Food
The staple food eaten by the local people are cassava, sweet potatoes, millet bread, chicken, pork and beef. Have a go at the “Luombo”, a delicious stew steamed in banana leaves, and “matoke”, a staple made from bananas and served with millet and bread. Ugandan fresh water fish, especially the Nile Perch and Tilapia, are very tasty and worth a try.
Culture and craft
Uganda has over 56 ethnic groups. Each group has its own language, music, customs and traditions. The local communities are creative and there is a cross-section of realistic and abstract artists, all who seek in their various ways to depict Uganda’s past, present and future. They love colour and it is very evident in their dress and artwork. Wherever you are in Uganda, people in there own unique way portray cultural values to any tourist who is an art lover. The largest cultural group is the Baganda tribe who has held great influence in Ugandan affairs. Amongst other ethnic groups are Toro, the Banyankole, the Acholi, Basoga and Lugbara.
Storytellers keep alive the folklore of the myriad tribes. If you are in the country, don’t pass up the opportunity of listening to tales of the Chwezi people. The old people are particularly obliging and make great storytellers. Music and dance are woven into their tribal lives. Two of these can be unforgettable experiences – the Imbalu dance of the Bagisu people on the slopes of Mt. Elgon and the Runyege dances near Masindi. A wide range of local antiques, crafts, carvings, paintings, collages, batiks and many other equally fascinating artifacts are made and sold in Uganda.