Food

Luwombo Meal: Ugandan Traditional Dish Cooked in Banana

LUWOMBO meal is a Ugandan delicacy and one of my favorite meals. If you have never been to Uganda and may have plans of visiting this beautiful country one day please do not leave with out trying out a luwombo prepared meal. Most people eat this special meal on special days but I could have it any day, everyday! Luwombo is basically sauce cooked in banana leaves.

The banana leaves are specially prepared over heat with low smoke to make the leaves aromatic and soft enough to contain the food. It is actually a method of preparing stews by steaming as you will get to learn as you read along. I am going to share how to prepare the different types which include: chicken luwombo, smoked meat luwombo, mushrooms in ground nuts paste luwombo, smoked meat in ground nuts paste luwombo and dry fish in ground nuts paste luwombo.

Writing this piece reminds me of my foods and nutrition practical exams way back in high school because this was one of my favorite meals prepared. Because it is easy, time saving and most important nutrient saving.

Malewa: The Delicious Taste of Bamboo Shoots

Malewa is obtained from crushing and drying special bamboo shoots that are obtained from the area of Mt. Elgon, found along Uganda’s border with Kenya. Malewa is harvested throughout the year, but especially during the dry season. The bamboo shoots are traditionally air-dried under mountainside caves, and can also be smoked to give a particular, burnt flavor when used in preparing food. Malewa can easily be confused in appearance for banana fibers, but the easiest way to distinguish these bamboo shoots is from the sweet smell and the visibile joints that characterized the short pieces of malewa.

Regardless of differences in the preparation method, malewa has a taste reminiscent of forest mushrooms. It is said that the best traditional taste of malewa emerges when it is mixed with groundnut paste to make a paste or sauce that can be eaten with millet, banana or sweet potatoes. Malewa sauces or soups are compatible with many other local and traditional dishes in Uganda.

Malewa is the traditional food for the Gishu people in eastern Uganda, and it has been in the area since the Gishu occupied the slopes of Mt. Masaba, also known as Mt. Elgon. It is served widely in the region during the traditional circumcision rites that are performed in each even numbered calendar year. Mothers would serve the product to their sons to give them bravery before embarking on a week-long journey to travel through the community and receive blessings before the actual circumcision (imbalu).

Malewa may be collected by individuals for personal use, but it is also sold in local markets, mainly by boys of the Gishu communities; however the quantities that can be found at local markets are declining. This is due to encroachment on the mountainside habitats for settlements and agricultural land as a result of growing populations in the area.

Uganda’s Most Adorned Popular Foods

“Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of nationalist feeling, ethnic feeling, your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, your grandma. It’s inseparable from those from the get-go.” – Anthony Bourdain

Several million miles away from home and you are wondering what to eat. When you travel to a different continent, you don’t only deal with the change in weather, culture and lifestyle. You also have to adapt to the local food.

Today we bring you a couple of Uganda’s most delicious foods:

Rolex – To prepare Uganda’s most popular street food, a Chapati is made of whole wheat flour salt and water mixed into dough and then flattened. An omelette is then made to your preference and wrapped in the Chapati.

This snack can be found around almost every street corner and is known for being affordable, delicious and filling.

Matooke – This is a starchy variety of banana that is typically boiled then mashed and is accompanied with a protein of some kind, Matooke is popular in the central and western regions.

Katogo – Katogo is a dish of boiled/ fried plantain with either beef, beans, groundnut sauce or offals served with traditional vegetables. It is traditionally a breakfast dish though it can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Though considered unconventional to the rest of the world, a heavy breakfast like this is popular in Uganda and is a great hangover remedy just in case you’ve been exploring the nightlife.

Groundnut sauce – This is a creamy paste made from sweet red peanuts and is typically served with a carbohydrate like matooke or sweet potatoes.

Smoked fish can be added for an elevated experience. When you’re in Uganda, there is no buffet that doesn’t include this delicious sauce and with good reason.

Luwombo – This dish can be prepared with beef, chicken, groundnuts, smoked fish or goat. This Ugandan special meal is one of great heritage and tradition and cooking it in banana leaf is actually what gives this dish that unique taste. It is served over matooke, rice, sweet potatoes and pumpkin.

This and more local dishes can make your weekend more superb, try out any of the above foods.