Flavors of East Africa Boast Richness in Region’s Diverse Cuisines

When discussing the flavors of East Africa it can be challenging to identify specific characteristics that define the region’s flavor profile. East Africa is incredibly diverse and expansive, with each country boasting distinct culinary identities shaped by unique histories and cultures.

Although they can vary greatly from country to country—even region to region—certain ingredients and spices consistently find their way across several cultures throughout East Africa.

Helping us draw connections between some of the region’s diverse cuisines is Bashir Munye, a Somali-born culinary educator and food sovereignty advocate based in Toronto. With his guidance, we will explore some of the foodways and culinary staples that unite the region’s palate and make up the flavors of East Africa.

Profiling the Flavors of East Africa

The region contains a rich tapestry of different cultures, diets, lifestyles, and histories so it’s important to keep that in mind when talking about the flavors of East Africa.

“East Africa is quite a vast region. It encompasses countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Burundi, and Uganda, so it’s kind of difficult to pinpoint a specific flavor profile,” says Munye.

“The way I usually like to describe the East African palate and the word I usually use is multiethnic,” he begins. “Even within one particular country, there are people that speak different languages, they have different kinds of religious beliefs, and their cooking really varies depending on where they are in the region.”

Munye shares how he would try to encapsulate the flavors of East Africa overall. “If I had to use adjectives, I would say very locally driven and I would say fragrant, specifically for countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, and Tanzania because they have a lot of spices.”

The culinary educator also describes East African cuisines as being “predominantly healthy” noting that many cultures have plant-based diets rich in leafy greens, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates like lentils and rice.

While these traditional qualities and flavors remain at the heart of East African cuisines, external influences have also played a key role in shaping the diverse culinary landscape we see today.

“For Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda, I will say a lot of these seasonings and spices might be similar because of the Indian influence.”

External Influences on the Flavors of East Africa

Despite their differences, similarities can be found throughout many of the region’s spices and ingredients, in large part due to Indian migration and European colonization. Munye gives examples of these cultural influences in his own cuisine. “For Somali people, a spice blend that we have is called xawaash—it’s basically like an East African garam masala. It’s heavy on turmeric, cumin and coriander,” he lists. “We also cook with a lot of cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.”

The use of these aromatic spices can be traced through many other countries in the region as well. “For Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, and Rwanda, I will say a lot of these seasonings and spices might be similar because of the Indian influence.”

European colonization has also majorly impacted the foodways of East Africa, altering traditional diets and introducing new ingredients that were not used before colonization.

“The current diet is very much being influenced by meat and a lot of other European ingredients, versus prior to that, Somali people used to eat items such as moringa, sorghum and millet, but now because of colonization a lot of those ingredients have been moved away.”

The effects of colonization and migration on the region’s foodways have significantly transformed many East African cuisines, so it is helpful to acknowledge these changes when discussing the flavors of East Africa.

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Multiethnic African Cuisines

Munye expresses the importance of viewing these cuisines through an individual lens. “I think it’s always good to talk about African cuisines as more like regional African cuisines versus Africa, just as a broad context.”

The East African region is home to a multitude of distinct cultures and cuisines that vary widely, even within the same country, and the Somalia native hopes that people will come to recognize the richness and diversity of the continent.

“I really hope that one day people can look at multiethnic African food and are like, ‘Oh my goodness I have heard about this country called Burundi and I never knew about this food right here,’” he shares.

“So, that’s my desire when it comes to this, not only to help others get to know the African continent but also how vast and vibrant it is and its people as well.”