#70 Somalia

Somalia is to Africa what Lowestoft is to Great Britain: the easternmost point on the land. Somalia is situated in that part of Africa that sticks out into the Indian Ocean, known as The Horn of Africa, formed of Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti. I don’t know for a fact that this is the reason for the region’s name, but it looks like the side profile of a rhinoceros head.

Somalia might only be the 19th largest country in Africa by area, but its number 7-like shape gives it the longest coastline of all the countries on the mainland of the continent. Somalia has a millennia-old shipbuilding history, and this strong maritime past, along with its geographical position made it an important connection for trade between the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, India and other ancient civilisations.

More recently, in the 1880s, the time of European empires, namely Great Britain and Italy (and France), the land was divided into British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland (and French Somaliland, which is now Djibouti). Confusingly, British Somaliland briefly became Italian Somaliland, and Italian Somaliland briefly became British Somaliland in WWII during the East African Campaign. Less confusingly, the people of both territories untied in the 1960s in a move for independence.

The flavour of Somali cuisine is the product of the country’s long and intertwined history with its neighbours, near and far, infusing into it a blend of African, Indian, Arab, Persian and Italian flavours.

Most traditional Somali dishes are flavoured with a spice mix known as xawaash, a blend of cumin, coriander, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and turmeric. The word originates from the Arabic word for Yemeni spice blends, hawajj, and some of these spices are those introduced to the continent hundreds of years ago by Indian merchants.

The Italian empire has left a lasting influence on Somali cuisine. Suugo suqaar is Somali spaghetti Bolognese, using chunks of beef, goat or lamb instead of minced meat, and seasoned with xawaash. Oh, and the only other tiny little difference between Italian and Somali spag Bol is that Somalians eat theirs with a banana. Not after, but during. It’s common practice in Somalia to mush up a banana with every meal, usually sprinkled with a hot pepper-based sauce known as shigni. The sweet and savoury combination of the banana with dinner is apparently a pleasure. A country where every meal is banana flavour might just be bottom of my list of places I ever want to visit!

Evidence of Somalia’s historic connections with Egypt can be found in street food stalls, with fava beans, or ful, and falafel and hummus being popular snacks.

Every country I’ve cooked so far in sub-Saharan Africa has a staple food of maize/cornmeal, cooked into a stiff dough. According to Wikipedia, there are almost 70 different names for it, depending on what country you’re in. I made some for Zambia, where it’s known as nshima, but in Somalia, it’s known as soor, and is usually eaten with soups.

Another Somali staple, and perhaps the national dish, is bariis Iskukaris. This is one of those big-old-pot-of-rice-at-weddings-and-celebrations dishes, like a biryani or jollof, or Afghanistan’s kabuli pulao or Jordan’s mansaf. Bariis Iskukaris means “cooked together” and consists of basmati rice cooked in a sauce of tomatoes and flavoured with xawaash. It’s usually topped with vegetables or raisins, typically accompanied with roast lamb, goat, chicken or camel, and served with bananas, of course.

Weddings and celebrations in Somalia wouldn’t be complete without a big stack of sambusas (a close relative of Indian samosas) to accompany the basriis iskukaris. Sambusas are typically filled with spiced minced beef or lamb and are enjoyed in all countries in the Horn of Africa, including Djibouti*. They’re also a popular Ramadan snack. Over 99% of the population of Somalia are Sunni Muslim, and the country is governed by Sharia law, which means that it’s actually illegal to sell sambusas during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan!

*Hit the link to see the sambusas I made for Djibouti.

Somali breads are predominantly flat breads, many of them made in the home. Sabaayad is an unleavened bread, like an Indian paratha, made with flour and oil or ghee, with a flaky consistency created by rubbing the oil or ghee into the flattened dough and rolling it out. This deliciously flaky bread is usually eaten with soups or curries.

Sometimes yeast is used in home flatbreads, like with lahoh (/lahooh/laxoox). Lahoh is a bit like a very thin crumpet or a pikelet, browned and crisp on its lower side, with spongy bubbles on top. The dough is simply flour (which may be sorghum, corn, millet, wheat or any combination of the above in Somalia) and yeast, which is left to ferment to produce a bubbly batter. Sometimes fenugreek and black pepper are added to the batter. I used the Warburtons crumpet recipe for the batter, which also includes some sugar, and spread it thinly in a lightly greased frying pan using the bottom of a ladle to create the distinctive circular pattern of a lahoh.

Lahoh is the most common breakfast in Somalia, eaten with sesame oil or butter and sugar, and washed down with a cup of shah, spiced Somali tea, similar to Indian chai. It is said that the sound of the batter being prepared the night before is like a lullaby, the symbolic significance being the security that there will be food in the morning.