Food of Somalia
Somali cooking features spiced rice, pasta, flatbreads and grilled meat, with a lovely aroma from cardamom, cumin and cloves. Camel, goat and lamb are common, and bananas are eaten with nearly everything. Meals are sociable, with large platters shared among family and guests, and spiced tea poured afterwards.
Bariis iskukaris
Fragrant spiced rice with meat and raisins.
- Main dishes (8)
- Breakfast (3)
- Street food (3)
- Soups (2)
- Salads (1)
- Desserts and sweets (2)
- Drinks (3)
- Fruits and produce (5)
Staples
- rice
- pasta
- goat
- camel
- bananas
- sorghum
Signature flavors
- cardamom
- cumin
- cloves
- cinnamon
- hilib ari spices
- lime
Main dishes
Fragrant spiced rice with meat and raisins.
Key ingredients: rice, lamb, cumin, cardamomCubed meat sauteed with onion and pepper.
Key ingredients: beef, onion, pepperA traditional dish of Somalia made with goat, spices, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: goat, spicesA traditional dish of Somalia made with flour, water, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: flour, waterA traditional dish of Somalia made with meat, potato, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: meat, potatoDried spiced meat preserved in ghee.
Key ingredients: meat, gheeA traditional dish of Somalia made with pasta, meat, banana, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: pasta, meat, bananaA traditional dish of Somalia made with meat, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: meatBreakfast
A traditional breakfast dish of Somalia made with flour, tea, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: flour, teaA traditional breakfast dish of Somalia made with sugar, cornstarch, cardamom, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: sugar, cornstarch, cardamom
A traditional breakfast dish of Somalia made with beans, oil, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beans, oilStreet food
Crisp triangle pastry with spiced meat.
Key ingredients: pastry, meatA traditional street snack of Somalia made with beans, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beans, onionA traditional street snack of Somalia made with beef, spices, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beef, spicesSoups
A traditional soup of Somalia made with corn, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cornA traditional soup of Somalia made with chicken, potato, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: chicken, potatoSalads
A traditional salad of Somalia made with lettuce, tomato, lime, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: lettuce, tomato, limeDesserts and sweets
A traditional sweet treat of Somalia made with sugar, cardamom, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: sugar, cardamomA traditional sweet treat of Somalia made with flour, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: flour, sugarDrinks
Spiced tea with cardamom and milk.
Key ingredients: tea, cardamom, milkA traditional drink of Somalia made with coffee, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: coffeeA traditional drink of Somalia made with camel milk, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: camel milkFruits and produce
Banana is a well-loved fruit or crop in Somalia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: bananaFull guide →
Mango is a well-loved fruit or crop in Somalia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: mangoFull guide →
Dates is a well-loved fruit or crop in Somalia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: datesFull guide →
Watermelon is a well-loved fruit or crop in Somalia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: watermelonFull guide →
Papaya is a well-loved fruit or crop in Somalia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: papayaFull guide →Dish guides from Somalia
Explore Somalia on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Eastern Africa
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- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Madagascar
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- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mozambique
- Réunion
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Ful medames: Zachbe at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Samosas, snack food at Wikipedia's 16th Birthday celebration in Chittagong (01): Moheen Reeyad, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Orient sweets (special halva) Samarkand, Siyab: Shuhrenataxmedov, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- 14-QWSTION-BANANATEX-STRIPPING-LAUSCHSICHT: BANANATEX, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Dates005: Nepenthes, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Taiwan 2009 Tainan City Organic Farm Watermelon FRD 7962: Fred Hsu (Wikipedia:User:Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Carica papaya - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-029: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
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