I’ve received so many queries about Rwandan cuisine that I figured I should dedicate an entire post to food. Enjoy!
First off, Rwandans LOVE meat. ALL MEAT. I’ve only come across one Rwandan vegetarian and he went to school in the States (so maybe he doesn’t count?). The most affordable meats are goat and then beef – so the steak is amazing here, and you most commonly encounter meat as brochettes (on a stick). Chicken is on the menu at nicer restaurants but it is tough, dry, and more expensive. Rwanda only recently allowed the importation of chickens, so this might change in the upcoming years. Fish is also fairly cheap because of Lake Kivu.
In terms of vegetables, at the local level, you see a lot of maize, beans, cassava, and dishes made with the large green bananas that are cooked (there are 6 different kinds of bananas). Potatoes are comparatively expensive to maize, so fries accompany almost every nice dish at restaurants. I’ve also seen a lot of peas, carrots, tomatoes, and avocados. My cook likes to use eggplant, broccoli, and cauliflower, but I’m not sure if that’s because those are local vegetables or she’s just trying to please us umuzungus.
Goat meat (bottom left), and brochettes (center)
There’s certainly a great deal of Belgian influence in the cuisine. This is most evident in the bakeries which sell many cheeses, yogurts, breads, and cakes (lemon, banana, and occasionally mango and zucchini, too). The big cakes are almost always vanilla, and for the most part, pastries and cookies are dry and sugary – not like soft, gooey American cookies and cupcakes. I’ve attempted to bake here but it’s difficult because vanilla extract, brown sugar, sour cream, and chocolate chips are impossible to find in Rwanda. I think I’m going to try oatmeal raisin cookies, though – I’ll let you know if they turn out well (no need to report a failure).
One more thing, the fruit juices here are phenomenal: mango, pineapple, papaya, and especially the passion fruit juice. SO AMAZING. I’m going to bring some back to the States, so if you want some, you better stop by my apartment quick before it’s all gone!
