Rwanda has a diverse cuisine, with many delicious local specialities.
Rwandan cuisine consists of many agricultural staples that grow on the nation’s fertile hillsides. Plantain, potato, sweet potato, banana and cassava feature in many dishes.
Some of the nation’s favourite dishes include brochette (meat on skewers, often seen as Rwanda’s ‘national dish’), Agatogo (a plantain stew) and Urwagwa (banana beer).
Agatogo is commonly referred to by Peace Core volunteers as “hangover stew”. While there are many variations, the dish always includes plantains, some form of tomato (commonly tomato paste), and either meat, fish, or vegetables.
Banana beer is a core part of Rwandan Culture. It’s often served when people gather for social meetings and reunions to facilitate communication. Many Rwandans also opt to serve it at religious and royal ceremonies including at traditional weddings and baptisms. However, as the country continues to develop, Urwagwa is becoming less and less common and now tends to be more common for personal consumption during social gatherings or in rural Rwandan communities.
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