Cuisine Love: Exploring the popular food cuisines in Kampala

By Cynthia Tumwine

Food brings people together and one of the most fun things to do is try out new cuisines with loved ones. To be able to experience different cultures, the history told in the making of different dishes, the art in the presentation, religious beliefs and geographical impact on how the food is made is truly amazing. Food will tell you a story about the people that make it and instantly you are transported to their world. There are several cuisines around the world but let’s look at some of the popular cuisines in Kampala specifically.

1.       Local Cuisine is the most popular cuisine of choice here in Kampala. Uganda has a rich variety of foods that are delicious and very nutritious that most people prefer. Matooke, pilao, yams, sweet potatoes, irish potatoes with sauce like groundnuts, beans
2.       Indian Spice. For the Indian Cuisine characterized by its very spicy nature, it could be eaten as an individual portion or eaten as group too. If you cannot handle spicy food then Indian food is not the cuisine for you.
3.       Ethiopian food is mostly comprised of vegetables, irish potato and often very spicy meat dishes served with sour dough-flat bread called injera. Culturally, Ethiopians eat exclusively with their right hands, using pieces of injera to pick up bites of the side dishes it is served with.Utensils are optional when eating Ethiopian food.
4.       Italian Cuisine another great pick that is popular amongst Kampalans. For many people Italian food basically means one thing to them; pasta. There are several pasta dishes and each is made in a different way whether it’s spaghetti bolognese or chicken pesto it is al delicious. Another popular Italian dish loved by many is Lasagne.
5.       Chinese Cuisine is characterised by a communal way of eating. The majority of the meals are eaten in a group setting and are served in large portions meant to be shared. Two unique things to note about the Chinese cuisine is the revolving table that is common in many Chinese homes and restaurants used to pass the food from one person to another. Also the use of chopsticks instead of a regular knife and fork, a truly special culture of eating shared with the Japanese as well. A standard Chinese meal of starters for example spring rolls (vegetable, chicken or beef) to the main dishes for example sweet and sour chicken, vegetable rice, fish and pork could feed three to four people.

Everyone would like to be able to spend their days relaxed on a beach in some exotic location or even have just one day off to enjoy a moment of peace in the comfort of our homes eating food they love and enjoy. Unfortunately life requires us to work hard and make ends meet so we can feed our loved ones making us too busy at times to enjoy these luxuries. That being said this shouldn’t stop you because Jumia Food came to solve all these problems, one click and time is saved and yet you can still enjoy your favourite cuisine.

Stay Adventurous!

The writer is the PR Manager at Jumia Travel Uganda