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Sudanese cuisine is greatly affected by the historical cross-cultural influences of Arab, Nubian, Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, and Levantine cuisine inSudan. Many Sudanese foods have been around for thousands of years.[1] The most common meats eaten are lamb and beef, in accordance with the Islamichalal laws. Most meals are communal and often shared with family, neighbors, and guests, as part of Sudanese hospitality.
Breads such asaisha (oraish baladi) andgorrassa—a pancake-like bread similar to acrêpe—are eaten with savory stews (mullah), cheese (jibna),fava beans, andfalafel (tamiya). There is alsokisra, fermented bread similar to Ethiopianinjera, but thinner and smaller.
Egyptian cuisine has greatly influenced Sudanese cuisine. Both share dishes such asfalafel (tamiya), which is made with chickpeas in Sudan instead of fava beans as in Egypt;ful medames, a widely eaten dish in both Sudan and Egypt;molokhia, a thick soup made from boiled leaves;kamounia, a meat liver stew eaten in Sudan, Egypt and Tunisia; and desserts such asumm ali andbasbousa.Jibna bayda, a soft white cheese, is also eaten.[2]
Turkish cuisine has also influenced Sudanese cuisine. Turkish foods found in Sudanese cuisine includekebabs,kofta, andshawarma, as well as sweets such asbaklava. Levantine and Egyptian sweets also entered Sudanese cuisine and are known as oriental (or Levantine) sweets.
Meals includeelmaraara andumfitit, which are dishes made from sheep'soffal (including the lungs, liver, and stomach), onions, peanut butter, and salt. They are eaten raw.[3] A peanut butter salad calledsalatat dakwa is also eaten.[4] Another well-known Sudanese salad issalata aswad,[5] occasionally known assalata aswad bi zabadi, a dish of grilled aubergine mixed with peanut butter, chillies and other spices that gives salata aswad a distinctive appearance. Reminiscent ofbaba ghanoush, it relies onpeanut butter or mashed peanuts instead oftahini as a main sauce.
A popular Sudanesemullah (savory stew) ismullah ahmar,[6] a red mincemeat sauce that is eaten withasida, a dish consisting of boiledwheat flour molded into a ball.Asida is eaten acrossNorth Africa. Othermullahs will sometimes usewaika, special sauce made from crushedokra andniaimiya,[7] a spice mix that gives somemullahs a sticky yet flavorful texture. Driedwaika is sometimes used as a seasoning in themullah. Most Sudanesemullahs will have either meat or othervegetables orlegumes. Sometimes seasoned meats are used such as inmullah sharmout[8]—made of dried meats, onions and dried okra (crushedwaika)—is added to most types ofmullah. In rural Western Sudan, namelyDarfur andKordofan, fermented foods likekawal serve as substitutes for meat inmullahs. Powdered kawal is also used as a condiment similar to black pepper in urban Sudan.
Several stews, includingwaika,bussaara, andsabaroag[9], useni'aimiya (a Sudanese spice mix) and driedokra.Miris is a stew made from sheep's fat, onions, and dried okra.Abiyad is made from dried meat, whilekajaik is made from dried fish.[3] InEquatoria (now inSouth Sudan), soups includekawari, made from cattle or sheephooves with vegetables, andelmussalammiya, made fromliver, flour,dates, and spices.[3]
The most popular drink is tap or bottled water, traditionally offered free of charge for anyone in large clay pots in the streets. Strong coffee, sometimes served in Sudanese coffee pots calledjabana, and black tea, often with milk, are also popular. These are sold in the streets by "tea ladies". Especially on hot days, traditional coldhibiscus tea, calledkarkadeh, is made in homes.[3]
Historically, Sudan was one of the few predominantly Muslim countries that allowed traditional and Western alcoholic drinks. Men drankmillet wine,sharbot (an alcoholic drink from fermented dates), andaraqi. In the 20th century, some Sudanese were influenced by Europeans and began drinking whiskey and beer.
InSeptember 1983, former Sudanese PresidentGaafar Nimeiry enactedsharia, marking the occasion by dumping alcohol into theNile river.[10][11] Since then, the purveying, consumption, and purchasing of alcohol has been banned in Sudan. Being lashed 40 times is the penalty for breaking the prohibition on alcohol.[11] Nevertheless,araqi, an alcoholic gin made fromdates, continued to be illegally brewed in defiance of sharia.[11] In 2019, the Transitional Government passed a new law, allowing alcoholic beverages for non-Muslims.
