The train menu
The train menu
Food-on-the-move is an interesting concept that may be considered from a variety of angles. Traditionally, preserved food has been a key component of cooking in Sudan, to keep from being spoiled by the hot temperature and the lengthy periods of time between harvests. In this way, food was made to last longer. Being on the move is also an important part of many Sudanese cultures, for example for the traders criss-crossing the country or for nomadic tribes who regularly move from one location to another but also for those who were formerly nomads but have now settled. These settled groups have developed new methods of preserving food such as fermentation which is not common among the nomadic tribes who consider this type of food to be processed or industrialized.
In Sudan there are specific dishes that are associated with travel, such as gurasat al-balah known mostly in northern Sudan and which is a flat, bread-like loaf made out of dates and is easy to pack with the date sugar providing much needed energy and sustenance. In western Sudan, another energy-packed food for travel is damasoro or khamis tawiera, which combines sesame seeds, peanuts, ghee and kisra or sorghum flatbread, dried dates and spices. The mixture is then made into a coarse powder which is consumed dry or with milk or water.
Milk products such as sour milk or roub is a travel food known more among nomads and garis is when different herbs, such as nigella seeds, are added to preserve it. Ghubasha and fursa are other variations of milk drinks. In Sudan, meat is processed in three different ways in order for it to be taken on a journey: lahma nashfa or dried meat, is a meat that is slowly cooked over a long period of time until it dries out, a similar process is carried out with fat and rind and is known as rabeet. Meat can also be dried naturally in the sun and can be either small strips of meat called sharmout, which is later pound into a powder format and used to make stews, or shugag, a specific joint of meat from smaller or wild animals, cut lengthwise into four, six or eight parts and dried together. Finally, meat can also be salted.
A recent method of transporting food, now that travel is faster and safer, is to prepare sandwiches, especially of ful or fava beans, boiled eggs and tamia or falafel. This trio of favourites is very popular in everyday settings and can sometimes even be mashed together in one dish. During times when trains were fully operational in Sudan, food-on-the-move was associated with restaurant carriages, serving mainly western menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea. They were also known for having their own packaged items for consumption such as flavored lemonade. A menu of food offered on the El-Obeid line when it was opened was recently shared on social media platforms. Written in French, the list contained dishes such as caviar and needless to say, this was not meant for everyone!
Service consisted of the famous white porcelain dishes with a green rim which, for first and second class passengers, would be delivered to your room or in the restaurant carriage. Today, the few trains that do operate do not offer catering and the simple sandwich has taken its place and can be bought in bustling stations amongst the hubbub of shouting vendors and cries of those coming say goodbye to their loved ones.
Header picture and Gallery pictures © Isam Hafiz
Food-on-the-move is an interesting concept that may be considered from a variety of angles. Traditionally, preserved food has been a key component of cooking in Sudan, to keep from being spoiled by the hot temperature and the lengthy periods of time between harvests. In this way, food was made to last longer. Being on the move is also an important part of many Sudanese cultures, for example for the traders criss-crossing the country or for nomadic tribes who regularly move from one location to another but also for those who were formerly nomads but have now settled. These settled groups have developed new methods of preserving food such as fermentation which is not common among the nomadic tribes who consider this type of food to be processed or industrialized.
In Sudan there are specific dishes that are associated with travel, such as gurasat al-balah known mostly in northern Sudan and which is a flat, bread-like loaf made out of dates and is easy to pack with the date sugar providing much needed energy and sustenance. In western Sudan, another energy-packed food for travel is damasoro or khamis tawiera, which combines sesame seeds, peanuts, ghee and kisra or sorghum flatbread, dried dates and spices. The mixture is then made into a coarse powder which is consumed dry or with milk or water.
Milk products such as sour milk or roub is a travel food known more among nomads and garis is when different herbs, such as nigella seeds, are added to preserve it. Ghubasha and fursa are other variations of milk drinks. In Sudan, meat is processed in three different ways in order for it to be taken on a journey: lahma nashfa or dried meat, is a meat that is slowly cooked over a long period of time until it dries out, a similar process is carried out with fat and rind and is known as rabeet. Meat can also be dried naturally in the sun and can be either small strips of meat called sharmout, which is later pound into a powder format and used to make stews, or shugag, a specific joint of meat from smaller or wild animals, cut lengthwise into four, six or eight parts and dried together. Finally, meat can also be salted.
A recent method of transporting food, now that travel is faster and safer, is to prepare sandwiches, especially of ful or fava beans, boiled eggs and tamia or falafel. This trio of favourites is very popular in everyday settings and can sometimes even be mashed together in one dish. During times when trains were fully operational in Sudan, food-on-the-move was associated with restaurant carriages, serving mainly western menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea. They were also known for having their own packaged items for consumption such as flavored lemonade. A menu of food offered on the El-Obeid line when it was opened was recently shared on social media platforms. Written in French, the list contained dishes such as caviar and needless to say, this was not meant for everyone!
Service consisted of the famous white porcelain dishes with a green rim which, for first and second class passengers, would be delivered to your room or in the restaurant carriage. Today, the few trains that do operate do not offer catering and the simple sandwich has taken its place and can be bought in bustling stations amongst the hubbub of shouting vendors and cries of those coming say goodbye to their loved ones.
Header picture and Gallery pictures © Isam Hafiz
Food-on-the-move is an interesting concept that may be considered from a variety of angles. Traditionally, preserved food has been a key component of cooking in Sudan, to keep from being spoiled by the hot temperature and the lengthy periods of time between harvests. In this way, food was made to last longer. Being on the move is also an important part of many Sudanese cultures, for example for the traders criss-crossing the country or for nomadic tribes who regularly move from one location to another but also for those who were formerly nomads but have now settled. These settled groups have developed new methods of preserving food such as fermentation which is not common among the nomadic tribes who consider this type of food to be processed or industrialized.
In Sudan there are specific dishes that are associated with travel, such as gurasat al-balah known mostly in northern Sudan and which is a flat, bread-like loaf made out of dates and is easy to pack with the date sugar providing much needed energy and sustenance. In western Sudan, another energy-packed food for travel is damasoro or khamis tawiera, which combines sesame seeds, peanuts, ghee and kisra or sorghum flatbread, dried dates and spices. The mixture is then made into a coarse powder which is consumed dry or with milk or water.
Milk products such as sour milk or roub is a travel food known more among nomads and garis is when different herbs, such as nigella seeds, are added to preserve it. Ghubasha and fursa are other variations of milk drinks. In Sudan, meat is processed in three different ways in order for it to be taken on a journey: lahma nashfa or dried meat, is a meat that is slowly cooked over a long period of time until it dries out, a similar process is carried out with fat and rind and is known as rabeet. Meat can also be dried naturally in the sun and can be either small strips of meat called sharmout, which is later pound into a powder format and used to make stews, or shugag, a specific joint of meat from smaller or wild animals, cut lengthwise into four, six or eight parts and dried together. Finally, meat can also be salted.
A recent method of transporting food, now that travel is faster and safer, is to prepare sandwiches, especially of ful or fava beans, boiled eggs and tamia or falafel. This trio of favourites is very popular in everyday settings and can sometimes even be mashed together in one dish. During times when trains were fully operational in Sudan, food-on-the-move was associated with restaurant carriages, serving mainly western menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner and tea. They were also known for having their own packaged items for consumption such as flavored lemonade. A menu of food offered on the El-Obeid line when it was opened was recently shared on social media platforms. Written in French, the list contained dishes such as caviar and needless to say, this was not meant for everyone!
Service consisted of the famous white porcelain dishes with a green rim which, for first and second class passengers, would be delivered to your room or in the restaurant carriage. Today, the few trains that do operate do not offer catering and the simple sandwich has taken its place and can be bought in bustling stations amongst the hubbub of shouting vendors and cries of those coming say goodbye to their loved ones.
Header picture and Gallery pictures © Isam Hafiz
The Khalifa's Gadah
The Khalifa's Gadah
This gadah (serving bowl) is made out of one piece of wood with four small ring-handles around the edge used to transport it and to minimise contact with the bowl and the food. It was used daily to serve food to the Emirs in the courtyard by the front gate of the Khalifa House. Wood with metal handles. A similar but larger bowl, with twelve rings on it, originally belonged to Wad Zaid of the Debenia and was taken from him by the Khalifa.
Presented by the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer.
Mahdiyya Period (1885-1898)
Museum object:KHM-00045
This gadah (serving bowl) is made out of one piece of wood with four small ring-handles around the edge used to transport it and to minimise contact with the bowl and the food. It was used daily to serve food to the Emirs in the courtyard by the front gate of the Khalifa House. Wood with metal handles. A similar but larger bowl, with twelve rings on it, originally belonged to Wad Zaid of the Debenia and was taken from him by the Khalifa.
Presented by the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer.
Mahdiyya Period (1885-1898)
Museum object:KHM-00045
This gadah (serving bowl) is made out of one piece of wood with four small ring-handles around the edge used to transport it and to minimise contact with the bowl and the food. It was used daily to serve food to the Emirs in the courtyard by the front gate of the Khalifa House. Wood with metal handles. A similar but larger bowl, with twelve rings on it, originally belonged to Wad Zaid of the Debenia and was taken from him by the Khalifa.
Presented by the Rt. Hon. The Earl of Cromer.
Mahdiyya Period (1885-1898)
Museum object:KHM-00045
Asida
Asida
Asha Ali Mohamed Nour prepares Asida in Darfur, a traditional Sudanese dish.
Asida or Lugma is a firm, porridge-like staple food people around Sudan eat with various types of Mulah or stews.
This film was made by Mark Watmore and Yoho media.
Ingredients:
Asida
Water
Flour - sorghum or millet
Khammar (fermented dough)
Ghee
Mulah Alroub (dairy-based stew)
Chopped onions
Ground dried beef meat (Sharmout)
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Water
Sour yoghurt (Rawb)
Tomato paste
Garlic
Sudanese spice mix
Dried Okra (Waika)
Mulah Tagaliya (meat-based stew)
Chopped onions
Ground-dried beef meat (Sharmout)
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Water and Tomato paste or fresh tomatoes blended
Garlic
Sudanese spice mix
Dried Okra (Waika)
Asha Ali Mohamed Nour prepares Asida in Darfur, a traditional Sudanese dish.
Asida or Lugma is a firm, porridge-like staple food people around Sudan eat with various types of Mulah or stews.
This film was made by Mark Watmore and Yoho media.
Ingredients:
Asida
Water
Flour - sorghum or millet
Khammar (fermented dough)
Ghee
Mulah Alroub (dairy-based stew)
Chopped onions
Ground dried beef meat (Sharmout)
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Water
Sour yoghurt (Rawb)
Tomato paste
Garlic
Sudanese spice mix
Dried Okra (Waika)
Mulah Tagaliya (meat-based stew)
Chopped onions
Ground-dried beef meat (Sharmout)
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Water and Tomato paste or fresh tomatoes blended
Garlic
Sudanese spice mix
Dried Okra (Waika)
Asha Ali Mohamed Nour prepares Asida in Darfur, a traditional Sudanese dish.
Asida or Lugma is a firm, porridge-like staple food people around Sudan eat with various types of Mulah or stews.
This film was made by Mark Watmore and Yoho media.
Ingredients:
Asida
Water
Flour - sorghum or millet
Khammar (fermented dough)
Ghee
Mulah Alroub (dairy-based stew)
Chopped onions
Ground dried beef meat (Sharmout)
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Water
Sour yoghurt (Rawb)
Tomato paste
Garlic
Sudanese spice mix
Dried Okra (Waika)
Mulah Tagaliya (meat-based stew)
Chopped onions
Ground-dried beef meat (Sharmout)
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil
Water and Tomato paste or fresh tomatoes blended
Garlic
Sudanese spice mix
Dried Okra (Waika)
Khartoum Market
Khartoum Market
Dr. Zain Haider Obaid, a graduate of the Faculty of Geography, Damascus University, conducted a study titled “The Experience of Removing the Old Khartoum Market” as part of her diploma in urban planning at the Development Studies and Research Institute of Khartoum University. In an interview with Studio Urban, Dr. Zain talks about the old Khartoum Market which was built in 1903 to cater for the needs of the city’s residents and which played an important role in distributing the state's agricultural products. Dr. Zain also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the old market and the consequences of its removal and recalls her childhood memories at the old market, where she used to go with her father to buy family supplies.
Dr. Zain’s research talks in detail about the old market and its social and economic value to central Khartoum and describes how the market used to be made up of eight sectors, some of which were tourist attractions. She also describes the reasons why the market was removed, such as to make way for traffic junctions, pollution, and promises to upgrade the urban space.
Dr. Zain’s research explains that the decision to remove the market was not necessarily a bad one, however troubles with implementation, and the fact that most of the promised solutions were not fulfilled, was problematic. The research lists all the regulations and policies that stipulated the inclusion of the merchants of the Khartoum Market in the new development and ensured that the markets were located fairly and logically. In her interview thirty years after the market was removed, Dr. Zain reflects on the promises that were made, such as developing the urban public space in Khartoum, allocating offices for government use, and finding solutions to the problem of traffic. She points to the “five-star,” up-market Al-Waha Mall, as an example of a broken promise and the use of the land, where part of the old market stood, to construct an outlet which targeted the rich and pushed away those from lower economic backgrounds who had frequented the old market.
Finally, the study reviews the alternative neighborhood markets that were built all around Khartoum and how most of them failed as a result of their initial design and their placement in open public spaces, but also how they did not have the social and cultural impact the Khartoum Market had as they were isolated and only functioned for a few hours everyday. Nevertheless, Dr. Zain gives an example of one successful case of a neighborhood market in western khartoum. She says the demographic of the area, their consumption culture and large number of population as well as the lack of access to food markets in the region and proximity to public transport, contributed to its thriving.
Accompanying this interview are some image extracts from the original document.
The interview was conducted by Studio Urban in an attempt to “Document Spatial Narratives” in Khartoum as part of a range of interviews with a diverse group of Khartoum residents, each sharing their memories and insights about Khartoum's famous places.
About a Space podcast is a sub-series to the Khartoum Podcast.
Dr. Zain Haider Obaid, a graduate of the Faculty of Geography, Damascus University, conducted a study titled “The Experience of Removing the Old Khartoum Market” as part of her diploma in urban planning at the Development Studies and Research Institute of Khartoum University. In an interview with Studio Urban, Dr. Zain talks about the old Khartoum Market which was built in 1903 to cater for the needs of the city’s residents and which played an important role in distributing the state's agricultural products. Dr. Zain also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the old market and the consequences of its removal and recalls her childhood memories at the old market, where she used to go with her father to buy family supplies.
Dr. Zain’s research talks in detail about the old market and its social and economic value to central Khartoum and describes how the market used to be made up of eight sectors, some of which were tourist attractions. She also describes the reasons why the market was removed, such as to make way for traffic junctions, pollution, and promises to upgrade the urban space.
Dr. Zain’s research explains that the decision to remove the market was not necessarily a bad one, however troubles with implementation, and the fact that most of the promised solutions were not fulfilled, was problematic. The research lists all the regulations and policies that stipulated the inclusion of the merchants of the Khartoum Market in the new development and ensured that the markets were located fairly and logically. In her interview thirty years after the market was removed, Dr. Zain reflects on the promises that were made, such as developing the urban public space in Khartoum, allocating offices for government use, and finding solutions to the problem of traffic. She points to the “five-star,” up-market Al-Waha Mall, as an example of a broken promise and the use of the land, where part of the old market stood, to construct an outlet which targeted the rich and pushed away those from lower economic backgrounds who had frequented the old market.
Finally, the study reviews the alternative neighborhood markets that were built all around Khartoum and how most of them failed as a result of their initial design and their placement in open public spaces, but also how they did not have the social and cultural impact the Khartoum Market had as they were isolated and only functioned for a few hours everyday. Nevertheless, Dr. Zain gives an example of one successful case of a neighborhood market in western khartoum. She says the demographic of the area, their consumption culture and large number of population as well as the lack of access to food markets in the region and proximity to public transport, contributed to its thriving.
Accompanying this interview are some image extracts from the original document.
The interview was conducted by Studio Urban in an attempt to “Document Spatial Narratives” in Khartoum as part of a range of interviews with a diverse group of Khartoum residents, each sharing their memories and insights about Khartoum's famous places.
About a Space podcast is a sub-series to the Khartoum Podcast.
Dr. Zain Haider Obaid, a graduate of the Faculty of Geography, Damascus University, conducted a study titled “The Experience of Removing the Old Khartoum Market” as part of her diploma in urban planning at the Development Studies and Research Institute of Khartoum University. In an interview with Studio Urban, Dr. Zain talks about the old Khartoum Market which was built in 1903 to cater for the needs of the city’s residents and which played an important role in distributing the state's agricultural products. Dr. Zain also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the old market and the consequences of its removal and recalls her childhood memories at the old market, where she used to go with her father to buy family supplies.
Dr. Zain’s research talks in detail about the old market and its social and economic value to central Khartoum and describes how the market used to be made up of eight sectors, some of which were tourist attractions. She also describes the reasons why the market was removed, such as to make way for traffic junctions, pollution, and promises to upgrade the urban space.
Dr. Zain’s research explains that the decision to remove the market was not necessarily a bad one, however troubles with implementation, and the fact that most of the promised solutions were not fulfilled, was problematic. The research lists all the regulations and policies that stipulated the inclusion of the merchants of the Khartoum Market in the new development and ensured that the markets were located fairly and logically. In her interview thirty years after the market was removed, Dr. Zain reflects on the promises that were made, such as developing the urban public space in Khartoum, allocating offices for government use, and finding solutions to the problem of traffic. She points to the “five-star,” up-market Al-Waha Mall, as an example of a broken promise and the use of the land, where part of the old market stood, to construct an outlet which targeted the rich and pushed away those from lower economic backgrounds who had frequented the old market.
Finally, the study reviews the alternative neighborhood markets that were built all around Khartoum and how most of them failed as a result of their initial design and their placement in open public spaces, but also how they did not have the social and cultural impact the Khartoum Market had as they were isolated and only functioned for a few hours everyday. Nevertheless, Dr. Zain gives an example of one successful case of a neighborhood market in western khartoum. She says the demographic of the area, their consumption culture and large number of population as well as the lack of access to food markets in the region and proximity to public transport, contributed to its thriving.
Accompanying this interview are some image extracts from the original document.
The interview was conducted by Studio Urban in an attempt to “Document Spatial Narratives” in Khartoum as part of a range of interviews with a diverse group of Khartoum residents, each sharing their memories and insights about Khartoum's famous places.
About a Space podcast is a sub-series to the Khartoum Podcast.
Storing culture
Storing culture
Recipes can hold within them a magnitude of cultural traits and values. You recognize this when you taste food made with a specific recipe, or when you try to replicate your mother’s dish or find ingredients in a new country or when a specific occasion comes around and you crave the food your grandmother used to make to celebrate this same day.
What we eat, how we cook it and with whom we eat it, are all pathways to activating cultural activities with all the old crafts, knowledge, practices and rituals that are involved.
If food stores culture then where is food stored?
The answer to this question is multidimensional, because of course it is stored in cooking, in eating, in practicing and in teaching. However, a more pragmatic answer would be that it is stored in cookbooks and other archiving methods. One such method is the online space which has become a key tool for preserving and storing archives, especially relating to music and living culture, even though many platforms were not created with the intention of archiving, they now serve that purpose. This is where many Sudanese people turn with the ongoing displacement crisis and increasing difficulties in cooking the authentic recipes they grew up eating.
Other than for survival, the quality of food is important for our health, both mentally and physically. Access to food is a human right that is why community kitchens, takaya, around Sudan are now playing a significant role in providing food to war-affected communities. By offering meals through this unique method of local support and sharing this life-saving aid also bestows dignity on those who receive it.
Now, going back to the online space, there are a remarkable number of food bloggers who specialize in cooking Sudanese food and also in showing variations and alternatives to ingredients so that recipes can be cooked abroad or to match dietary restrictions. One prime example is Simsimia’s kitchen, one of the first of its kind which gained a lot of popularity, especially the rice flour and yogurt asida, which was a quick and accessible method of making the staple dish. Simsimia established her food blog in 2008 after she was encouraged on various forums that were popular at the time, to create a platform to recreate recipes by her late mother and help younger women access these recipes.
Another change to the online culture was the advent of social media, especially Facebook groups which still remains the most popular platform for Sudanese users. One of the largest groups is The Sudan Contemporary and Traditional Kitchen, a group that was started in May 2015 by Sudanese chefs and which gained popularity among mothers and now has over 1.5 million members. The platform is considered the largest Sudanese cookery platform, as members are encouraged to share recipes with details of all the steps and ingredients. The platform has a positive, supportive culture and all comments deemed degrading to skill or culture is prohibited. Even for my own work on this blog theme, this platform has been one of the key resources that I have used to learn about recipes but much importantly about culture. The discussion format allows many members to explain the cultural norms associated with the dish, the name they use for a specific dish and many aspects that spark discussion between the different members of the group about the recipe or dish.
Recently, even more social media influencers have started sharing food videos and content online using various platforms and in differing formats. For example, the account Habi Makes on Instagram, where the focus is on food photography which the owner started posting in 2017 and which developed into content showing recipes presented in an artistic way. Other content creators on TickTok or YouTube have also gained popularity for sharing short and easy to follow recipes, such as Ahmed Abdin, who has over 250k followers on TickTok alone. His short format videos of food content, which he started posting in early 2020, gained popularity very fast. In terms of the cultural aspect of food, platforms such as the Sudanese Kitchen page and website, have also started to appear and in terms of Sudanese Kitchen the owner is in the process of collecting all his materials in order to produce a book.
Finally an other resource is Mazaq khas magazine, a food focused online magazine.
Header picture: Yousif Alshikh, Khartoum 2022
Recipes can hold within them a magnitude of cultural traits and values. You recognize this when you taste food made with a specific recipe, or when you try to replicate your mother’s dish or find ingredients in a new country or when a specific occasion comes around and you crave the food your grandmother used to make to celebrate this same day.
What we eat, how we cook it and with whom we eat it, are all pathways to activating cultural activities with all the old crafts, knowledge, practices and rituals that are involved.
If food stores culture then where is food stored?
The answer to this question is multidimensional, because of course it is stored in cooking, in eating, in practicing and in teaching. However, a more pragmatic answer would be that it is stored in cookbooks and other archiving methods. One such method is the online space which has become a key tool for preserving and storing archives, especially relating to music and living culture, even though many platforms were not created with the intention of archiving, they now serve that purpose. This is where many Sudanese people turn with the ongoing displacement crisis and increasing difficulties in cooking the authentic recipes they grew up eating.
Other than for survival, the quality of food is important for our health, both mentally and physically. Access to food is a human right that is why community kitchens, takaya, around Sudan are now playing a significant role in providing food to war-affected communities. By offering meals through this unique method of local support and sharing this life-saving aid also bestows dignity on those who receive it.
Now, going back to the online space, there are a remarkable number of food bloggers who specialize in cooking Sudanese food and also in showing variations and alternatives to ingredients so that recipes can be cooked abroad or to match dietary restrictions. One prime example is Simsimia’s kitchen, one of the first of its kind which gained a lot of popularity, especially the rice flour and yogurt asida, which was a quick and accessible method of making the staple dish. Simsimia established her food blog in 2008 after she was encouraged on various forums that were popular at the time, to create a platform to recreate recipes by her late mother and help younger women access these recipes.
Another change to the online culture was the advent of social media, especially Facebook groups which still remains the most popular platform for Sudanese users. One of the largest groups is The Sudan Contemporary and Traditional Kitchen, a group that was started in May 2015 by Sudanese chefs and which gained popularity among mothers and now has over 1.5 million members. The platform is considered the largest Sudanese cookery platform, as members are encouraged to share recipes with details of all the steps and ingredients. The platform has a positive, supportive culture and all comments deemed degrading to skill or culture is prohibited. Even for my own work on this blog theme, this platform has been one of the key resources that I have used to learn about recipes but much importantly about culture. The discussion format allows many members to explain the cultural norms associated with the dish, the name they use for a specific dish and many aspects that spark discussion between the different members of the group about the recipe or dish.
Recently, even more social media influencers have started sharing food videos and content online using various platforms and in differing formats. For example, the account Habi Makes on Instagram, where the focus is on food photography which the owner started posting in 2017 and which developed into content showing recipes presented in an artistic way. Other content creators on TickTok or YouTube have also gained popularity for sharing short and easy to follow recipes, such as Ahmed Abdin, who has over 250k followers on TickTok alone. His short format videos of food content, which he started posting in early 2020, gained popularity very fast. In terms of the cultural aspect of food, platforms such as the Sudanese Kitchen page and website, have also started to appear and in terms of Sudanese Kitchen the owner is in the process of collecting all his materials in order to produce a book.
Finally an other resource is Mazaq khas magazine, a food focused online magazine.
Header picture: Yousif Alshikh, Khartoum 2022
Recipes can hold within them a magnitude of cultural traits and values. You recognize this when you taste food made with a specific recipe, or when you try to replicate your mother’s dish or find ingredients in a new country or when a specific occasion comes around and you crave the food your grandmother used to make to celebrate this same day.
What we eat, how we cook it and with whom we eat it, are all pathways to activating cultural activities with all the old crafts, knowledge, practices and rituals that are involved.
If food stores culture then where is food stored?
The answer to this question is multidimensional, because of course it is stored in cooking, in eating, in practicing and in teaching. However, a more pragmatic answer would be that it is stored in cookbooks and other archiving methods. One such method is the online space which has become a key tool for preserving and storing archives, especially relating to music and living culture, even though many platforms were not created with the intention of archiving, they now serve that purpose. This is where many Sudanese people turn with the ongoing displacement crisis and increasing difficulties in cooking the authentic recipes they grew up eating.
Other than for survival, the quality of food is important for our health, both mentally and physically. Access to food is a human right that is why community kitchens, takaya, around Sudan are now playing a significant role in providing food to war-affected communities. By offering meals through this unique method of local support and sharing this life-saving aid also bestows dignity on those who receive it.
Now, going back to the online space, there are a remarkable number of food bloggers who specialize in cooking Sudanese food and also in showing variations and alternatives to ingredients so that recipes can be cooked abroad or to match dietary restrictions. One prime example is Simsimia’s kitchen, one of the first of its kind which gained a lot of popularity, especially the rice flour and yogurt asida, which was a quick and accessible method of making the staple dish. Simsimia established her food blog in 2008 after she was encouraged on various forums that were popular at the time, to create a platform to recreate recipes by her late mother and help younger women access these recipes.
Another change to the online culture was the advent of social media, especially Facebook groups which still remains the most popular platform for Sudanese users. One of the largest groups is The Sudan Contemporary and Traditional Kitchen, a group that was started in May 2015 by Sudanese chefs and which gained popularity among mothers and now has over 1.5 million members. The platform is considered the largest Sudanese cookery platform, as members are encouraged to share recipes with details of all the steps and ingredients. The platform has a positive, supportive culture and all comments deemed degrading to skill or culture is prohibited. Even for my own work on this blog theme, this platform has been one of the key resources that I have used to learn about recipes but much importantly about culture. The discussion format allows many members to explain the cultural norms associated with the dish, the name they use for a specific dish and many aspects that spark discussion between the different members of the group about the recipe or dish.
Recently, even more social media influencers have started sharing food videos and content online using various platforms and in differing formats. For example, the account Habi Makes on Instagram, where the focus is on food photography which the owner started posting in 2017 and which developed into content showing recipes presented in an artistic way. Other content creators on TickTok or YouTube have also gained popularity for sharing short and easy to follow recipes, such as Ahmed Abdin, who has over 250k followers on TickTok alone. His short format videos of food content, which he started posting in early 2020, gained popularity very fast. In terms of the cultural aspect of food, platforms such as the Sudanese Kitchen page and website, have also started to appear and in terms of Sudanese Kitchen the owner is in the process of collecting all his materials in order to produce a book.
Finally an other resource is Mazaq khas magazine, a food focused online magazine.
Header picture: Yousif Alshikh, Khartoum 2022