The Tastes of Uganda Will Leave You Wanting More
Did you know that Green bananas or Matoke are among the most popular staples in a Ugandan diet? Delicious cooked, steamed or pureed, and accompanied with fresh peanut sauce or curry is the best way to try it. The first time I ate Matoke was at home in Canada, as we had brought many of the dishes from Uganda with us when we immigrated. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Going back in 2007 for the first time was even better as I got to try these foods made by the locals.
EVERY TIME I VISIT UGANDA THE TASTES OF THE FOOD LEAVE ME WANTING MORE
Here’s the recipe if you desire to try it http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/ugandan-matoke-235945
GROWING MATOKE IS ESSENTIAL TO FEEDING THE POPULACE IN UGANDA
I came upon this lady selling green bananas (Matoke) in Nakasero Market, the largest market in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. She said she sells a bushel of green bananas in 1–2 days, which helps her support her family of 5 children.
Interesting fact: the East African Highland Bananas or green bananas, known as Matoke in Uganda, have only one crop on the tree. Once the bananas are harvested, the tree must be cut back for the tree stalk to produce new fruit. Once the stalk flowers, the fruit will grow to full size in four to six months. With a country heavily dependent on Matoke, the seasons for growing and harvesting become very important to the local people.
In Nakasero market, I saw all types of fruits and vegetables. For instance,, there were mangoes, which were double the size of what we get from Mexico, India or Pakistan. Corn and maize, and live chickens for eating or producing eggs, and much much more.
Just talking about all this food makes my mouth water
I even came across a woman preparing grasshoppers for eating. First, she would hold them on her metal tray and cut off their wings. Next, she would clean out their guts and then prepare them for frying. Fried grasshoppers are a novelty item in Uganda, and the high protein can be enough to sustain oneself for the entire day. In a country where food scarcity is absolute, finding means and feeding the population is vital.
Uganda is also one of the biggest producers of Tilapia in the world. What is not consumed is then sold to other countries, such as Australia and Germany, to make belts and shoes. You can visit the Ggaba Landing Site, where you will see stalls of people smoking the fish on platforms. The fishermen bring in the fish in droves, and the men on the docks, cut, clean, and prepare the fish for smoking.
Other foods to try if you are brave are the various street foods you will encounter throughout your travels in Uganda. For instance, we tried a Rolex, which is a chapati wrapped around an omelette. The street vendor stands in a cart, similar to a hot-dog cart in North America and cooks your eggs on a hot skillet while he fries the chapati (Indian flatbread) on the next skillet. You get to choose your toppings, and he expertly fries it all and then wraps it for easy eating. A Rolex is affordable and quick and fantastic to have on our mornings that we have to depart early for safari, as we don’t have time for a sit-down breakfast.
Another great find and a very popular treat for Ugandans are the barbequed chicken and goat sticks you can find in roadside stalls. These stalls are set up to serve travellers as they make their way from Uganda to Tanzania. Hawkers dressed in Pepsi-Cola vests stand outside the windows of the coach buses trying to hawk the food, earn an income, and sell what the owners of the stall have available. It’s quite the show.
Just talking about all this food makes my mouth water with all the memories of the excellent food I tried in Uganda. I cannot wait to taste it all again.
TASTE for yourself on our next photo tour to Uganda later this year or early 2022.
Check out https://www.triplefphototours.ca for more information and to reserve your spot.
