and this is the article I just finished about local food.
Depending on what situation you are in when eating
local food you will be served different types of foods. This article will give
you a general review of the majority of the foods you are likely to encounter
during your various dining experiences. You will never be at a restaurant or
house where all the foods mentioned are available. Furthermore, I will only
cover food you will encounter in the Kampala area. During you travels around
Uganda you might see or eat food that is not mentioned here. The different
regions of Uganda have different specialties.
The local food in Kampala is generally good but can
leave the tastes buds wanting. The main staples of meals are starches. The main
starches include rice, matooke, posho, and potatoes and will be referred to as
the “food” portion of the meal.
The rice in Uganda is standard white rice. Brown
rice is not served in Ugandan cooking and is even hard to find at specialty food
stores. Matooke is boiled and mashed green bananas. Posho is the local name for
a food found all over the African continent and around the world. Posho (or
ugali in some parts) is water and maize flour boiled and mashed together until
it is a dough like consistency. Potatoes here are your standard potatoes but
are usually referred to as Irish.
Food will always be accompanied by one or maybe even
two sauces. Sauces are made of beans, peas, groundnuts, and/or meat. The meat
sauce is a thin salty broth like sauce made with either goat or beef combined
with a few vegetables. The bean and pea sauces are made by boiling dried beans
or peas and adding in a few vegetables and a lot of salt. Of all the sauces
peas are my favorites, beans are a close second, I’d rather not eat the
groundnut sauce, and I do not eat the meat sauce. Vegetables are referred to as
spices. The only other spice used in most Ugandan cooking is salt and
occasionally a tiny bit of red curry powder. From my experiences I’ve learned
that many Ugandans think the saltier the food the better it is. I have no problem
with salty foods but I do enjoy more of a variety of spices in my food that I cannot
find in traditional Ugandan cooking.
You will almost always be served a side dish with
your main starch and sauce. Potential side dishes include:
· * Greens which can be either kale or some
other leafy green like amaranth, nakati, or borr. Greens are boiled and served
plain.
· * Cabbage which is served boiled and
salted
· * Steamed vegetables like carrots,
eggplant, and tomatoes
· * Fresh avocado
· * Pumpkin
· * Sweet potatoes
· * Baked/fried cassava
· * Baked/fried yam
Dessert
Dessert is not to be expected at most dining
occasions in Uganda. I have only ever been served dessert at special events. The
most common dessert is fruit like bananas, pineapple, mango, jack fruit,
papaya, and passion fruit. At special events like conferences, weddings, and
graduation parties the host will most likely provide cake. Most of the cake I’ve
had at events in Uganda is relatively dry and not as sweet as I am used to.
Many cakes are made with raisins which I’ve never really understood. Other
types of desserts like cookies, different types of cakes, ice cream, brownies,
etc can be found at stores and restaurants around the city but rarely in a
Ugandan home or restaurant.
Street
Food/Snacks
Street food is an entirely different category of
food in Uganda. You will almost never be served food you can get on the street
in a home or restaurant. Street food is also a risky choice. I have eaten
street food and not gotten sick, but I know plenty of people who have eaten
street food and gotten very sick. That being said…proceed at your own risk. Street
food is also similar to the western version of snack food. Food you might see
on the streets of Kampala includes:
· * Chapatti – similar to a tortilla
chapatti is made with flour, water, salt, and lightly fried in oil
* Kikimando – beans and chapatti
· * Rolex – chapatti with fried egg wrapped
up like a burrito
· * Meat skewers – various meats (chicken,
beef, liver) on a stick, cooked on a charcoal grill
· * Kabalagala - fried banana pancakes
· * Mandazi - Sweet dough balls similar to
doughnuts but not as sweet and a bit chewier
· * Samosas – cowpeas or beef wrapped in
dough and fried
· * Groundnuts (gnuts) – roasted and salted
peanuts
Rolex is probably my favorite street food. They are
filling and good. Sometimes they are too greasy but this is one food I find
myself craving in Kampala. Kabalagala are also good but only when they are
fresh. Once they’ve been out of the fryer for more than twenty minutes they
become chewy and lose their good taste. I have yet to try a meat stick but word
is they can be really good. Be careful though because the liver often looks the
same as chicken so be sure to clarify what type of meat you’re getting.
Although not my favorite cuisine Ugandan food is
good and absolutely worth a try if you are just traveling through.
