Rwandan Cuisine

Rwandan cuisine is simple, wholesome and rooted in the produce of the fertile land of a thousand hills, built around hearty staples like beans, plantains, cassava, sweet potatoes, maize and rice. A typical meal is the generous buffet, or mélange, of these starches and stews, often with grilled goat or beef brochettes, fresh vegetables and tropical fruit. Alongside the everyday fare, Rwanda has developed a fine specialty coffee and tea industry, its high-altitude beans increasingly prized around the world.

What you actually see

• The mélange buffet - the generous spread of staples and stews.
• The brochettes - the grilled goat or beef skewers.
• The staples - the beans, plantains, cassava and sweet potato.
• Rwandan coffee - the prized high-altitude specialty coffee.

When to go

Year-round; the buffet lunch is the classic everyday meal, and the brochettes with a cold beer are a popular evening staple. Rwanda's specialty coffee, from its volcanic highlands, is well worth seeking out at a Kigali cafe or on a plantation tour.

Honest expectations

Rwandan food is simple, wholesome and filling rather than varied or richly spiced, so its appeal is fresh, honest home-style fare and the excellent coffee rather than culinary sophistication; the buffets can be starch-heavy. Kigali has a growing range of international dining. The specialty coffee and tea, grown in the volcanic highlands, are a genuine highlight and a proud, quality-focused industry.

Nearby

Kigali has the widest range; the highlands offer coffee and tea plantation visits.