ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Somalia
Five dishes to try in Somalia, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Somalia
Bariis iskukaris
Spiced rice cooked with goat or lamb, served with a banana on the side.
How to have it: The standard lunch; eat a bite of banana with the rice as Somalis do.
Canjeero Laxoox
Spongy fermented pancake, a bit like a thin crumpet.
How to have it: Breakfast with ghee and sugar, or with stew and tea; also eaten with liver.
Suqaar
Small cubes of beef, goat or camel sautéed with onion and spices.
How to have it: Eaten with canjeero or rice; camel suqaar is worth seeking out.
Sambuus
Fried triangular pastries stuffed with spiced minced meat.
How to have it: Essential at iftar during Ramadan and sold by street vendors.
Xalwo
Chewy sweet of sugar, butter and cardamom, served in small pieces.
How to have it: Offered at weddings and Eid; pair it with spiced Somali tea.
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Questions
What food is Somalia famous for?
Bariis iskukaris (spiced rice cooked with goat or lamb, served with a banana on the side) comes first on our list, followed by Canjeero, Suqaar, Sambuus and Xalwo.
What is the national dish of Somalia?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Somalia is Bariis iskukaris: spiced rice cooked with goat or lamb, served with a banana on the side. The standard lunch; eat a bite of banana with the rice as Somalis do.
Which dishes in Somalia are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Canjeero and Xalwo. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
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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Tick off every dish you try in Somalia
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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.