Entry seven - Food Overview

Kampala lies in the heart of the "banana belt" of southern Uganda. I have heard that there are over a dozen species of bananas in the world, and Uganda has at least three or four: bananas as Chiquita-buyers know them (which are called "ripes" in Uganda); a smaller version of these; plantains; and a slightly sweet type of plantain known as matooke (ma-toe-kay). Matooke, which look like unripened green bananas, is the staple crop of southern Uganda.

Compared with the national cuisines of its neighbours, Kenya and Tanzania, Ugandan food is generally pretty bland. Dishes usually consist of some combination of matooke, posho (corn meal), beans, rice, dodo (a very bitter kind of greens in salty water), chicken, goat or fish. These can be tasty and filling. However, needless to say, I try to add some variety every once in awhile. Eating options in Kampala vary enormously for eating out, and for cooking for oneself.

The area just outside of campus, Wandegeya, is a fast-food lover's heaven. With 24-hour places such as "Burger Corner" and "Chicken Tonight" all over the neighbourhood, it is always possible to spend a couple of dollars on chips (French Fries to North Americans - Freedom Fries to maniacs), a burger, roasted chicken, goat, fish, etc. (My current favourite is goat muchomo.) They do have some decent food, but the primary ingredient involved in grease, and a steady diet of it can be decidedly unhealthy and tiring.

Healthier and slightly cheaper options include restaurants and cafeterias selling "local food". Selection is usually limited, but it is good relief from fast food. In the main market downtown, you can also buy very cheap meals with matooke that is actually steamed (as it is supposed to be) instead of boiled. Many restaurants simply peel and boil matooke, which drains much of flavour and nutrients. The proper method of preparing it is to peel a hefty quantity, mash it together and wrap it in banana leaves. This bundle is then steamed over a charcoal fire for quite a long time. Add some beans, rice and groundnut sauce, and it makes an excellent meal.

There are also restaurants of varying quality and cost. There are enough well-to-do Ugandans for there to be plenty of places to drop 50 dollars or more for dinner. Below these are restaurants with mainly foreign clientele such as the French restaurant where I went a few nights ago with some people from my residence. It's not quite on par with another place that might be the Peter Luger's of Kampala, but Le Petit Bistro isn't bad. Even a Texan who went with us claimed that the steak was "slightly different from the stuff in Texas, but still damn damn good." I haven't explored many restaurants in Kampala, but they include Ugandan, Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, French, Italian, etc. There are also a fair number of cafes, bakeries and ice cream parlours around town.

Eating in involves trips to the market and/or supermarket. Grocery stores and supermarkets have the usual variety of bottled water, condiments, sugar, salt, tea, pasta, cooking oil, etc. Imported goods are often slightly more expensive than in Europe or America while those made in Uganda or East Africa are more reasonable. However, the market is the best place to shop. Today I spent a total of 5,200 shillings (less than three US dollars) on 12 tomatoes, 4 green peppers, 12 small onions, a head of garlic, two avocados, two eggplants, 8 potatoes, 10 oranges, and enough beans for two or three meals. If you're polite, the seller usually throws in one or two extra of the smaller vegetables.

Contrary to logic, Ugandan oranges and tangerines are green or yellow - though imported orange oranges are available in some stores. The Ugandan variety are mostly used for making juice, as are passion fruits. Pineapples, papayas and mangos have much more flavour than those in North America, almost to the point of being unrecognizable. Even my fairly undiscerning palate can tell the difference between the fruit and vegetables at home (that were usually picked too early and shipped thousands of miles) and what I have eaten here, which is obviously all fresh.