Ugandan banana meal

Ugandan banana meal

　　In Uganda, Africa, bananas are always part of the hospitality offered to guests. Upon entering a home, guests are first served a delicious glass of banana juice, followed by roasted yellow banana snacks. The main meal features a dish called “matooke,” a banana meal made from a starchy, non-sweet variety of bananas. The bananas are peeled, mashed into a paste, steamed, and then mixed with red bean sauce, peanut sauce, braised chicken chunks, and curry beef. Those who have tried “matooke” often praise it as “the most delicious food in the world,” making it the centerpiece of Ugandan state banquets. Uganda’s “national drink” is a fermented mixture of bananas and sorghum flour, which is sweet and rich in flavor. When hosting a banquet, the drink is served in clay pots placed on the table, with one-meter-long straw tubes inserted into the pots for guests and hosts to sip from together.