Somali cuisine
Encyclopedia
Somali cuisine varies from region to region and is a mixture
of native Somali
, Ethiopian, Yemeni, Persian
, Turkish
, Indian
and Italian
influences. It is the product of Somalia
's tradition of trade and commerce
. All food is halal
.
Breakfast (quraac) is an important meal for Somalis, who often start the day with some style of tea (shaah). The main dish is typically a pancake-like bread (canjeero) similar to Ethiopian injera
but smaller and thinner, which might also be eaten with a stew (maraq) or soup.
Canjeero is eaten in different ways. It may be broken into small pieces with ghee
(subag) and sugar added. For children, it is mixed with tea and sesame oil
(macsaaro) until mushy. There may be a side-dish of liver (beef), goat meat (hilib ari), diced beef cooked in a bed of soup (suqaar) or jerky
(oodkac or muqmad), which consists of small dried pieces of beef, or goat or camel meat, boiled in ghee.
Polenta
(mishaari or boorash porridge
) with butter and sugar is indigenous to Mogadishu
.
Bread (rooti
) is indigenous in the north. In Somalia a sweeter and oilier version of canjeero called malawax is a staple of most home-cooked meals.
(kamuun), cardamom
(heyl), clove
s (qaranfuul) and sage
.
In the south, a hotpot of rice, vegetables, and sometimes meat, called Iskudhexkaris is common. Beyond the many styles of stew (maraq), rice is also served with meat and/or banana on the side. In Mogadishu, steak (busteeki) and fish (kaluun or "malaai") are widely eaten.
Unlike the ugali
of Kenya, Somalis have a softer cornmeal
(soor) mashed with fresh milk, butter and sugar or with a well in the soor filled with maraq.
A variation of the Indian chapati
is the sabaayad. Like the rice, it is served with maraq and meat on the side. The sabaayad of Somalia is often somewhat sweet, and is cooked in a little oil.
Pasta
(baasto) is often served with a heavier stew than the Italian pasta sauce, and like the rice, it is also served with a banana.
Spaghetti can also be served with rice, a novelty
dish known as "Federation." the dish is usually served with equal (whole) portions of rice and spaghetti, split on either side of a large oval plate. It is then layered with assorted stewed meats and vegetables, salad and an optional banana
. It has been suggested that name of the dish is derived from the union of two dishes in Somalia and also from the size and quantity of the food. you will not find this dish served in the average Somali household since it is uncommon to cook both rice and pasta in one meal. It is instead more common to order the dish from traditional Somali restaurants where both rice and spaghetti are always readily available, hence its novelty status.
Common drinks at lunch are balbeelmo (grapefruit
), raqey (tamarind
) and isbarmuunto (lemonade
). In Mogadishu, cambe (mango
), zaytuun (guava
) and laas (Lassi
) are common as well. In Hargeisa
in the north, the preferred drinks are fiimto (Vimto
) and tufaax (apple
).
Dinner in Somali is called ("casho"), and is served as late as 9 pm. During Ramadan
, supper-time often follows Tarawih
prayers, sometimes even as late as 11 pm.. Cambuulo, a common dinner dish, is made of well-cooked azuki beans mixed with butter and sugar. The beans, which on their own are referred to as digir, can take up to five hours to finish cooking when left on the stove at a low temperature. In 1988, the Somali newspaper Xiddigta Oktoober conducted a survey in which it found that 83% of Mogadishu's residents preferred cambuulo as their main dinnertime meal. It was a startling discovery since the dish is considered to be somewhat "low class" due to its flatulence-inducing after-effects caused by the natural sugars (known as oligosaccharides) in its beans. Qamadi (wheat
) is also used: cracked or uncracked, it is cooked and served just like the azuki beans.
Rooti iyo xalwo, slices of bread served with a gelatin
ous confection, is another dinner dish. Muufo, a variation of cornbread
, is a dish made of maize and is baked in a foorno (clay oven
). It is eaten by cutting it into small pieces , adding macsaro (sesame oil
) and sugar, which is mashed together with black tea.
Before sleeping, a glass of milk spiced with cardamom
is often consumed.
, is a triangular snack that is commonly eaten throughout Somalia during the afur (iftar
). The Somali version is spiced with hot green pepper, and the main ingredient is often ground meat. Bajiye, a variation of the Indian pakora
, is a snack in southern Somalia. The Somali version is a mixture of maize, vegetables, meat, spices, which is then deep fried. It is eaten by dipping it in bisbaas, a hot sauce
. Kabaab
similar to that of Persia is not that widespread, but a few Somalis in the diaspora eat it. Fruits such as mango
, guava
, banana
and grapefruit
are eaten throughout the day as snacks.
Xalwo or halva
is a popular confection served during special occasions such as Eid
celebrations or wedding receptions. Xalwadii waad qarsatey! ("You hid your xalwo!") is the phrase that follows a person who has eloped or has a small, private wedding. Xalwo is made from sugar, cornstarch
, cardamom
powder, nutmeg
powder, and ghee
. Peanuts are also sometimes added to enhance texture and flavor.
Gashaato or qumbe, made of coconut
, oils
and sugar, and spiced with cardamom, is a much-loved sweet. The sugar is brought to boil with a bit of water, then the cardamom is added, followed by shredded coconut.
Lows iyo sisin is a favorite sweet in the south, made of a mixture of peanuts
(lows) and sesame
seeds (sisin) in a bed of caramel. It sticks together to form a delicious bar.
Jalaato, similar to the American popsicle
, is made by freezing naturally sweet fruits with a stick in the middle. More recently in Mogadishu, it has grown to include caano/milk jalaato, which then requires sugaring up. The word jalaato comes from gelato
, which is Italian for "frozen".
Buskut or Buskud comprise many different types of cookie
s, including very soft ones called daardaar (literally "touch-touch" due to its smooth, delicate texture).
Doolshe encompass many delectable styles of cake
s.
Icun is also a sweet mostly eaten by southern Somalis. It is made of sugar and flour mixed with oil. People prefer to say Icun I calaangi caloosha I gee (Eat me, chew me then take me to your stomach) when they see it. It is mainly eaten in weddings and Eid times but southern Somalis always do make it home and eat it as part of a dessert.
There are many sweets eaten in weddings, parties or Eid times such as Baalbaaloow, Shuushuumoow, Bur Hindi (Indian flour, originated from India) as well as qumbe (coconut) made of coconuts mixed with sugar to form a bar just like Peanuts and Seeds.
Somalis traditionally perfume their homes after meals. Frankincense
(lubaan) or a prepared incense (cuunsi), which in countries in the Arabian Peninsula
is known as bukhoor
, is placed on top of hot charcoal
inside an incense burner or censer
(a dabqaad
). It then burns for about ten minutes. This keeps the house fragrant for hours. The burner is made from soapstone
found in specific areas of Somalia.
Fusion cuisine
Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not being categorized per any one particular cuisine style, and can pertain to innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.-Categories and types:...
of native Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
, Ethiopian, Yemeni, Persian
Iranian cuisine
Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to its region.It includes a wide variety of foods ranging from chelo kabab , khoresht Iranian cuisine is diverse, with each province featuring dishes, culinary traditions and styles distinct to...
, Turkish
Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...
, Indian
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
and Italian
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
influences. It is the product of Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
's tradition of trade and commerce
Somali maritime history
Maritime history of Somalia refers to the seafaring tradition of the Somali people. It includes various stages of Somali navigational technology, shipbuilding and design, as well as the history of the Somali port cities...
. All food is halal
Halal
Halal is a term designating any object or an action which is permissible to use or engage in, according to Islamic law. The term is used to designate food seen as permissible according to Islamic law...
.
Breakfast
Breakfast (quraac) is an important meal for Somalis, who often start the day with some style of tea (shaah). The main dish is typically a pancake-like bread (canjeero) similar to Ethiopian injera
Injera
Injera is a yeast-risen flatbread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour, it is a national dish in Ethiopia and Eritrea...
but smaller and thinner, which might also be eaten with a stew (maraq) or soup.
Canjeero is eaten in different ways. It may be broken into small pieces with ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
(subag) and sugar added. For children, it is mixed with tea and sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
(macsaaro) until mushy. There may be a side-dish of liver (beef), goat meat (hilib ari), diced beef cooked in a bed of soup (suqaar) or jerky
Jerky (food)
Jerky is lean meat that has been trimmed of fat, cut into strips, and then been dried to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt, to prevent bacteria from developing on the meat before sufficient moisture has been removed. The word "jerky" is a bastardization of the...
(oodkac or muqmad), which consists of small dried pieces of beef, or goat or camel meat, boiled in ghee.
Polenta
Polenta
Polenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed from Italian.-Description:Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal , which can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture desired.As it is known today, polenta derives from earlier...
(mishaari or boorash porridge
Porridge
Porridge is a dish made by boiling oats or other cereal meals in water, milk, or both. It is usually served hot in a bowl or dish...
) with butter and sugar is indigenous to Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
.
Bread (rooti
Roti
Roti is generally a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta flour, that originated and is consumed in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. It is also consumed in parts of the Southern Caribbean, particularly in Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and...
) is indigenous in the north. In Somalia a sweeter and oilier version of canjeero called malawax is a staple of most home-cooked meals.
Lunch
Lunch (qado) is often an elaborated main dish of rice (bariis) spiced with cuminCumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
(kamuun), cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
(heyl), clove
Clove
Cloves are the aromatic dried flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae. Cloves are native to the Maluku islands in Indonesia and used as a spice in cuisines all over the world...
s (qaranfuul) and sage
Common sage
Salvia officinalis is a small, perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. It is a member of the family Lamiaceae and is native to the Mediterranean region, though it has naturalized in many places throughout the world...
.
In the south, a hotpot of rice, vegetables, and sometimes meat, called Iskudhexkaris is common. Beyond the many styles of stew (maraq), rice is also served with meat and/or banana on the side. In Mogadishu, steak (busteeki) and fish (kaluun or "malaai") are widely eaten.
Unlike the ugali
Ugali
Ugali is an East African dish of maize flour cooked with water to a porridge- or dough-like consistency. It is the most common staple starch of much of Eastern and Southern Africa...
of Kenya, Somalis have a softer cornmeal
Cornmeal
Cornmeal is flour ground from dried maize or American corn. It is a common staple food, and is ground to fine, medium, and coarse consistencies. In the United States, the finely ground cornmeal is also referred to as cornflour. However, the word cornflour denotes cornstarch in recipes from the...
(soor) mashed with fresh milk, butter and sugar or with a well in the soor filled with maraq.
A variation of the Indian chapati
Chapati
Chapati or Chapatti or Chapathi is an unleavened flatbread from the Indian subcontinent. Versions of it are found in Turkmenistan and in East African countries Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania...
is the sabaayad. Like the rice, it is served with maraq and meat on the side. The sabaayad of Somalia is often somewhat sweet, and is cooked in a little oil.
Pasta
Spaghetti
Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. Spaghetti is made of semolina or flour and water. Italian dried spaghetti is made from durum wheat semolina, but outside of Italy it may be made with other kinds of flour...
(baasto) is often served with a heavier stew than the Italian pasta sauce, and like the rice, it is also served with a banana.
Spaghetti can also be served with rice, a novelty
Novelty
Novelty is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual. Although it may be said to have an objective dimension Novelty (derived from Latin word novus for "new") is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual....
dish known as "Federation." the dish is usually served with equal (whole) portions of rice and spaghetti, split on either side of a large oval plate. It is then layered with assorted stewed meats and vegetables, salad and an optional banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
. It has been suggested that name of the dish is derived from the union of two dishes in Somalia and also from the size and quantity of the food. you will not find this dish served in the average Somali household since it is uncommon to cook both rice and pasta in one meal. It is instead more common to order the dish from traditional Somali restaurants where both rice and spaghetti are always readily available, hence its novelty status.
Common drinks at lunch are balbeelmo (grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
), raqey (tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
) and isbarmuunto (lemonade
Lemonade
Lemonade is a lemon-flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.The term can refer to three different types of beverage:...
). In Mogadishu, cambe (mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
), zaytuun (guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
) and laas (Lassi
Lassi
Lassi is a popular and traditional yogurt-based drink of the Indian Subcontinent. It is made by blending yogurt with water and Indian spices...
) are common as well. In Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeisa is a city in the northwestern Woqooyi Galbeed region of Somalia. With a population of approximately 2 million residents, it is the second largest city in the country. Hargeisa is the capital of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as an autonomous region...
in the north, the preferred drinks are fiimto (Vimto
Vimto
Vimto is a soft drink originating from the United Kingdom. It was first manufactured as a health tonic in cordial form, then decades later as a carbonated drink. It contains the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants , flavoured with herbs and spices...
) and tufaax (apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
).
Dinner
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, supper-time often follows Tarawih
Tarawih
Tarawih refers to extra congregational prayers performed by Muslims at night in the Islamic month of Ramadan. They are not compulsory; however, many Muslims pray these prayers in the night during Ramadan...
prayers, sometimes even as late as 11 pm.. Cambuulo, a common dinner dish, is made of well-cooked azuki beans mixed with butter and sugar. The beans, which on their own are referred to as digir, can take up to five hours to finish cooking when left on the stove at a low temperature. In 1988, the Somali newspaper Xiddigta Oktoober conducted a survey in which it found that 83% of Mogadishu's residents preferred cambuulo as their main dinnertime meal. It was a startling discovery since the dish is considered to be somewhat "low class" due to its flatulence-inducing after-effects caused by the natural sugars (known as oligosaccharides) in its beans. Qamadi (wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
) is also used: cracked or uncracked, it is cooked and served just like the azuki beans.
Rooti iyo xalwo, slices of bread served with a gelatin
Gelatin
Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, brittle , flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar...
ous confection, is another dinner dish. Muufo, a variation of cornbread
Cornbread
Cornbread is a generic name for any number of quick breads containing cornmeal and leavened by baking powder.-History:Native Americans were using ground corn for food thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the New World...
, is a dish made of maize and is baked in a foorno (clay oven
Oven
An oven is a thermally insulated chamber used for the heating, baking or drying of a substance. It is most commonly used for cooking. Kilns, and furnaces are special-purpose ovens...
). It is eaten by cutting it into small pieces , adding macsaro (sesame oil
Sesame oil
Sesame oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from sesame seeds. Besides being used as a cooking oil in South India, it is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and to a lesser extent Southeast Asian cuisine.The oil from the nutrient rich seed is popular in alternative...
) and sugar, which is mashed together with black tea.
Before sleeping, a glass of milk spiced with cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
is often consumed.
Snacks
Sambuusa, a Somali version of the samosaSamosa
A samosa is a stuffed, deep fried,snack that is very popular in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and South Africa...
, is a triangular snack that is commonly eaten throughout Somalia during the afur (iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
). The Somali version is spiced with hot green pepper, and the main ingredient is often ground meat. Bajiye, a variation of the Indian pakora
Pakora
Pakora is a fried snack found across South Asia. Pakoras are created by taking one or two ingredients such as onion, eggplant, potato, spinach, plantain, cauliflower, tomato, chilli, or occasionally bread or chicken and dipping them in a batter of gram flour and then deep-frying them...
, is a snack in southern Somalia. The Somali version is a mixture of maize, vegetables, meat, spices, which is then deep fried. It is eaten by dipping it in bisbaas, a hot sauce
Hot sauce
Hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce refers to any spicy sauce made from chili peppers and other ingredients.-Ingredients:There are many recipes for hot sauces - the common ingredient being any kind of peppers. A group of chemicals called capsaicinoids are responsible for the heat in chili peppers...
. Kabaab
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
similar to that of Persia is not that widespread, but a few Somalis in the diaspora eat it. Fruits such as mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
, banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
and grapefruit
Grapefruit
The grapefruit , is a subtropical citrus tree known for its sour fruit, an 18th-century hybrid first bred in Barbados. When found, it was named the "forbidden fruit"; it has also been misidentified with the pomelo or shaddock , one of the parents of this hybrid, the other being sweet orange The...
are eaten throughout the day as snacks.
Sweets
Halva
Halva refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.The term halva ,...
is a popular confection served during special occasions such as Eid
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
celebrations or wedding receptions. Xalwadii waad qarsatey! ("You hid your xalwo!") is the phrase that follows a person who has eloped or has a small, private wedding. Xalwo is made from sugar, cornstarch
Cornstarch
Corn starch, cornstarch, cornflour or maize starch is the starch of the corn grain obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel.-History:...
, cardamom
Cardamom
Cardamom refers to several plants of the genera Elettaria and Amomum in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to India and Bhutan; they are recognised by their small seed pod, triangular in cross-section and spindle-shaped, with a thin papery outer shell and small black seeds...
powder, nutmeg
Nutmeg
The nutmeg tree is any of several species of trees in genus Myristica. The most important commercial species is Myristica fragrans, an evergreen tree indigenous to the Banda Islands in the Moluccas of Indonesia...
powder, and ghee
Ghee
Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is commonly used in South Asian cuisine....
. Peanuts are also sometimes added to enhance texture and flavor.
Gashaato or qumbe, made of coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, oils
Cooking oil
Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
and sugar, and spiced with cardamom, is a much-loved sweet. The sugar is brought to boil with a bit of water, then the cardamom is added, followed by shredded coconut.
Lows iyo sisin is a favorite sweet in the south, made of a mixture of peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
(lows) and sesame
Sesame
Sesame is a flowering plant in the genus Sesamum. Numerous wild relatives occur in Africa and a smaller number in India. It is widely naturalized in tropical regions around the world and is cultivated for its edible seeds, which grow in pods....
seeds (sisin) in a bed of caramel. It sticks together to form a delicious bar.
Jalaato, similar to the American popsicle
Popsicle
Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the United States and Canada. The first ice pop was created by accident in 1905 when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda on his porch in cold weather overnight. The next morning he went to go get the soda and it was frozen, so he put two...
, is made by freezing naturally sweet fruits with a stick in the middle. More recently in Mogadishu, it has grown to include caano/milk jalaato, which then requires sugaring up. The word jalaato comes from gelato
Gelato
Gelato is the italian word for ice cream and sorbet. Italians use the word gelato to mean a sweet treat that is served frozen. Indeed, gelato, just like ice cream, is made with Milk, cream, various sugars, flavoring including fresh fruit and nut purees....
, which is Italian for "frozen".
Buskut or Buskud comprise many different types of cookie
Cookie
In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat, baked treat, usually containing fat, flour, eggs and sugar. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have...
s, including very soft ones called daardaar (literally "touch-touch" due to its smooth, delicate texture).
Doolshe encompass many delectable styles of cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
s.
Icun is also a sweet mostly eaten by southern Somalis. It is made of sugar and flour mixed with oil. People prefer to say Icun I calaangi caloosha I gee (Eat me, chew me then take me to your stomach) when they see it. It is mainly eaten in weddings and Eid times but southern Somalis always do make it home and eat it as part of a dessert.
There are many sweets eaten in weddings, parties or Eid times such as Baalbaaloow, Shuushuumoow, Bur Hindi (Indian flour, originated from India) as well as qumbe (coconut) made of coconuts mixed with sugar to form a bar just like Peanuts and Seeds.
After-meal
Frankincense
Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
(lubaan) or a prepared incense (cuunsi), which in countries in the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
is known as bukhoor
Bukhoor
Bukhoor , or Bakhoor, is the Arabic name given to woodchips soaked in fragrant oils.-Overview:In most Arab countries, bukhoor is the name given to scented bricks. These scented chips/bricks are burned in incense burners to perfume the home and clothing with a rich thick smoke...
, is placed on top of hot charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
inside an incense burner or censer
Censer
Censers are any type of vessels made for burning incense. These vessels vary greatly in size, form, and material of construction. They may consist of simple earthenware bowls or fire pots to intricately carved silver or gold vessels, small table top objects a few centimetres tall to as many as...
(a dabqaad
Dabqaad
The dabqaad , also known as idin or girgire, is an incense burner, or censer. With either one or two handles, it is commonly used in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Eritrea.-Usage and production:...
). It then burns for about ten minutes. This keeps the house fragrant for hours. The burner is made from soapstone
Soapstone
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx...
found in specific areas of Somalia.