As a popular tourist destination, Uganda is not only rich in tourist attractions but also in foods and beverages that give its visitors the real taste of the local menu in addition to the wild experience.
These are some of Uganda’s common foods
Matooke
Matooke (green banana) is the commonest food on most of Uganda’s menus especially in the central, south and eastern parts of the country. It is peeled, wrapped in banana leaves and boiled for about 30-60 minutes and can either be served crushed or in pieces. Matooke is commonly served with a variety of stew but the most common include meat, chicken, ground nuts, fish and beans.
Cassava
Cassava is another common food stuff in Uganda and it is eaten across all regions in the country. It is peeled before boiling and served in individual pieces though it can be boiled together with beans and fish. Cassava is also commonly fried and this is especially done in the morning to form part of the breakfast menu. It is commonly served with fish, beans and beef.
Rice
Rice is also very common in Uganda especially in urban areas as it seen as one of the fast foods to prepare and always a constant in restaurants snd hotels. There are various brands of rice in Uganda including foreign ones that are imported from countries like Pakistan and Vietnam as well the locally grown one. Rice is served with a variety of stew types but the most common include chicken, beef, fish, and beans.
Sweet potato
Just like cassava, sweet potato is popularly grown in all parts of the country hence being a constant dish everywhere though it is mostly consumed in rural areas. Restaurants in urban areas usually serve sweet potato alongside matooke, rice and cassava with either beef stew, fish, beans or ground nuts.
Irish potato
Irish potato is now commonly grown in some parts of Uganda especially in the mountainous southwest district of Kabale. From here it is distributed to the major urban centres in the country and sold to final consumers. Though it is also eaten as food alone, it is commonly used to produce fried chips, a popular evening snack usually eaten with chicken in urban centres.
Posho
Posho is made from maize floor and locally known as Kawunga or Ugali in Swahili. It is the commonest food served in institutions like schools, police, prisons, among others. Posho is a very popular food in Uganda as it is regarded as an all-season food mostly used in unfavourable times like during lockdown and in hunger periods.
Other common foodstuffs in Uganda include yam, pumpkin, millet, banana, rolex – made of chapati and eggs, fruits, among others.
Beef
Uganda’s beef is purely produced locally with cattle farming carried out in all parts of the country. This is the same for mutton, goat’s meat and chicken which makes them readily available on every menu across the country.
Fish
Tilapia and Nile Perch are the two major fish species available for food in Uganda. These are the most commonly caught species from lakes and rivers that are spread across the country. Other fish species served include mud fish, silver fish and lung fish.
Other sources of stew in Uganda include chicken, mutton, goat meat, pork, bushmeat ground nuts, soya peas, peas vegetables while grasshoppers and white ants are some of the country’s special delicacies.
Beverages
Both hard and soft drinks are readily available in Uganda including international brands like Pepsi and Coca Cola. Beer, wine, spirits, whisk and the locally produced brew are all available in shops, malls, bars, restaurants, hotels in all parts of the country.
