Djiboutian cuisine facts for kids
Djibouti is a country in East Africa, and its food is a tasty mix of different cultures! You'll find flavors from Somalia, the Afar region, Yemen, and even France. There are also hints of Indian cooking, making Djiboutian food truly unique.
Many local dishes use a variety of spices from the Middle East, like bright saffron and warm cinnamon. A special treat is grilled Yemeni fish, often cooked in a tandoor oven. If you like spicy food, you'll enjoy fah-fah, which is a hot beef soup, or yetakelt wet, a spicy vegetable stew.
Xalwo (say "hal-wo") is a sweet treat, like a halva candy. People often eat it during special parties, like Eid holidays or weddings. It's made from sugar, corn starch, and spices like cardamom and nutmeg, often with ghee (a type of butter). Sometimes, peanuts are added for a nice crunch!
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What's for Breakfast?
Breakfast, called quraac, is a very important meal in Djibouti. People often start their day with a cup of tea (shaah) or coffee (buna). The main breakfast food is usually a pancake-like bread called lahoh. It's similar to the Ethiopian injera but smaller and thinner. You might eat lahoh with a stew or soup, like wat.
Sometimes, people also have side dishes with their lahoh. These can include liver (usually from a cow), goat meat (hilib ari), small pieces of beef cooked in soup (suqaar), or even jerky (oodkac or muqmad). A common way to enjoy lahoh is with honey and ghee, along with a cup of tea.
Lunch and Dinner Delights
Lunch (qado) and dinner (casho) are often big meals with a main dish of stew, called maraq. These stews come in many different styles and flavors. Rice (bariis) is a popular side, often served with meat and sometimes a banana. In Djibouti City, you'll find lots of steak and fish dishes.
Pasta (baasto) is also common, but it's usually served with a thicker stew than Italian pasta sauces. Grilled meats are often eaten with pasta. Djiboutian cooks use many Middle Eastern spices, from saffron to cinnamon, to make their dishes flavorful.
Spicy options are everywhere! Besides fah-fah (spicy beef soup) and yetakelt wet (spicy mixed vegetable stew), you'll find popular side dishes like lentils and rice. These are often covered with sauces, such as the hot berbere or the rich, buttery niter kibbeh.
Snacks and Sweet Treats
Sambusa is a popular snack in Djibouti. It's like the triangular samosa you might know, but the Djiboutian version is often spiced with hot green chili pepper. The filling is usually ground meat, often goat, or fish.
Xalwo (halva) is a sweet treat that's especially popular during celebrations like Eid or weddings.
Garoobey is another common dish. It's a type of porridge made by soaking oats in milk. It's often flavored with cumin or other spices. Bajiyos, which are like Indian pakoras, are often found in street shops, especially during Ramadan when people break their fast. They are a favorite part of afternoon tea in Djibouti.
People in Djibouti also enjoy fresh fruits throughout the day as snacks. Some popular choices include mango (cambo), guava (seytuun), and banana (moos).
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Gastronomía de Yibuti para niños
