Uganda a treasure chest. The more you excavate into this country’s many offerings, the more impressed you become with its many hidden gems.
Uganda cuisine is one of these jewels that deepens your appreciation of this beautiful country.
While numerous Ugandan tribes sport their own specialty dishes, Uganda food consists overall of starchy staples like potatoes, beans, and cornmeal mixtures.
Greens, plantains, bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, and peanuts are also a major part of the Ugandan diet.
Many cultures, such as Indian, Arabic, and Asian have influenced the country’s cuisine over the years, adding different twists and spices to the mix.
The cuisine of Uganda has been greatly influenced by English, Asian, Arab and Indian cuisines. It is hard to define Ugandan food as one entity as each region has specific delicacies or specialties. Many dishes include vegetables and fruits like potatoes, yams, bananas and other standard tropical fruits. Barbecues are favorites among the population, especially pork, goat and sometimes chicken grilled over an open fire charcoal stove. However, among rural populations, meat is often consumed less.
POPULAR DISHES INCLUDE:
Eastern Region
Malewa: This is a very traditional dish that is made from bamboo shoots. Once the bamboo shoots have been prepared, they are often added to stews allowing for a very unique flavor.
Central Region
Ebinyebwa: This is a peanut stew that is a staple in the central region of Uganda. It is sometimes mixed with mushrooms, dried fish and vegetables, with rice on the side.
Northern Uganda
Sim-Sim: This literally means sesame and is a paste that is often mixed into stews of beans and other green vegetables and is usually served as a side dish. The paste can also be preserved and then used as a condiment.
Central Uganda
Matoke: This is a staple for all Ugandan people. It is a plantain – a banana – which gets steamed while wrapped in banana leaves. The matoke is mashed and served on a fresh banana leaf. It is eaten by many and often accompanies meat with a sauce of vegetables and ground peanut.
Luwombo: This is a traditional Buganda dish of stew composed of chicken, beef, mushrooms or fish that has been steamed in banana leaves. For-example; the Baganda, a prominent tribe in Central Uganda have a common proverb saying that; Oluganda Kulya, Olugenda Enjala teluda; literally meaning that brotherhood is about sharing food, and if you get a visitor, even if he/she is your relative/brother, the relationship will end when the person goes without food, and will never visit you again.
In Uganda, if you’re a man going to marry a Muganda lady, and have gone for the cultural Ceremony, at the girl’s parents’ home, where you (the Muko) have to pay the bride price, you will be served with a Full Chicken cooked as a Luwombo which is considered a sign of respect.
Chapati is a staple food in Uganda. It’s a soft, unleavened flatbread made from wheat flour. It can be eaten alone or with various Ugandan dishes such as meat stews, beans, vegetables, and sauces Chapati is originally an Indian food but it is also popular in other countries in Africa and the Middle East. In Uganda, it’s often served at breakfast with tea or coffee.
Kikomando
Kikomando is a traditional Ugandan dish made of pieces of chapati and fried beans. It is popular in Uganda and it can be found at Ugandan street food stalls and even higher-end restaurants. The dish is also known as Kikomando Kapenta, which means “chapati and beans with fish.” In addition to the beans, there are other variations of kikomando that include avocado, meat stew, gravy, chicken, or liver,the Chapati is a simple dish to make and only requires a few ingredients. If you’re looking for an authentic Ugandan experience, be sure to try Chapati.
Posho (sometimes called Ugali or Kawunga) is a Ugandan maize meal made of cornmeal cooked in boiling water until thickened this is mostly consumed by most Ugandans/schools/prisons
Posho has a thick consistency and can be served with different sauces or stews. The most common type of sauce that goes with Ugandan Posho is made with beans, ground beef, onions, tomatoes, and green peppers.
Ugandan Samosas are triangular pastries filled with either beef or vegetables. The beef version is usually the more popular one. Since they contain meat, Ugandan Samosas typically only appear at dinner or lunchtime meals. Similar to Indian samosas, these pastries originated in India but have since taken on a life of their own as staple food items in Uganda. You can find them being sold on the streets as well as at restaurants throughout the country.
Ugandan Egg Roll is a common food for breakfast in restaurants but it is served at any time of the day at snack bars, motels, and many different places. The Egg Roll is also made in other African countries but differently. In Uganda, the Egg Roll is prepared by boiling eggs, wrapping them with spiced mashed potatoes, and rolling it in eggs and bread crumbs then deep-frying it until golden brown, Egg Rolls are usually served with a spicy tomato sauce and veggies
Sim Sim Cookies
Sim-sim cookies are a dessert that may remind many Westerners of peanut brittle, only this treat is cooked with sesame seeds instead of peanuts.
Sim-sim cookies are made by heating a mixture of sesame seeds and sugar (or honey) until a paste is formed. Afterward, the mixture is poured out onto a flat surface to cool and then sliced into individual squares.
Kalo (Ugandan Millet Bread)
Kalo is a staple food of Uganda. It is also known as Ugandan Millet Bread. Kalo is made of Millet flour and a little bit of Cassava flour and flour. Once it’s done Kalo looks like stiff dark brown dough and is usually eaten with sauces and stews. Ugandans eat Kalo for lunch or dinner but not breakfast because it’s a bit heavy for a morning meal. Some of the common sauces that are eaten with Kalo are groundnut stew, cowpea stew, and vegetable sauce. If you happen to be visiting Uganda, just ask for Kalo with your stews. You will enjoy it.
Ugandan Curried Cabbage is a portion of delicious and healthy food that is enjoyed by many in Uganda. This Ugandan dish with an Indian flavor twist is a great option for those looking for something new and exciting to try. The cabbage is cooked with local Ugandan spices to give it a flavorful and spicy taste. These spices include turmeric or curry powder, garlic powder, and onion. This dish is often served with rice and beans or plantains to complete the meal. Ugandan Curried Cabbage is sure to please the taste buds of individuals who love spicy food.
Katogo ,The Ugandans call it katogo, while the French call it pot au feu (literally meaning pot on fire), in Spain they would refer to it as ‘Ollas” while the Mongolian grill is certainly a variation on the theme of katogo though in this case they use a combination of meats mixed with vegetables.
It is a safe bet that if there is one common dish that is universal to Uganda, it would be katogo. Originally, conceived as a poor man’s dish, it is the quintessence of Ugandan proletariat cuisine and has remained the mainstay for the Ugandan breakfast, especially in the Buganda and Western Uganda.
The word Katogo literally means a ‘mélange’ or mixture of ingredients with one absolute must have; matooke. The process of cooking is done in the manner of braising in other words a combination of stewing and pot roasting.
However, no one has the exact timeline as to when Ugandans started cooking katogo, what is not in doubt is that as long as matooke has been around and so is katogo. For that matter, the preparation of steamed matooke is a long and drawn-out process that takes up a lot of energy in the form of firewood or charcoal.
Uganda Beverages :You won’t find a shortage of beverages in Uganda and In addition to soft drinks various fruit juices, tea and coffee are popular drinks. Tea (chai) in Uganda is made with part water and part milk with ginger and other spices if added andfor alcoholic beverages, Western beers are usually available across the country as well as locally fermented drinks such as banana beers and wines that include pombe, lubisi, and tonto.Uganda Waragi is a local brand name for distilled, clear or yellow gin
Ugandan food is a blend of different cultures, with influences from the native Bantu people who are found throughout Africa.
