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Somali cuisine varies from region to region and consists of an exotic mixture of native Somali, Ethiopian, Yemeni, Persian, Turkish, Indian and Italian culinary influences. It is the product of Somalia's rich tradition of trade and commerce. Despite the variety, there remains one thing that unites the various regional cuisines: all food is served halal.
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Breakfast
Quraac or breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day in Somalia. More often than not, people start the day with many styles of shaah or tea. The main dish is typically canjeero, a Somali pancake-like bread similar to the Ethiopian injera. However, unlike the Ethiopian type, canjeero is smaller and thinner, so people eat quite a few of them at a time.
Canjeero is eaten in different ways. It is sometimes broken into small pieces, with subag (ghee) and sugar added, followed by black tea. For children, to encourage proper growth (koris), canjeero is mixed with tea and sesame oil until mushy. Canjeero is also sometimes served with shakshuka, an Egyptian dish made of eggs that is cooked with onions and tomatoes. In addition, it can be served with beer (liver) or goat meat, with suqaar (beef cut into small pieces and cooked in a bed of soup) sometimes acting as a side-dish. Alternatively, oodkac or muqmad, which is essentially cow, goat or camel meat cut into tiny pieces and then dried and boiled in ghee, is another popular dish oftentimes served alongside canjeero.
Boorash or mishaari (porridge) is popular in Mogadishu. It is identical to the porridge eaten in Italy, but with butter and sugar added for flavor.
In the north, rooti or bread is popular. In the country at large, a sweeter and oilier version of canjeero called malawax is a staple of most home-cooked meals.
Lunch
Qado or lunch is often elaborate. Varieties of bariis (rice), the most popular probably being basmati, usually serve as the main dish. Spices like cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and sage are used to aromatize these different rice dishes.
In the south, a mixture of rice and vegetables (and sometimes even meat) called Iskudhexkaris is fairly common. Aside from the many different styles of maraq (stew), rice is also served with meat on the side. In Mogadishu, buskeeti (steak) and kaluun (fish) are widely consumed.
Soor (cornmeal) is popular. Unlike the ugali of Kenya, Somalis have a softer cornmeal mashed with fresh milk, butter and sugar. Alternatively, a hole is made in the soor and filled with maraq.
Then there is the sabaayad, a variation of the Indian chapati. Like the rice, it is served with maraq and meat on the side. The sabaayad of Somalia is often a little sweet, and is cooked with a bit of oil.
Baasto (pasta) is quite popular as well. To give this Italian dish a distinctly Somali twist, Somalis often serve it with stew instead of pasta sauce, and more importantly, it is often served with a banana.
The most popular drinks for lunch are balbeelmo (grapefruit), raqey (tamarind) and isbarmuunto (lemonade). In Mogadishu, cambe (mango), seytuun (guava) and laas (Lassi) are popular as well. In Hargeisa in the north, the preferred drinks are fiimto (Vimto) and tufaax (apple).
Dinner
Somali people serve dinner as late as 9 pm. During Ramadan, supper-time often follows Tarawih prayers, sometimes even as late as 11 pm. Cambuulo, a favorite dish come dinnertime, is made of well-cooked azuki beans mixed with butter and sugar. The beans, which on their own are referred to as digir, can take up to five hours to finish cooking when left on the stove at a low temperature.
In 1988, the Somali newspaper Xiddigta Oktoober conducted a survey in which it found that 83% of Mogadishu's residents preferred cambuulo as their main dinnertime meal. It was a startling discovery since the dish is considered to be somewhat "low class" due to its flatulence-inducing after-effects caused by the natural sugars (known as oligosaccharides) in its beans.
Likewise, qamadi (wheat) is used. Cracked or uncracked, it is cooked and served just like the azuki beans.
Rooti iyo xalwo, slices of bread served with a gelatinous confection, is another popular dinnertime dish.
Muufo, a variation of cornbread, is a dish made of maize and is baked in a foorno (clay oven). It is eaten by cutting it into small pieces , adding macsaro (sesame oil), sugar and then mashing the whole with black tea.
And before bed, a glass of milk spiced with cardamom is often consumed.
Snacks
Sambuusa, a Somali version of the samosa, is probably the most popular form of a snack in Somalia. It is especially popular during Ramadan, as it is the dish of the afur (iftar). The Somali version is spiced with hot green pepper, and the main ingredient is often ground meat.
Bajiye, a variation of the Indian pakora, is a popular snack in southern Somalia. The Somali version is a mixture of maize, vegetables, meat, spices, which is then deep fried. It is eaten by dipping it in bisbaas, a hot sauce.
Kabaab similar to that of Persia is not that widespread, but a few Somalis in the diaspora eat it.
Fruits such as mango, guava, banana and grapefruit serve as snacks throughout the day.
Sweets
Xalwo or halva is a fairly popular confection served during special occasions such as Eid celebrations or wedding receptions. Xalwadii waad qarsatey! ("You hid your xalwo!") is the phrase that follows a person who has eloped or has a small, private wedding. Xalwo is made from sugar, cornstarch, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder, and ghee. Peanuts are also sometimes added to enhance texture and flavor.[1]
Gashaato or qumbe, made of coconut, oils and sugar, and spiced with cardamom, is a much-loved sweet. The sugar is brought to boil with a bit of water, then the cardamom is added followed by shredded coconut.
Lows iyo sisin is a favorite sweet in the south, made of a mixture of peanuts (lows) and sesame seeds (sisin) in a bed of caramel. It sticks together to form a delicious bar.
Jalaato, similar to the American popsicle, is made by freezing naturally sweet fruits with a stick in the middle. More recently in Mogadishu, it has grown to include caano/milk jalaato, which then requires sugaring up. The word jalaato comes from gelato, which is Italian for "frozen".
Buskut or Buskud comprise many different types of cookies, including very soft ones called daardaar (literally "touch-touch" due to its smooth, delicate texture).
Doolshe encompass many delectable styles of cakes.
After-meal
Somalis traditionally perfume their homes after meals. Frankincense (lubaan) or a prepared incense (cuunsi), which in countries in the Arabian Peninsula is known as bukhoor, is placed on top of hot charcoal inside an incense burner or censer (a dabqaad). It then burns for about ten minutes. This keeps the house fragrant for hours. The burner is made from soapstone found in specific areas of Somalia.
Notes
- ^ Ali, p.79
References
- Ali, Barlin (2007). Somali Cuisine. AuthorHouse. ISBN 1425977065. http://books.google.ca/books?id=QBZZGdM4-PkC.
External links
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