Ugandan cuisine consists of traditional and modern cooking styles, practices, foods and dishes in Uganda, with English, Arab, Asian and especially Indian influences.Most tribes in Uganda have their own specialty dish or delicacy. Many dishes include various vegetables, potatoes, yams, bananas and other tropical fruits. Chicken, fish, beef, goat and mutton are all commonly eaten, although among the rural poor, meats are consumed less than in other areas.Main dishes are usually centered on a sauce or stew of groundnuts, beans or meat. Traditionally ugali (maize meal) or matooke (boiled and mashed green banana) are eaten in the South, or an ugali made from millet in the North.Lunch is typically the heaviest meal of the day, eaten around 1pm. Dinner is slightly lighter and usually eaten around 8pm. If you are invited to someone’s home in Uganda, they will typically serve you something, whether it is tea with snacks or a full meal. It is considered rude to not eat the food in such settings. In many traditional, rural Ugandan homes the women and children sit on a mat on the floor to eat, while the man sits at the table. In more modern families, everybody sits together at the table, although some women still prefer to eat while sitting on a mat on the floor. In central Uganda, people do not typically greet others while eating. If someone comes late to the table, they should not attempt to shake hands with or greet those who are already sitting and eating. After Ugali, the most important food you can find in Uganda is the famous Chapathi/chipati, the popular Indian unleavened bread.
