What to eat Djibouti? culinary specialties and gastronomy

The nomadic tradition of Djibouti cuisine is the product of the harsh climatic conditions of this entirely desert country. The diet was frugal, consisting mainly of camel meat and milk, to which were added cereals and other vegetables. The latter were often exchanged for livestock, as agriculture was very limited in the country. Meat was usually eaten on the occasion of festivals. With sedentarization, the products diversified and the food habits evolved. Throughout its history, Djibouti has often been part of larger entities such as the prosperous Sultanate of Adal in the Middle Ages or later the Ottoman Empire. Indeed, its strategic position in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean made it an important trading post between the Mediterranean and Asia. Thus, Djibouti's cuisine is characterized by the abundant use of Indian spices, a testimony to the strong relations with India at the beginning of our era.

Later the country became a French colony between the end of the 19th century and the 1960s. It is therefore not uncommon to find bakeries stocked with baguettes every morning, which accompany grilled meat and sauces and make hearty sandwiches. Often under the influence of its neighbours like Ethiopia, Somalia or Yemen, the cuisines and products of these three countries are naturally found in Djibouti. Bananas, mangoes, papayas, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peppers and many other foodstuffs are imported, especially from neighbouring countries. Nomads used to trade livestock or salt for cereals. Rice is one of the most consumed foods. It is used to stuff goats and to accompany grilled meat or meat in sauce. As in Somalia, pasta (baasto

) is very popular. It is more like tagliatelle, always accompanied by an excellent red sauce, quite fatty and spicy. It is served with grilled meat for larger meals. The Indian influence explains the generous use of spices by local cooks. Turmeric, cumin, saffron, cardamom, chilli, cinnamon and other spices are used in many dishes. Although the nomads used to eat very little meat, it is nowadays more often found on the plates. Goat and sheep meat are common in the markets, even though it is often imported from Ethiopia. Beef and chicken are less common. Ayib is a mild cheese made from cow's milk. While the Gulf of Aden is rich in fish, Djiboutians have never been big consumers of seafood. All seafood (sea bream, barracuda, cuttlefish, lobster, red mullet, etc.) is delicious, but king mackerel is the most prized for its meat.

Among the best-known local dishes is fah-fah, the equivalent of a spicy stew with goat meat, vegetables (white cabbage, leek, potato, tomato, etc.) and green chillies, and usually served with lahoh, a type of soft pancake. Alternatively, try skoudehkaris

, a rice simmered in a richly spiced tomato and lamb sauce with a generous amount of cardamom. Djiboutian soup is a tasty broth made from mutton, potato, leeks, cabbage and a nice dose of coriander.

The cabri is the most typical dish of the nomadic culture, the one prepared for special occasions. The little goat is cooked in an ancient clay oven, and often stuffed with rice and spices. Whatever the recipe, the meat is extremely tender and melting. Alternatively, try tibs, small pieces of meat - usually beef, mutton, goat or even dromedary - fried with green chilli.Odkac is a term for dried meat that is cooked in a generous amount of butter before being sliced into small cubes. The "small meats" that are eaten on the go are cheap and tasty. It consists of a baguette of bread generously filled with small pieces of cooked meat, a slightly spicy sauce and some vegetables. It is spicy and very hearty and can be bought in the street stalls. Another snack, the sambusa

or samoussa is omnipresent on the stalls to break the Ramadan fast. This triangle-shaped fried turnover contains a spicy stuffing made of meat and vegetables. Finally, there are several stews such as wat or wet, a generic term for various Ethiopian-inspired meat (mutton, chicken or beef) or vegetable stews. Shiro wat is made with beans and messer wat with lentils. The yetakelt wet is a stew of various vegetables (carrot, green beans, potato) in a spicy sauce. The dulet is a mixture of offal and tripe sliced and fried.

Due to its small size and turbulent history, often absorbed by its large neighbours, Djibouti does not have a strong culinary identity and many of the specialties eaten in the country are derived from the gastronomy of neighbouring countries, starting with Somalia. This country is very close culturally to Djibouti, sharing among others the same languages like Arabic, Somali and Afar. Thus the two nations have many dishes in common.

Since Eritrea's independence in 1993, an overwhelming majority of goods leaving or returning from Ethiopia pass through Djibouti, further strengthening the influence of Ethiopian cuisine in the country, whose most characteristic product isinjera. This thick, fluffy pancake is made with a fermented dough made from teff flour, a grain that grows only in Ethiopia. It accompanies many specialties and is used as a plate or place setting. When it is not filled with a multitude of spicy dishes,injera is eaten more simply with niter kebbeh (clarified butter) and berbere,

a mixture of spices typical of Ethiopian cuisine: cumin, cloves, cardamom, cayenne pepper, ginger, etc. Although Djibouti only has a maritime border with Yemen, the presence of many Yemeni workers and ancient exchanges have introduced many dishes from that country. Don't miss the most popular Yemeni speciality in Djibouti: fish à la Yemenite(moukbasa) grilled over a wood fire. It is served in a few restaurants in the capital and also elsewhere on the coast. The fish (but the recipe can also be applied to meat) is brushed with a mixture of tomato and spices, which gives it an exceptional consistency and taste. It is often served with khobz el tawa (a square, slightly oily flatbread) or lahoh, a kind of thick, slightly spongy patty. Yemeni cuisine does not fall short when it comes to desserts with an oriental flavour, and at breakfast time, all Yemeni canteens offer fruit shakes or smoothies that can be made up as you wish from the menu of fresh fruit available.

The most famous dessert is xalwo (pronounced "halwo"), the local name for halva, a popular confection served on special occasions such as Eid celebrations or wedding receptions. Unlike the varieties found in the Middle East or South Asia, which are made with sesame cream (tahini) or semolina, xalwo here has a more rubbery texture, similar to Turkish Turkish Turkish delight, thanks to the presence of starch. It is then flavoured with nutmeg and cardamom. Garoobey

is a porridge prepared by soaking oats in milk flavoured with various spices.

Neighbouring Ethiopia and Yemen, Djibouti is well surrounded when it comes to coffee. Since the 18th century, Obock and Tadjourah have been used by the French as export ports for Ethiopian coffee, Louis XIV having made the drink fashionable in European courts after the Ottomans introduced it to Venetian merchants. Today, it is widely drunk on the terraces of the European quarter of the capital. In Ethiopian restaurants, you will be served the very famous bounna coffee from the Harrar region, which is drunk with kolo

(a mixture of barley, chickpeas and roasted sunflower seeds). Tea is the favorite drink of Djiboutians. For a long time the nomads have been drinking it to quench their thirst, to gather and to chat. It can be enhanced with ginger or coffee leaves and more usually with cardamom and cinnamon. The consumption of fresh fruit juice is only fairly recent and relatively uncommon. Nevertheless, one can taste some very good ones near the market in the capital. Coming from Ethiopia, spris is a drink where each juice (mango, papaya, pineapple and avocado) is poured separately into the glass for a rainbow look. Djiboutians, who are Muslims, do not consume alcohol, but they are very tolerant of foreigners drinking it, with discretion. Hotels and some establishments offer European or Ethiopian beers (St-George's, Dashen, Habesha, etc.), but also wine and other spirits. As a curiosity, you can taste in Ethiopian restaurants various types ofareki (or areka), a cereal digestive (barley, sorghum, etc.) that is sometimes flavoured with honey. There is also Axoumit or Gouder wine, tella (beer made from sprouted cereals) or tedj (a light alcohol made from leaves and honey). Not forgetting the famous palm wine, which is made from the doum palm, a very common tree, mainly found inland.