Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Eswatini

Swazi comfort food: maize and pumpkin porridges, sour milk, roasted corn, dried meat and festive marula wine. That is the short version of what Eswatini cooks. Look for Sishwala (thick maize and sorghum porridge eaten with meat or sour milk), Sidvudvu (pumpkin mashed into soft maize porridge) and Buganu (marula-fruit wine celebrated at the royal Buganu festival). Thick maize porridge, stiffer than emahewu and softer than pap, the staple base of nearly every Swazi meal. This atlas has 24 Eswatini dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

24 dishes.

BuganuBuganumarula-fruit wine celebrated at the royal Buganu festivalChakalakaChakalakaSpicy relish of grated carrot, beans, onion and curry powderEmabhontjisiEmabhontjisiSugar beans stewed soft with onion, served beside sishwalaEmaganuEmaganuMarula fruit sucked from the skin, sharp and resinousEmagwinyaEmagwinyaFried dough balls sold hot from buckets at bus ranks and roadsidesEmahewuEmahewulightly tangy fermented thin maize drinkEmasiEmasisoured milk, everyday accompaniment to porridgeImbuyaImbuyaWild amaranth leaves boiled and cooked with onion and groundnutIncwancwaIncwancwasour fermented mealie-meal porridgeInhlokoInhlokoCow's head singed, boiled long and shared out at ceremoniesLigushaLigushaJute mallow leaves cooked to a slippery green relishRoasted mealiesRoasted mealiescorn cobs roasted over coals at roadside standsSibebeSibebePale lager named after the granite dome above MbabaneSidvudvuSidvudvupumpkin mashed into soft maize porridgeSijingiSijingiPumpkin cooked down and stirred with maize meal into a thick sweet porridgeSiphuphe setindlubuSiphuphe setindlubuJugo beans boiled and mashed to a dense savoury pasteSishwalaSishwalathick maize and sorghum porridge eaten with meat or sour milkSitfubiSitfubiSoured milk thickened with cooked maize meal, eaten with a spoonTindlubuTindlubuBambara groundnuts boiled in their shells and eaten warmTinkhobeTinkhobeboiled whole maize kernels, chewy everyday stapleUmbhidvo wetintsangaUmbhidvo wetintsangayoung pumpkin leaves cooked with groundnutsUmcombotsiUmcombotsitraditional sorghum beer brewed for ceremoniesUmncwebaUmncwebasalted sun-dried meat, the Swazi biltongUmsoboUmsoboBlack nightshade leaves boiled with a little salt, faintly bitter

  • Chakalaka

    Spicy relish of grated carrot, beans, onion and curry powder. Ready in 20 min prep and 30 min cooking. 8…

  • Emabhontjisi

    Sugar beans stewed soft with onion, served beside sishwala. Ready in 15 minutes prep and 1 hour 30 minutes cooking.…

  • Emaganu

    Marula fruit sucked from the skin, sharp and resinous. Ready in 5 minutes prep and none cooking. Varies. A snack…

  • Emagwinya

    Fried dough balls sold hot from buckets at bus ranks and roadsides. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 25 minutes…

  • Emahewu

    Lightly tangy fermented thin maize drink. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking. About 3 litres. A drink…

  • Emasi

    Soured milk, everyday accompaniment to porridge. 10 min to prepare. Makes about 1.5 litres. A cheese & dairy recipe from…

  • Inhloko

    Cow’s head singed, boiled long and shared out at ceremonies. Ready in 1 hour prep and 5 hours cooking. Serves…

  • Incwancwa

    Sour fermented mealie-meal porridge. Ready in 15 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking. Serves 6. A breakfast recipe from Eswatini.

  • Imbuya

    Wild amaranth leaves boiled and cooked with onion and groundnut. Ready in 25 minutes prep and 35 minutes cooking. Serves…

  • Ligusha

    Jute mallow leaves cooked to a slippery green relish. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 40 minutes cooking. Serves 6.…