Food

A few folks have asked about the food here in Uganda. It’s no accident that you have never been to a Ugandan restaurant. In general, the cuisine of this country can be described as bland and starchy. The national dish is called “matoke” (mah-TOE-kay), which is steamed mashed plantains and looks like congealed banana mush. I guess it makes sense if you live in a country with serious diarrhea problems but I think it is pretty unappetizing. I get constipated just looking a matoke but Ugandans love it and seem confused when you don’t order it at a restaurant. A typical Ugandan lunch plate consists of a big ol’ heap of matoke, a side of boiled potatoes called “irish”, some white rice, beans, and groundnut sauce, similar to peanut sauce. You can swap out the beans for some other small portion of protein like some fried goat bits or a skinny chicken thigh and there are plenty of other starches to choose from as well (boiled sweet potato, chapatti, French fries, etc…).

Before you start to feel sorry for us, though, I should mention that we don’t eat generally eat Ugandan fare that often at home and instead opt for locally made cheese and yogurt, pasta, and fish from Lake Victoria. The one Ugandan dish we eat a lot of is beans and rice, primarily because Ani loves it and one bonus is that the fresh beans, once removed from their pods, are quite lovely (see photo).

Also, there are some bright spots on the food landscape. Much of the fruit is delicious and very cheap – pineapples, passion fruit, extra-sweet little bananas, papaya, and melon. In my opinion, the best thing about Ugandan food is the glorious avocado. Avocados are abundant here and are usually about 3 times the size of those that you see in California supermarkets, have a milder and creamier taste, and cost about 10 cents. We eat loads of avocados – salted slices, guacamole, and blended into yogurt smoothies for an extra creamy morning treat.

Of course, there are the foods we can’t get here that I crave and look forward to diving into in January –dark chocolate, pizza, decent breakfast cereal, and chicken I don’t have to look in the eye before purchasing. When I start thinking about these things my mouth waters so I just grab another slice of avocado and try to savor that instead.