Rwandan Local Cuisines

Travelers booking with Heritage safaris will be delighted to know that Rwanda has very unique locally made cuisines.

Most of the dishes are made from fresh farm ingredients. If you are a vegetarian, you will be very, very happy in Rwanda!

However for meat lovers, there are great options for you too!

Lets start off our adventure of Rwandan cuisines with ISOMBE! This is a must taste traditional delicacy that leaves you wanting more. Isombe is a great source of fiber, simply made from pounded cassava leaves and peanuts. First the cassava leaves are added to a pot of cold water and brought to boil. While they simmer away, other vegetables are prepared and added to the mix and pieces of meat to bring the dish together. For a mouth watering experience, serve Isombe with UBUGARI!! One of the easiest local dishes to make with only cassava flour and boiling water. A combination of these 2 dishes is a match enjoyed from generation to generation!

For the meat lovers look no further than the famous sizzling BROCHETTES! Rwandans don’t eat a lot of meat, but when they do, they go all out. You might recognize ‘’brochette’’ as the French word for ‘’skewer’’ and indeed, it’s basically meat on skewers marinated with spices, grilled over open flames and served on skewers. What a fun meal indeed!!!  Make a stopover at any bar or restaurant in the land of a thousand hills and enjoy some brochettes!

Talk about favorite foods! IGITOKI, is a favorite dish for many!! Also known as plantain or Matooke, whether steamed and mashed or fried and spiced up, don’t miss out on this adventurous taste! Who knows it might become your personal favorite Rwandan dish too!

Visiting cities and sites near lakes in Rwanda, ISAMBAZA ( small sardine fish) is that one fish meal you shouldn’t miss trying out! You will love the crispness of these silver- colored fish especially when served with Pili Pili (hot)sauces. Ooh what an excellent taste!!

When it comes to locally brewed traditional beer, URWAGWA is an interesting drink to try. It’s a traditional beer made out of ripe bananas called ‘’imbihire’’ Rwandans make this drink through a week- long process. For decades, Urwagwa drink has been served in beautifully decorated gourds also known as calabashes.

Remember the graceful and beautiful Rwandan long horned cows, plenty of their milk flows in this land of a thousand hills!

IKIVUGUTO is a special and healthy diary drink made from fermented milk. With a taste almost similar to natural yogurt but Better, a glass of cold ikivuguto is a must taste for diary lovers!

Traditionally, Rwandans served this drink in a special set of gourds known as Inkongoro for children and Ibyansi for adults. Complete your site seeing tour with a stopover at any of the Milk zones across the city and quench your thirst with a glass of ikivuguto!!

This is just a small glimpse into the different local cuisines Rwanda has to offer. There is so much more including continental and International cuisines for visitors from all walks of life.

Visit Rwanda with Heritage Safaris, for a thrilling adventure not only trying out all these wonderful cuisines but also learning how they are made through cooking classes in our city tours. Join us for these memorable fun experiences and so much more!!