My Story

Born and raised in DR Congo, at sixteen, I had to leave my country and family due to civil war. My name is Elisabeth; I am the founder of Yatab Mandazi, Yatab means perfect- Mandazi means Beignets in Swahili, which is my dialect language.

My most precious memories began with mornings with Mandazi and being blessed with an amazing mother who shared her love with us through the food she prepared and the utmost caring way she prepared it.

Every Saturday, my mom would sit in her favorite kitchen chair with one of her silver bowls while she would mix her eggs, brown sugar, flour, and some of her favorite spices that would form the beautiful Mandazi dough. We would all sit around her while she worked her magic with the dough, anticipating when she would begin frying it, and ah!! That wonderful aroma would fill the air with the promising sweetness we could imagine. I remember thinking that love must create such a beautiful deliciousness, with only a few ingredients.

I will always remember how the whole family would come together to enjoy that beautiful Mandazi and how Mom would always send some to the neighbors. In my family, Mandazi is a generational food that will always remind me of the loving moments with grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and even strangers.  Mom would make and share Mandazi as opportunities to not only please us, but to teach us love; to bring us together for smiles and unity that promote togetherness as a reminder of the importance of family and forgiveness. 

I want you to take a journey with me as I honor my grandmother, my mom, and all the beautiful strong African women who make a few dollars a day selling Mandazi to feed children and pay school fees.  Mandazi is a mouthwatering old favorite African Beignet made with only the finest ingredients each with a unique touch creating a love story of its own.

When my grandmother passed, I then realized what a treasure she left us. Something that would take years of experimenting to unlock.  Finally, through trial and error, I was able to recover her wonderful recipe.  We now want to share the love with others!

This is our invitation to you. Celebrate and take this opportunity to strengthen old friendships, build new ones, and experience the love at Yatab Mandazi, We are making an old favorite great again!  Mandazi is not just a sweet pastry, it is a love story for generations.