When it comes to interesting tourist products, Uganda is one of the most interesting destinations to visit for safaris. Found in the eastern side of Africa at the confluence between the West African Jungles and the East African Savannah, Uganda also known as the Pearl of Africa is a typical Biodiversity hot spot with tremendous concentration of fauna and flora not leaving out the luxuriant fertile soils that have offered the ground for growing and thriving of food stuffs.
Uganda is one of the places with numerous tribes within four distinctive regions and culturally diverse countries in the World. There are several food stuffs that vary from one tribe to another. It is undeniable that food is one of the most selling things in all destinations across the World and the fact that its very available and diverse in this country, you can participate in a safari in Uganda so as to explore some of the mouth-watering foods that will make you appreciate the wonders of this country.
Besides being known for gorilla trekking safaris, the diversity in food is a way of diversifying Uganda’s tourism industry. For a number of years, Uganda has been trying to use different slogans locally and internationally but due to the lack of focus, positive results are optimistic rather than successfully achieved. With the absence of focus, Uganda has partly lost some of the key factors that would make a memorable travel destination for most International tourists on safaris in the country.
It has now become a trend for most tourists on safaris to consider food before choosing to travel to a destination which is not different from safaris in Uganda although little attention is paid to Uganda’s food stuffs. Therefore with the numerous food stuffs across the tribes of Uganda, it is undeniable that food tourism is a wonderful potential waiting to be tapped for diversification of tourism in Uganda.
The attempt of using food for tourism development has succeeded in countries such as California, Italy, Mexico and France even though these places have an advantage of developed restaurants that have helped to promote their cuisines. The recent statistics of UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism organization) show that most International tourists are increasingly becoming attracted to the local cuisines and several destinations are positioning themselves accordingly. This is the reason why culinary tourism is among the fastest trending attractions in a number of destinations, mainly because most tourists visit destinations seeking for exceptional cultural experiences that are most times enjoyed in foods and traditional dances and drama. Due to that, majority of the tourism destinations have shifted their focus and attention on creating extraordinary brands basing on the local cuisines available.
Restaurants are considered to be front-line representatives of destination marketing and promotion, and the International tourists’ education about several places and their cultures. There are a number of cuisines in several regions and tribes worth exploring during cultural safaris in Uganda. However, common foods such as Nsenene-seasonal grasshoppers fried with little salt as well as Rolex (a snack made up of omelet rolled in chapatti) can be enjoyed within all the regions in Uganda
When you visit central Uganda, the home to the Baganda you will relish matooke (smashed matooke) with stew especially beef stew, groundnut stew and goat meat stew among others.
Northern Uganda’s tribes such as the Acholi, Alur and Lugbara are known for several delicacies such as Odii (simsim paste), pasted dry fish, Malakwang (bitter sauce made from hibiscus cannabinus and simsim paste), kwon kal (millet bread) and Ugali (posho from maize flour among others.
Eastern Uganda especially areas of Soroti and Mbale inhabited by mainly the Itesots and Bagishu respectively relish Malewa (prepared from bamboo shoots) consumed by the Bagishu and pasted dry meat or fish with Atapa (kalo or millet bread) for the Itesots.
In south-western and western Uganda are known for Eshabwe, Ebitakuli (sweet potatoes) and Emonde (Irish potatoes), matooke and yams among others. However, there are things popular in all the regions of Uganda and these include fresh fruits such as apples, mangoes, yellow bananas, passion fruits, guavas and jack fruits among others.
Besides wildlife species that form the largest part of tourist attractions in Uganda, exceptional foods across the regions are also worth experiencing while on a safari. These foods include Malewa for the Bagishu, Malakwang in Northern Uganda and Eshabwe for western Uganda.
