Taste of the Pearl, A natives' Gift
Very few places on earth are blessed with a range of foods, real organic food as Uganda. From the farms through the fields right into the vast waters of the numerous lakes in the country; all prove to be formidable sources of fresh food to feast on. The richness and style of Ugandan delicacies varies from region to region, there is a great deal of foreign culinary influences like indian, Italian, English styles, however the Ugandans have stayed true to their style borrowing alittle from the foreign ones without tinkering too much. If you are not a food adventurer, you will still be catered for in the exotic restaurants and hotels serving foreign dishes but what a shame it would be if you didn't try some of these exquiste Ugandan snacks and dishes.
The Ugandan rolex is a combination of egg omelette and vegetables wrapped in a chapati. The contents wrapped inside the chapati can be varried for instance one might prefer raw tomatoes, onions, cabbages or fried vegetables presenting a number of options for one to choose from creating a custom rolex experience.
The king of snacks in Uganda, the rolex was popularised by students who needed a quick meal because of time and budget limitations. Today it can be eaten over breakfast, lunch or for dinner. The rolex has taken a life of its own especially in the capital Kampala commanding rolex festivals throughout the year. A safari to Uganda without sinking your teeth into the famous rolex may leave your experience alittle hollow wondering what you might have missed.
Katogo directly translates to a mixture, is a common breakfast meal eaten in Uganda. Originally katogo was a mixture of cassava chips and beans and was considered a low budget meal for the rural folks.
Over the years however the town dwellers embraced the idea and made adjustments to the concepts introducing matooke (the green bananas) as the cassava chips replacement and then adding a variety of sauces like offals, beef, chicken, ground nut stew and vegetables. Foreign spices and adopted modern recipes beaten to the katogo have earned it a place in most of the top restaurants and hotels across the country. A light delicious meal, the katogo will set you up right for the day and leave you yearning for more.
A delicious innovation of the cattle keeping Bahima of Ankole the eshabwe is made from mature ghee and rock salt. This thick creamy paste takes patience and expert skill to perfect that's why its not surprising that the best eshabwe is brought from the rural regions made by elderly women who have practiced and stayed true to the craft for a long time.
Eshabwe used to be a reserve for special ocassions like marriage ceremonies but owing to its increasing popularity more and more of it is being consumed in urban centers. It can be eaten with sweet potatoes, matooke, rice, millet or sorghum bread and any other food available. Take your taste buds on a journey with the delicate smooth taste of eshabwe while on your Safari here in Uganda.
Think luwombo, think royalty. Created in the late nineteenth century for the Buganda Kingdom’s royal family, the luwombo, one of Uganda’s best dishes, was introduced by Kabaka (King) Mwanga’s chef. Its uniquness, style of cooking delivers a clean delicious meal hard to match anywhere in the country. Its no wonder that the luwombo was hard to tie down within the walls of the royal palaces.
Today Luwombo is mainstream and more to that is some major adjustments have been made to its original style. Initially it was chicken together with its ingredients tightly wrapped in tender banana leaves then steamed to readiness. Today it has taken several variations admitting meat, groundnut stew, goats meat and any other meat. A common feature on the menus of major functions like introductions, weddings, graduation parties; luwombo has earned itself the undisputed number one spot for the most coveted dish in the country.
Grasshoppers closely related to the bush crickets is locally called Nsenene and a favorite snack among many Ugandans especially in Central Uganda. These seasonal insects mostly show up during the two rainy seasons in the country in the months of April, May, June, October and November.
At the onset of the grasshopper season, grass hopper hunters erect light reflectors tilted towards a collection point while the surrounding area is illuminated in very bright light bulbs and tubes to trap the grasshoppers owing to their hattraction to the light. They are then gathered in sacks and transported to the markets for sale. The preparartion is easy and straight forward, the limbs and for some the wings are pulled off and then either fried or boiled depending on preference and then sprinkled with onions, tomatoes and other ingredients of choice.
The grasshoppers can be eaten cold or warm and the new preservation methods mean that they can now be eaten all year long since one can pick them off supermarket shelves.
White ants also known as flying termites are another favorite delicacy enjoyed in Uganda, in almost every region of the country. Just like the grasshoppers, they are also seasonal only showing up during the rainy season.
A rich source of proteins, the white ants can be fried, boiled, pounded into a thick paste and boiled into a cake. While its not uncommon for some people to eat them raw, they have a long shelf life when dried and packaged well. Today one can find them in supermarkets and most major food stores in kampala and the major markets across the country.
Malakwang is the most sought out dish in the northern regions of Uganda extending to some eastern parts of the country. Malakwang is a bitter sweet delicacy with a tangy taste usually served with sweet potatoes, millet or sorghum bread.
Nolonger confined to northern Ugandans. Malakwang has won many faithful In the urban centers and is served in some reputable restaurants in Kampala. Because of its bitter taste, the cooking is such that the first water used to boil the leaves Is disposed off as it is too strong and bitter to consume, the softened boiled leaves are then mixed in either simsim or groundnut paste to give it a rich satisfying flavor.
Malewa is a specialty delicacy from Eastern uganda common among the Bagisu people, a Bantu tribe settled around Mbale, Bulambuli, Manafwa, Bududa,Sironko. It is an ever present feature on big ocasslons like wedding ceremonies and Imbalu or cicumcission festivals.
Malewa is prepared from air dried smoked bamboo shoots giving it a rich flavor, it is mixed either with simslm or groundnut paste giving it a thick rich taste and feel. Malewa can be eaten with almost any food for instance rice, posbo, matooke, sweet potatoes, cassava. The locals in Bugisu commonly eat it with matooke and sweet potatoes.
