South Sudan Food and Drink

Food here is traditionally simple, based around pounded millet, from which most South Sudanese get the majority of their daily energy requirements. In urban areas, cassava fritters and bread can also be found.

The key ingredient is perhaps the peanut, which acts as a base and thickener to many dishes. Meat, particularly goat, beef and chicken, is regularly consumed, but in small portions as part of a sauce which tops and adds flavour to the pounded millet. Cuisine from neighbouring Ethiopia is also ubiquitous.

Specialities

Kisra: Flatbread made from sorghum flour.
Wala-wala: Thick, starchy and plain tasting balls of millet flour that typically make up a meal’s carbohydrate quota.
Combo: Stewed spinach, peanut butter and tomato sometimes served with meat.
Ful: Arabic stewed fava beans.
Tamia: Balls of deep-fried ground chickpeas, in other words, falafel.
Tomato Salad: Basic salad majoring in tomato, with onion and chilli. The best are served with a peanut butter and lime dressing.
Goat stew: Mildly-flavoured concoction of chunks of goat meat, onion and a touch of chilli.
Salaat zabadi: Vegetables including carrot, cucumber and tomato in locally-produced yoghurt.
Perch: Smoked or deep-fried pieces of fish served with a chilli relish.
Baseema: Cake made with yoghurt, sesame oil and sugar.
Miris: Stew containing sheep’s fat, onion and dried okra.

Tipping

Not customary.

Drinking age

18.