Traditional Food in Buganda Kingdom

Food is considered as a fundamental aspect of life and well-being. In Buganda culture, a family facing starvation would be seen as facing extreme hardship, requiring communal support and possibly spiritual intervention. Food is central to social gathering, celebrations and unity symbolizing hospitality and bringing people together for various events such as weddings.

Personally, when I talk about food, I will center myself on the staple food and this is matooke (steamed green bananas) served with various dishes, most notably Luwombo a delicacy of chicken steamed in banana leaves.  It is believed that Matooke were here long before the arrival of European explores and was introduced right from the reign of Kintu, Buganda’s first revolutionary king and since that time matooke has been part of Buganda, for now close to 800 years.

In Buganda, matoke is considered as food and a meal is incomplete without matooke. Every home in Buganda must have had a banana plantation and everyone would know how to take good care of it and it was significant in so many ways.

Cultural significance

When a baby is born in a family, a brother or a sister would be born in the banana plantation as well since a specific banana plant represented girls and this was Nakitembe (female matooke) and the boys were represented by Embidde (male matooke).

This meant that whenever a girl was born, the placenta (second girl) wouldn’t be dumped anywhere but rather placed carefully on Nakitembe. This also applied when a boy was born, the placenta (second boy) would be placed on Embidde. From this moment, everyone will have a brother or a sister living in the banana plantation. For this reason, the plantation was part of the family and it must be looked after.

When the head of family (Ssemaka) dies, as a rule it is the banana plantation to receive the news first. This is because the deceased brother is said to be living there and must be informed first. A special ritual is performed and even when a bunch is harvested, it was cut gently with love and sorrow accompanied by comforting words. Usually before burial, the children of the deceased must wash or clean the body with an inner stem locally known as “akanyilikisi” and this is because brothers or sisters live in the plantation and they should say good bye as well. In this case many people look at matooke as the most cherished aspects of Buganda culture.

The way matooke is prepared and shared is culturally significant to Buganda such as breaking the first banana to signify sufficiency hold symbolic meaning. All young girls were taught how to prepare food (matooke) as part of their upbringing.

 Economic significance

In the day to day lives, matooke provides banana leaves for wrapping food for cooking, firewood was collected and tied using banana fibers before it was carried home on a head to protect the head against hard wood. When boys wanted to play, they made soccer balls out of banana fibers while girls made ropes for skipping and dolls to play with. The pot containing drinking water in the house was seated on a coil made of out of banana fibers.  If any family member suffered from flu and nostrils were blocked, the inner stem was useful medicine.

Social significance

Drinking alcohol is one of the cultural practices and the male matooke (embidde) is used to make brew. Men always gathered in the evening after work to discuss a lot of issues.  Shy ones would have to take a few sips before getting courage to air out their personal problems to their friends.  Indeed, alcohol was a requirement on all social function such as weddings, introduction and celebration of the last funeral rights.

Generally, you can see that food (matooke) was inseparable from the Baganda, but I must say modernity is eating away all our cultural practices and few homes in Buganda still consider these amazing cultures if not none.

This is why Ganda Cultural Expeditions is committed to restoring our beautiful cultures through its culinary safaris featuring traditional cuisines with hands-on cooking classes and local dining experiences with local chefs. Feel free to book with us for this amazing experiences.