Local Dishes Not To Miss On A Self Drive Safari In Uganda
Food is also part of travel since wherever you go, you must engage in eating. It’s not negotiable and what’s a safari to a foreign land and you don’t test some of their food. Many restaurants offer local cuisines in their restaurants, so you are here, you are just halfway your food journey. Uganda has a lot of interesting dishes unique to the region and very diverse. Below are some of the dishes you can enjoy in Uganda.
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The Luwombo;
This is a the traditional dish of Uganda and it’s both a royal dish and fairly common dish cooked especially during the holidays. This was created in 1887 by the personal chef of Kabaka Mwanga, a king who ruled the Kingdom of Buganda at the end of the 19th century. This dish consists of beef or chicken with vegetables like the potatoes and carrots, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed to great perfection with the rift amount of salt, oil, and the spices. It’s considered a special dish for many reasons, some variations, and smoked fish is added to the beef/chicken.
TV chicken; this name comes about because of the way it’s cooked. The chicken is roasted in a makeshift rotisserie oven and to the locals, resembles a television. It’s a very popular meal and is available almost everywhere in Uganda from street-side vendors. It’s a very famous meal and is available almost everywhere in Uganda from street-side vendors. The chicken is roasted beautifully and served with home fries and salad. A very popular meal amongst the campus students because the portions are huge and it is ready to eat. The best places for TV chicken are Wandegeya Market and Ntinda shopping center. The vendors get cracking from about 5 pm every day.
Muchomo;
This is a word adapted from Swahili word called Choma which means roasted, Muchomo can be anything from Chicken gizzards to pork chucks and everything in between. It’s the most accessible meal and can be found everywhere; roadside, rugby pitches, and in fancy restaurants. Its meat is usually served with Gonja which is roasted sweet plantains which are also enjoyed with a snack.
Gnats sauce(Ebinyebwa);
All the Ugandan meals are served with Gnut sauce and with a good reason. This sauce is a creamy paste made from sweet red peanuts and also served with meals as a condiment. In other parts of East Africa, like in western Kenya, Gnuts sauce is eaten on its own as a soup. In Uganda, it’s served with sweet potatoes, cassava, Matooke, and the roasted fish. When you’re in Uganda, there is no buffet that doesn’t include this delicious sauce and with good reason!
Katogo;
It’s a traditional breakfast dish though it can be enjoyed at any time of the day. The dish is fried plantains with soup and beef, beans, or offal’s served with traditional vegetables. In case you walk into a café at 9 am wondering what to have, most restaurants at this time are serving Katogo. Though considered eccentric to the rest of the world, a heavy breakfast is like in Uganda.
Posho(Akawunga);
This is one of Uganda’s all-time favorite, similar to Italy’s polenta, its neither sweet nor savory but takes on the flavor of the soup, its served with. It’s made of finely ground white cornflour mixed with boiling water until it becomes solid; Posho is not an easy meal to cook because it becomes stiff while being prepared. Regardless, Posho must be thoroughly mixed for it to be a satisfying meal.
Chapatti;
This is one of the few meals made for just a purpose. It’s made from wheat flour, water, salt, and baking powder; Chapattis are rolled out like pastry crust but are more elastic and hardy in texture. They are also fried in enough oil to thicken them and make them flaky. They are best eaten alone or with pinto bean soup or tea.
Chaloko;
This is a traditional meal made with pinto beans or red onions, tomatoes, green peppers, and a little cooking oil. It’s similar to the bean porridge in Nigeria; chaloko is also another Ugandan delicacy that can be served with posho.
Mandazi;
It’s also known as the Swahili ban or Swahili coconut doughnut. It’s fried bread that forms a major part of Ugandan cuisine. It’s usually shaped into triangles, circles, or ovals without holes. Mandazi can be eaten with different dips, like fruit-flavored ones, as well as with tea and fruit juices.