English Af-Soomaali Français A sponge cake was the first cake we baked in Somalia. The ingredients were: 6 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup flour. The steps were: separate the yolks from the egg whites; beat the egg whites with the sugar until foamy; beat in the egg yolks, then gently add the…
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English Af-Somaali Français We mentioned in previous posts how Somalis, in general, liked to eat red meat. From sea to shining sea (the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean), Somalis prefer to have meat included in their main meal of the day. That, however, was not always realized. In many places, the main meal was…
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English Af-Somaali Français Brava, Somalia, is known for its culinary tradition which includes its renowned sweets. One example is Pera which is known, in other parts of Somalia, as Caano Baraawe (Bravanese milk). We hope to post a recipe for it in the near future. Meso is not as well known as Pera, but it…
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English Af-Somaali Français Balbalow (baalbaaloow) is a sweet treat that is popular in Somalia. It is shaped like a butterfly (balanbaalis) and it is as sweet as the butterfly is beautiful. Good balbalow should be light, crunchy but not hard, and have a nice, crumbly texture. The small bubbles on the surface of the balbalow…
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There are many reasons for baking your own bread. It tastes much better than store bought bread, has no preservatives, and the smell of freshly baked bread is priceless. You have full control of what goes into your bread: the amount of salt, sugar (if any), type of flour, etc… In Somalia, bread was…
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We had to bake this cake three times for this post. It wasn’t because it did not come out right the first time. When we first baked it last Friday, we could not resist and we had it with tea while still warm and without the glaze. We then baked it on Saturday, poured…
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Somali food is not spicy hot. It is unlike the cuisines of neighbouring countries that use a lot of hot spices. Somalis prefer to serve the hot sauce on the side just like the salt and pepper which everyone can adjust to his/her taste. One thing you do not have to worry about when…
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This flat bread is very popular as a breakfast item that is usually served during the Eid. It is similar to Anjero but it has additional ingredients that make it different. Ambabur has different spices added to the batter that give it a special taste. The types of spices added can vary from one…
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Long before we were introduced to the doughnuts we had outside Somalia, we were familiar with kac kac. We loved these tasty snacks that were sold in traditional Somali restaurants (maqaayo Soomaali) in Mogadishu. They were great for a quick breakfast when served alongside a cup of Somali tea with milk (shaah caddeeys). In those…
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Icun icalaanji caloosha iggee (iggeli) Are you getting ready for Eid? What would Eid be without icun? We mean the icun of “icun icalaanji caloosha iggee (iggeli)” fame. That is what the street vendors selling icun used to say and it means “eat me, chew me, and dispatch me to the stomach.” We do…
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