Food, eating habits and cusine of Sudan

The Sudanese cuisines reflect the influences of the cuisines of such countries as Egypt, Ethiopia and Turkey. During the Turkish rule, some of the basic spices like garlic, pepper and onions were brought into the country by Syrian and Arab traders, which can now be found in most dishes of the Sudanese people, which have remained simple and natural. These include the country’s traditional dish called foul, which is a type of bean dish and dura, cooked corn or millet, and vegetables, and special dishes like the White Nile Fish, which is made of tomatoes, carrots, potatoes and onions made more tasty with dried apricots, sultanas or white grapes, and cut coriander.

The other special dishes include shorba, a slow-cooked pureed soup made up of lamb stock, garlic, string beans, and a small amount of peanut butter; garaasa, a flatbread served with various meals and many flavor-enhancing ingredients; and khoodra mafrooka, a meat dish with spinach sauce and spinach leaves, garlic, onions and black pepper.

Most regions of the country have their own dish. In North Sudan, a popular dish is called quorrassa, which consists of wheat in a circular shape, while in the south fish dishes are most common and are eaten with rice or porridge. The Eastern Sudanese people prefer moukhbasa, which is made of banana paste, an influence of Ethiopian cuisine, and in West Sudan the staple foods include dairy products and milk. The Egyptian influence is evident in the cuisine of Central Sudan where the favorite dish fassikh consists of fish, onions and tomato sauce.