Somali Doughnuts

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 restaurants, they would prepare a big pile of kac kac early in the morning and by noon they would vanish.

In addition to kac kac, for breakfast, these restaurants served anjero, qamdi, bur saliid, mashmash, sambuus (samosas), beer & basal (liver & onions), suqaar, and kabaab (meatballs). All were freshly prepared on the premises except for the anjero and mashmash, which were delivered to them very early in the morning.

By social convention, those eateries catered to men only and were off-limits to women. However, women could buy for take-out and that they did. Luckily, that social convention did not hold in the diaspora where more and more Somali women frequent Somali eateries.

Kac kac were also prepared in some homes but they were usually made for sale. Preparing sweets and selling them provided a source of income to those who were in possession of family recipes that were passed down through generations. It was a lifeline for some families, thereby the reluctance to share those treasured recipes which were regarded as closely guarded secrets. Nowadays, some are still reluctant to share recipes in the hopes of one day starting a restaurant.

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