Sudanese cuisine

Sudanese cuisine is greatly affected by the historical cross-cultural influences of Arab, Nubian, Egyptian, Turkish, and Levantine cuisine in Sudan. Many Sudanese foods have been around for thousands of years. The most common meats eaten are lamb and chicken, in accordance with the Muslim halal laws. Most meals are communal and often shared with family, neighbors, and guests, as part of Sudanese hospitality.
Breads such as (or ) and (or )—a thin pancake-like bread similar to a crêpe—are eaten with savory stews, cheese, fava beans, and falafel. There is also (or ), a fermented bread similar to Ethiopian injera, but thinner and smaller.
Influences
Egyptian cuisine has greatly influenced Sudanese cuisine. Both share dishes such as falafel, which is made with chickpeas in Sudan instead of fava beans as in Egypt; , the national dish of both Sudan and Egypt; , a thick soup made from boiled leaves; , a meat liver stew eaten in Sudan, Egypt and Tunisia; and desserts such as and . , a soft white cheese, is also eaten.
Turkish cuisine has also influenced Sudanese cuisine, giving it a distinct flavor. Turkish foods found in Sudanese cuisine include kebabs, kofta, and shawarma, as well as sweets such as baklava. Levantine and Egyptian sweets also entered Sudanese cuisine and are known as oriental (or Levantine) sweets.
Appetizers
Meals include and , which are dishes made from sheep's offal (including the lungs, liver, and stomach), onions, peanut butter, and salt. They are eaten raw. A peanut salad called is also eaten.
Soups and stews
A popular Sudanese (savory stew) is , a red mincemeat sauce that is eaten with , a dish consisting of boiled wheat flour molded into a ball. is eaten across North Africa. Other will sometimes use , special sauce made from crushed okra and , a spice mix that gives some a sticky yet flavorful texture. Dried is sometimes used as a seasoning in the . Most Sudanese will have either meat or other vegetables or legumes. Sometimes seasoned meats are used such as in —made of dried meats, onions and dried okra (crushed )—is added to most types of . In rural Western Sudan, fermented foods like kawal serve as substitutes for meat in mullahs. Powdered kawal is also used as a condiment similar to black pepper in urban Sudan.
Several stews, including and , use (a Sudanese spice mix) and dried okra. is a stew made from sheep's fat, onions, and dried okra. is made from dried meat, while is made from dried fish. In Equatoria (now in South Sudan), soups include , made from cattle or sheep hooves with vegetables, and , made from liver, flour, dates, and spices.
Beverages
The most popular drink is tap or bottled water, traditionally offered free of charge for anyone in large claypots in the streets. Strong coffee, sometimes served in Sudanese coffee pots called , and black tea, often with milk, are also popular. These are sold in the streets by "tea ladies". Especially on hot days, traditional cold hibiscus tea, called , is made in homes.
Alcoholic beverages
Historically, Sudan was one of the few predominantly Muslim countries that allowed traditional and Western alcoholic drinks. Men drank millet wine, (an alcoholic drink from fermented dates), and . In the 20th century, some Sudanese were influenced by Europeans and began drinking whiskey and beer.
In September 1983, former Sudanese President Gaafar Nimeiry enacted Sharia, marking the occasion by dumping alcohol into the Nile river. Since then, the purveying, consumption, and purchasing of alcohol has been banned in Sudan. Being lashed 40 times is the penalty for breaking the prohibition on alcohol. Nevertheless an alcoholic gin made from dates, continued to be illegally brewed in defiance of Sharia. In 2019, the Transitional Government passed a new law, allowing alcoholic beverages for non-Muslims.
Gallery
See also
List of African cuisines
References
Further reading
Susannah Wright. Sudan (Ebiz Guides). Madrid: MTH Multimedia S.L., 2005. , ; pp. 203–205.
External links
Sudan Cookbook
Food of Sudan from the Sudan Embassy in Washington DC
Sudanese recipes from a missionary trip
North African cuisine
Arab cuisine