Sudanese cuisine is varied by region, and greatly affected by the cross-cultural influences upon Sudan throughout history. In addition to the influences of the indigenous African peoples, the cuisine was influenced by Arab traders and settlers during the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

, who introduced spices such as red pepper

Red pepper

Red pepper may refer to:* Capsicum, whose fruit is used as a vegetable or spice** Specifically, the cayenne pepper, especially in its dried and powdered form* The ripe form of black peppercorns* Red Pepper , in Uganda...

 and garlic

Garlic

Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...

, as well as Levantine dishes and Egyptian, Yemeni, Indian and Ethiopian Cuisines in the Eastern part

A wide variety of stew

Stew

A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, especially tougher meats suitable for slow-cooking, such as beef. Poultry, sausages, and seafood are also used...

s exist in Sudan, often paired with a staple bread

Bread

Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...

 or 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...

. Further south, fish

Fish

Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

 dishes become popular.

Sudanese food in the north is simpler, whereas foods further south reflect the influence of surrounding areas, such as the Yemeni influenced mokhbaza (banana paste) of eastern Sudan.

Sudanese breads

• Kissra, a bread made from durra or corn
• Aseeda, a porridge made from wheat or corn
• Gurassa, a thick bread from corn flour similar to Kissra

External links

• Image of traditional Sudanese sufrah or lunch table
• Food of Sudan from the Sudan Embassy in Washington DC
• Sudanese recipes from a missionary trip