Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Rwanda

Ask what Rwanda eats and the answer starts with this: hearty highland fare: beans, plantains, cassava leaves, Lake Kivu fish, grilled brochettes and traditional banana beer. Look for Isombe (pounded cassava leaves stewed with peanut paste and eggplant), Brochettes (charcoal-grilled goat skewers with grilled plantain, bar-culture staple) and Urwagwa (traditional banana beer fermented with roasted sorghum). Cassava leaves pounded in a mortar and simmered with eggplant, spinach and groundnut paste; cassava itself came from Brazil via Portuguese Kongo trade. This atlas has 27 Rwanda dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

27 dishes.

AgatogoAgatogoplantains stewed with meat or tripe and vegetables in one potAkabangaAkabangaSearing habanero chili oil sold in tiny yellow dropper bottlesAkabenzAkabenzcrispy fried pork chunks, beloved bar food with plantains and chiliAmandaziAmandazisweet fried dough balls taken with teaAmatekeAmatekeTaro corms boiled and served in their skins beside beans or stewBrochettesBrochettesCharcoal beef or mutton skewers with mustard and chiliChapatiChapatiLayered wheat flatbread fried in oil and eaten with beans or teaIbihazaIbihazapumpkin chunks simmered together with beansIbishyimboIbishyimboRed beans simmered long with onion, celery and palm oilIbitokeIbitokegreen bananas boiled or stewed, served with beansIcyayi cy’amataIcyayi cy’amataBlack tea boiled in milk with ginger and sugarIgikomaIgikomaLoose sorghum or maize porridge drunk hot, sometimes soured overnightIgisafuriyaIgisafuriyachicken, plantains and celery braised together in a potIkigageIkigageCloudy sorghum beer, sour and thick, drunk from a shared potIkivugutoIkivugutoMilk soured thick in a churn, drunk cold or poured over ubugaliIsombeIsombecassava leaves pounded and simmered with palm oil and peanutsMelangeMelangeBuffet plate piling rice, beans, cassava, plantain and stew togetherRwandan coffeeRwandan coffeeBright, floral washed arabica from the hills around Lake Kivu and HuyeRwandan teaRwandan teaBrisk high-altitude black tea grown on the Congo-Nile ridgeSambazaSambazacrispy fried Lake Kivu silver fish with chiliSambusaSambusaDeep-fried triangle of pastry stuffed with spiced beef or beansUbugaliUbugalistiff cassava paste scooped with bean and fish stewsUbukiUbukiFermented honey wine, amber and strong, poured at ceremoniesUbunyobwaUbunyobwaThick roasted groundnut paste stirred into cassava leaves or fishUbusheraUbusheraLightly soured sorghum drink, sweet and grainy, given to children tooUmutsimaUmutsimaDough of cassava and maize flour, stiffer and paler than ubugaliUrwagwaUrwagwatraditional banana beer fermented with roasted sorghum

  • Agatogo

    Plantains stewed with meat or tripe and vegetables in one pot. Ready in 30 minutes prep and 1 hour cooking.…

  • Akabenz

    Crispy fried pork chunks, beloved bar food with plantains and chili. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 1 hour 15…

  • Amateke

    Taro corms boiled and served in their skins beside beans or stew. Ready in 15 minutes prep and 40 minutes…

  • Amandazi

    Sweet fried dough balls taken with tea. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 25 minutes cooking. Makes about 24. A…

  • Chapati

    Layered wheat flatbread fried in oil and eaten with beans or tea. Ready in 20 min prep and 25 min…

  • Igikoma

    Loose sorghum or maize porridge drunk hot, sometimes soured overnight. Ready in 5 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking. Serves…

  • Igisafuriya

    Chicken, plantains and celery braised together in a pot. Ready in 25 minutes prep and 1 hour 15 minutes cooking.…

  • Icyayi cy’amata

    Black tea boiled in milk with ginger and sugar. Ready in 5 minutes prep and 15 minutes cooking. Serves 4.…

  • Ibihaza

    Pumpkin chunks simmered together with beans. Ready in 25 minutes prep and 2 hours cooking. Serves 6. A main recipe…

  • Ibishyimbo

    Red beans simmered long with onion, celery and palm oil. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 2 hours cooking. Serves…