
Owen Githanga, a Kenyan living in the USA, recently gained attention with a viral video showcasing how he packed around 500 chapatis to bring with him. He posted the video on his Instagram account, @thekenyanamericanhome.
At the airport, Owen explained that he had traveled to Kenya for the holidays and, on his return, always buys certain items. “Every time I come back home – Kenya – I always leave with chapatis. In the past, I’ve carried about 250 chapatis, but this time I decided to double that amount.”
While wrapping the chapatis in cling film, he shared, “This box was one of those that held the chapatis. It was wrapped at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and now we’re entering Denver. The chapatis made it safely. This box stayed in the bag, so everything arrived intact.”
Back at his home in the US, Owen unwrapped the chapatis on his kitchen counter, which was covered with them. “I’m home now, and as you can see, the chapatis arrived safe and sound. The wrapping ensured their protection, and inside, the chapatis are also wrapped in Pembe paper.”
He revealed that a local woman made the 500 chapatis for him after he couldn’t reach the popular “Chapati Mistress” on TikTok. “I tried contacting her, but I think she’s overwhelmed with messages. So I found a kind woman who volunteered and made the chapatis for me.”
Owen then began rewrapping the chapatis in Ziploc bags. “The plan is to store them in the freezer so I can enjoy them gradually. My friend, these chapatis are a lot.”
He also bought chapatis from Naivas, which he planned to store in the same way. “I’ll put them in Ziplocs and freeze them, taking them out one at a time,” he chuckled. “I love this so much. It’s not that I can’t cook chapati, but there’s something special about the flour from home; chapatis from back home just taste better than those here in the US.”

He mentioned how long the chapatis would last. “I’m set for the next few months. Look at these chapatis, I’m good to go. And if you think you can’t bring chapatis through the airport, here’s proof you can. They made it through.”
Reactions to his love for chapati included:
Zachy.bee: “If you can’t make chapati, there are stores in Melbourne selling the original chapati flour.”
Kiki__delo: “You made it to Colorado? I’m there too! Can you sell me 10 chapatis? I’d be so happy 😂.”
Dahilngare: “Wow, will all those chapatis fit in your freezer?”
Traditionalfoodskenya: “You forgot to visit our shop to get dried managu and other traditional veggies. You should have brought them all 😂.”
Melsupuu: “Why 500 chapatis? If they’re not fresh, I don’t want them 😢.”
Jane_ciku: “For the love of chapati, you had to bring the real deal.”
Ruth_msoo_mbugua: “I usually carry sausages, but I can cook 50 chapatis in 3 hours 🤣🤣🤣.”
Amamihecook: “😂😂😂 you must really love chapati.”