mvure was carved out of the Mvule tree? If so there must have been many more trees and forests, along the Kenyan coast, 100 years ago. The landscape must have been significantly different to the vegetation present in the largely semi arid Kwale and Kilifi counties. I was reminded of the urgent need to plant more indigenous trees.