ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Rwanda
Five dishes to try in Rwanda, the most typical first. Four are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Rwanda
Isombe
Pounded cassava leaves stewed with peanut paste, palm oil and sometimes dried fish.
How to have it: Home-style dish found at lunchtime buffets in Kigali; eat it with rice, ugali or plantains.
Ugali Ubugali
Stiff porridge of maize or cassava flour served as the base of a meal.
How to have it: Tear off a piece with your right hand and use it to scoop up beans or stew.
Matoke Ibitoke
Green cooking bananas steamed or stewed, often with tomato and onion.
How to have it: A staple on every local buffet; pair it with beans or goat meat.
Mandazi
Lightly sweet fried dough, puffy and slightly dense.
How to have it: Sold in the morning at roadside kiosks and cafes; have it with sweet milky tea.
Urwagwa
Home-brewed beer of fermented banana juice and sorghum, cloudy and mildly sour.
How to have it: Shared at village celebrations and weddings; bottled versions are sold in shops.
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Questions
What food is Rwanda famous for?
Isombe (pounded cassava leaves stewed with peanut paste, palm oil and sometimes dried fish) comes first on our list, followed by Ugali, Matoke, Mandazi and Urwagwa.
What is the national dish of Rwanda?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Rwanda is Isombe: pounded cassava leaves stewed with peanut paste, palm oil and sometimes dried fish. Home-style dish found at lunchtime buffets in Kigali; eat it with rice, ugali or plantains.
Which dishes in Rwanda are vegetarian?
Four of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Ugali, Matoke, Mandazi and Urwagwa. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Rwanda?
Urwagwa: home-brewed beer of fermented banana juice and sorghum, cloudy and mildly sour.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.