Somali cuisine is the traditional cuisine of

Somalis The Somalis ( so, Soomaalida 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒆𐒖, ar, صوماليون) are an ethnic group native to the Horn of Africa who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic Somali language is the shared ...

from the

Horn of Africa The Horn of Africa (HoA), also known as the Somali Peninsula, is a large peninsula and geopolitical region in East Africa.Robert Stock, ''Africa South of the Sahara, Second Edition: A Geographical Interpretation'', (The Guilford Press; 2004), ...

. Somali cuisine does have moderate foreign influence from different countries mainly due to trade but traditionally also varies from region to region due to the expansive landmass Somalis inhabit with traditions varying in different regions which makes it a

fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...

of differing Somali culinary traditions. It is the product of

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...

's tradition of trade and commerce. Some notable Somali delicacies include ''Kimis''/'' Sabaayad'', ''Canjeero''/''

Lahoh Lahoh ( or , ar, لحوح, laḥūḥ, ) ), is a spongy, flat pancake-like bread that originated from Somalia.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalis'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 113. It is a type of flat bread eaten re ...

'', ''Xalwo'' (

Halwa Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...

), ''Sambuusa'' (

Samosa A samosa () or singara is a fried Indian pastry with a savory filling, including ingredients such as spiced potatoes, onions, and peas. It may take different forms, including triangular, cone, or half-moon shapes, depending on the region. Sam ...

), '' Bariis Iskukaris'', and ''Muqmad''/''

Odkac Muqmad or oodkac is a Somali dish consisting of preserved meat. The term muqmad is used in the northern Somali territories such as Djibouti and throughout Somaliland; the term odkac is more popular in the south (Somalia). It is typically eaten w ...

''. Pork consumption is forbidden to Muslims in Somalia, in accordance with

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

, the Islamic law.

Breakfast

Breakfast ('' Quraac'') is an important meal for Somalis, who often start the day with Somali style

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...

(''shaah''/''shaax'') or

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

(''qaxwa''). The tea, brewed from

black tea Black tea, also translated to red tea in various East Asian languages, is a type of tea that is more oxidized than oolong, yellow, white and green teas. Black tea is generally stronger in flavour than other teas. All five types are made from ...

leaves, can be served regularly as-is (''shaah rinji'' or ''shaah bigays''); but it can be also flavoured with spices such as ginger, cardamom and cinnamon (though black pepper is not used unlike other spiced teas) while milk is added after the brewing instead of during it; this is known as ''shaah cadeys''. The main dish is typically a

pancake A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a Starch, starch-based batter (cooking), batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or fryi ...

-like bread called a ''

canjeero Lahoh ( or , ar, لحوح, laḥūḥ, ) ), is a spongy, flat pancake-like bread that originated from Somalia.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalis'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 113. It is a type of flat bread eaten regu ...

'' or ''

lahoh Lahoh ( or , ar, لحوح, laḥūḥ, ) ), is a spongy, flat pancake-like bread that originated from Somalia.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalis'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 113. It is a type of flat bread eaten re ...

'' originating in

Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalia'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 113. and is eaten in different ways. It is often eaten along with

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

and

Ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

Olive oil Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea''; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, produced by pressing whole olives and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking: f ...

Sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. O ...

and washed down with a cup of

Tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and north ...

. It may also be broken into small pieces with Somali

(''Subag'') and sugar. For children, it is mixed with tea and

(''Macsaro'') until mushy. Typically there may be a side dish of liver (usually

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

goat meat Goat meat or goat's meat is the meat of the domestic goat ''(Capra aegagrus hircus)''. The common name for goat meat is simply "goat", while that from young goats can be called ''capretto'' (It.), ''cabrito'' (Sp. and Por.) or ''kid''. In South ...

(''hilib ari''), diced beef cooked in a bed of soup (''suqaar''), or ''

odkac Muqmad or oodkac is a Somali dish consisting of preserved meat. The term muqmad is used in the northern Somali territories such as Djibouti and throughout Somaliland; the term odkac is more popular in the south (Somalia). It is typically eaten w ...

'', which consists of small dried pieces of beef, goat or camel meat, boiled in ghee. Different from Ethiopian ''

Injera Injera (, ; om, Biddeena; ) is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia, Eritrea, and some parts of Sudan, injera is the staple. Injera is central to the dining p ...

'', Somali ''Canjeero'' is smaller, thinner and sweeter. It might also be eaten with a stew (''Maraq'') or soup. * '' Sabaayad'' or '' Kimis''/''Cesh'' is another type of

flatbread A flatbread is a bread made with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pizza and pita bread. Flatbreads ran ...

which is similar to the

Desi DESI may refer to * Desorption electrospray ionization * Drug Efficacy Study Implementation * Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument See also * Desi (disambiguation) Desi or Deshi is a self-referential term used by South Asian people. Desi may al ...

Paratha Paratha () is a flatbread native to South Asia, prevalent throughout the modern-day nations of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad a ...

''. During lunch, ''Kimis''/''Sabaayad'' is sometimes consumed with Somali

Curry A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included. There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in tradit ...

, Soup, or Stew. * ''Muufo'' is another type of Somali Flatbread popular within South Somalia and is usually eaten with Stews and Soup but is also sometimes eaten at breakfast with ''Honey''/''Sugar'', ''Sesame oil'', ''Subag'' and ''Black tea'' * ''Mushaari'' or ''Boorash'' (

porridge Porridge is a food made by heating or boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants, typically grain, in milk or water. It is often cooked or served with added flavourings such as sugar, honey, (dried) fruit or syrup to make a sweet cereal, ...

), with Butter, Nuts and Sugar is eaten across Somalia. * Nationally, a sweeter and greasy version of ''Canjeero'', similar to a crepe known as ''Malawax'' or ''Malawah'' is a staple of most home-cooked meals and is usually eaten for breakfast with ''Tea'', similarly to how ''Canjeero'' is eaten.

Lunch

Lunch (''qado'') is often an elaborated main dish of

laxoox Lahoh ( or , ar, لحوح, laḥūḥ, ) ), is a spongy, flat pancake-like bread that originated from Somalia.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalis'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 113. It is a type of flat bread eaten re ...

pasta Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...

(''baasto'') or

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

('' Bariis iskukaris'') spiced with

cumin Cumin ( or , or Article title
) (''Cuminum cyminum'') is a

cardamom Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are r ...

(''heyl''),

clove Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...

s (''dhegayare''), and

sage Sage or SAGE may refer to: Plants * ''Salvia officinalis'', common sage, a small evergreen subshrub used as a culinary herb ** Lamiaceae, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or deadnettle or sage family ** ''Salvia'', a large ...

('' Salvia somalensis''). The diffused use of pasta (''baasto''), such as

spaghetti Spaghetti () is a long, thin, solid, cylindrical pasta.spaghetti
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridg ...

, comes from the

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

. It is frequently presented with a heavier stew than the Italian pasta sauce. As with the rice, it is often served with a banana. Spaghetti can also be served with rice, forming a novelty dish referred to as "Federation". The dish is usually served with equal (whole) portions of rice and spaghetti, split on either side of a large oval plate. It is then layered with assorted stewed meats and vegetables, served with salad and an optional banana. It has been suggested that the name of the dish is derived from the union of two dishes in Somalia and also from the size and quantity of the food. You will not find this dish served in the average Somali household, since it is uncommon to cook both rice and pasta in one meal. It is instead more common to order the dish from traditional Somali restaurants, where both rice and spaghetti are always readily available. Hence, its novelty status. In

many people eat some Arab cuisines such as ''Ful'' (fava beans) with '' Kimis'' or

Canjeero Lahoh ( or , ar, لحوح, laḥūḥ, ) ), is a spongy, flat pancake-like bread that originated from Somalia.Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, ''Culture and Customs of Somalis'', (Greenwood Press: 2001), p. 113. It is a type of flat bread eaten regu ...

, also with Hummus. Other dishes include

Falafel Falafel (; ar, فلافل, ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Levantine and Egyptian cuisines) made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Nowadays, falafel is often served in a p ...

with Hummus or are eaten with

Pita bread Pita ( or ) or pitta (British English), is a family of yeast-leavened round flatbreads baked from wheat flour, common in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and neighboring areas. It includes the widely known version with an interior pocket, also ...

, salad and hummus (like a sandwich). Another popular dish in the south is '' iskukaris'', a

Hot pot Hot pot or hotpot (), also known as soup-food or steamboat, is a cooking method that originated in China. A heat source on the dining table keeps a pot of soup stock simmering, and a variety of Chinese foodstuffs and ingredients are served b ...

('' maraq'') of rice, vegetables and meat, a national staple. Beyond the many styles of hot pot, rice is usually served with a banana on the side. In Mogadishu, steak (''Busteeki'') and fish (''Kalluun''/''Mallaay'') are widely eaten. Southern Somalis commonly consume a stiff cornmeal referred to as ''Soor'' which is usually eaten alongside Stews or Soup. Another commonly eaten Cornmeal is eaten called ''

Asida Asida ( ar, عصيدة, ‘aṣīdah) is a dish with origins from the Maghreb. It is a lump of dough, obtained by stirring wheat flour into boiling water, sometimes with added butter or honey. Similar in texture to fufu, it is eaten in mainly ...

”. It is mashed with fresh milk, butter and sugar, or presented with a hole in the middle filled with ''maraq'', or olive oil. Somalicamelmeat

A variation of flat bread is ''sabaayad''/''kimis''/''cesh''. Like the rice, is served with ''maraq'' and meat on the side. The ''sabaayad'' of Somalia is often somewhat sweet, and is cooked in a little oil. Popular drinks at lunch are ''balbeelmo'' (

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

), ''raqey'' (

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is probably indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs ...

) and ''isbarmuunto'' (

lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using ...

). In Mogadishu, ''fiimto'' (

Vimto Vimto is a soft drink first sold in Lancashire in the United Kingdom. It was first manufactured as a health tonic in cordial form, then decades later as a carbonated drink. It contains the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants (in a ...

) and ''laas'' (

lassi Lassi () is a regional name for buttermilk, the traditional dahi (yogurt)–based drink, consumed in the South Asian region. Lassi is a blend of yogurt, water, spices, and sometimes fruit. Salty lassi is similar to doogh, while modern sweet l ...

) are also common. In the northwest, the preferred drinks are ''cambe (

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree ''Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South a ...

) (''guava'') and'' ''tufaax'' (

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...

). '' Bariis iskukaris'' is also popular, a rice dish cooked and fried with onions, meat, then mixed with a Somali spice mixture called ''xawaash'' which contains cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamon, black pepper, cloves, and nutmeg. It is traditionally served at Somali weddings.

Dinner

Dinner (''casho'') in Somalia is served as late as 9 pm. During

Ramadan , type = islam , longtype = Religious , image = Ramadan montage.jpg , caption=From top, left to right: A crescent moon over Sarıçam, Turkey, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramadan. Ramadan Quran reading in Bandar Torkaman, Iran. ...

, supper-time often follows

Tarawih ''Tarawih'' ( ar, تراويح, tarāwīḥ), also rendered in English as ''Taraweeh'', is derived from the Arabic root ر و ح related to rest and relaxation. Tarawih prayers are special Muslim prayers involving reading long portions of the ...

prayers, sometimes as late as 11 pm. ''Cambuulo'', a common dinner dish, is made from well-cooked azuki beans mixed with butter and sugar. The beans, which on their own are referred to as ''digir'', can take up to five hours to finish cooking when left on the stove at a low temperature. ''Qamadi'' (

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

) is also used; cracked or uncracked, it is cooked and served just like the azuki beans. ''Rooti iyo xalwo'', slices of bread served with a gelatinous confection, is another dinner dish. ''Muufo'', a variation of cornbread, is a dish made of maize and is baked in a ''Tinaar'' ( clay oven). It is eaten by cutting it into small pieces, topped with

sesame oil Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. The oil is one of the earliest-known crop-based oils. Worldwide mass modern production is limited due to the inefficient manual harvesting process required to extract the oil. O ...

(''macsaro'') and sugar, then mashed together with

. Before sleeping, a glass of milk spiced with

is often consumed.

Snacks

Sambusa, the Somali variation of the Desi samosa, is a triangular snack that is commonly eaten throughout Somalia during the afur (iftar). Kabaab is a snack eaten in western Somalia. There are several varieties of this dish. For instance, it may be served on sticks or skewers with vegetables. Kebabs are also eaten in Mogadishu. Another common variety consists of minced meat mixed with egg and flour then fried is popular in south Somalia. It resembles kofta kebab. Other snacks eaten include chicken and vegetable filled rolls and bajiyo, which is made from black-eyed peas or azuki beans and is usually served with spicy sauce. These along with samosas are very popular not only during Ramadan but also in special occasions such as weddings and family gatherings. Homemade chips are made with fresh potato and some black pepper. Fruits, such as mango (cambo), guava (seytuun), banana (moos), and orange (liinbanbeelmo) are eaten throughout the day.

Sweets

* ''Xalwo'' or Halwo (made very differently to the well known

halva Halva (also halvah, halwa, and other spellings, Persian : حلوا) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia and widely spread throughout the Middle East. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made f ...

), is a popular confection served during special occasions, such as Eid celebrations or wedding receptions. Xalwo is made from

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

cornstarch Corn starch, maize starch, or cornflour (British English) is the starch derived from corn (maize) grain. The starch is obtained from the endosperm of the kernel. Corn starch is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or so ...

powder,

nutmeg Nutmeg is the seed or ground spice of several species of the genus ''Myristica''. ''Myristica fragrans'' (fragrant nutmeg or true nutmeg) is a dark-leaved evergreen tree cultivated for two spices derived from its fruit: nutmeg, from its seed, an ...

powder, and

ghee Ghee is a type of clarified butter, originating from India. It is commonly used in India for cooking, as a traditional medicine, and for religious rituals. Description Ghee is typically prepared by simmering butter, which is churned from c ...

. Peanuts are also sometimes added to enhance texture and flavor. In the south there is a rice pudding called ''ruz bil laban''. * ''Gashaato'', ''Kashaato'' or ''Qumbe'', made from

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

, sugar and

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

, which is spiced with cardamom, is a much-loved sweet. The sugar is brought to a boil with a bit of water, then the cardamom is added, followed by shredded coconut. * ''Lows iyo sisin'' is a favorite sweet in the south. It consists of a mixture of

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...

s (''lows'') and

sesame seeds Sesame ( or ; ''Sesamum indicum'') is a flowering plant in the genus ''Sesamum'', also called benne. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cu ...

(''sisin'') in a bed of

caramel Caramel ( or ) is an orange-brown confectionery product made by heating a range of sugars. It can be used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, or as a topping for ice cream and custard. The process of caramelizatio ...

. The confection sticks together to form a bar. * ''Jallaato'', similar to the American

ice pop An ice pop is a liquid-based frozen snack on a stick. Unlike ice cream or sorbet, which are whipped while freezing to prevent ice crystal formation, an ice pop is "quiescently" frozen—frozen while at rest—and becomes a solid block of ice. ...

, is made by freezing naturally sweet fruits with a stick in the middle. More recently in Mogadishu (Xamar), it has grown to include ''caano jallaato'', which is made with milk and requires sugaring up. The word ''jallaato'' comes from gelato, which is Italian for "frozen". * ''Buskut'' or ''Buskud'' comprises many different types of

cookie A cookie is a baked or cooked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, n ...

s, including very soft ones called ''daardaar'' (literally "touch-touch" due to its smooth, delicate texture). * ''Doolshe'' encompasses many delectable styles of

cake Cake is a flour confection made from flour, sugar, and other ingredients, and is usually baked. In their oldest forms, cakes were modifications of bread, but cakes now cover a wide range of preparations that can be simple or elaborate, ...

s. * ''Icun'' is a sweet mostly eaten by southern Somalis. It is made from sugar and flour mixed with oil. It is mainly eaten in eid or weddings * ''Shushumow'' is a fried Somali pastry with a crystallised shell which is made as a party snack usually. * ''

Basbousa Basbousa () is a sweet, syrup-soaked semolina cake that originated in Egypt. The semolina batter is baked in a sheet pan, then sweetened with orange flower water, rose water or simple syrup, and typically cut into diamond (lozenge) shapes or squa ...

'' or a cream-filled ''basbousa'' is a traditional Somali sweet cake which is of Arab influence. It is made from cooked

semolina Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well. Etymo ...

or farina soaked in

simple syrup Inverted sugar syrup, also called invert syrup, invert sugar, simple syrup, sugar syrup, sugar water, bar syrup, syrup United States Pharmacopeia, USP, or sucrose inversion, is a syrup mixture of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, that ...

. * Also in the north there is ''

lokma Lokma, also known by their Greek name, loukoumades, are pastries made of leavened and deep fried dough balls, soaked in syrup or honey, sometimes coated with cinnamon or other ingredients. The dish was described as early as the 13th century by a ...

'', a sweet fried-dough pastry. * ''

Baklava Baklava (, or ; ota, باقلوا ) is a layered pastry dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey. It was one of the most popular sweet pastries of Ottoman cuisine. The pre- Ottoman origin of the ...

'' is also eaten by some Somalis There are many sweets eaten during festive occasions, such as weddings, parties or Eid. Among these are ''baalbaaloow'', ''shuushuumoow'', ''bur hindi'', ''bur tuug'', and ''qumbe'' (coconut), the last of which is made from coconuts mixed with sugar to form a bar.

After-meal

Somalis traditionally perfume their homes after meals. Frankincense (''luubaan'') or a prepared incense (''uunsi''), is placed on top of hot

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, cal ...

inside an incense burner or

censer A censer, incense burner, perfume burner or pastille burner is a vessel made for burning incense or perfume in some solid form. They vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction, and have been in use since ancient times throughout t ...

(a ''

dabqaad The dabqaad (Somali for "fire raiser"), also known as unsi or girgire, is an incense burner, or censer. With either one or two handles, it is commonly used in Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti. Usage and production Dabqaads are traditionally used t ...

'') or (idin).Abdullahi, pp.98-99 It then burns for about ten minutes. This keeps the house fragrant for hours. The burner is made from

soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in the zo ...

found in specific areas of Somalia. See also * Cuisine of the Horn of Africa *

Arab cuisine Arab cuisine ( ar, المطبخ العربي) is the cuisine of the Arabs, defined as the various regional cuisines spanning the Arab world, from the Maghreb to the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula. These cuisines are centuries old an ...

List of African cuisines This is a list of African cuisines. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions, often associated with a specific culture. The various cuisines of Africa use a combination of locally available fruits, cereal grains a ...

* * *

Notes

References

* *

External links

My Somali Food

Somali Recipes

Tammy's Somali Home

The Somali Kitchen

Xawaash
{{Authority control Somali culture Somali Cuisine by ethnicity