LUHYA CUISINES

Luhyas have various foods and drinks they rake but the most popular one is the Ugali (Swahili) called Obusuma in Luhya language which is synonymously served with Ingokho (chicken). The traditional vegetables also served with obusuma include saga, Obwova (mushrooms), mrenda among others. The vegetables are cooked by spices such as the mselekha to make them soft and for quick cooking. Other food crops in the Luhya community include sorghum, fingermillet simsim, tsimbande (a variety of nuts), tsing’oli (a variety of peas), pumpkins, sweet potatoes, yams in their rich basket of food. The Luhyas are also more often seen chewing sugarcanes. Their drinks include sour fermented porridge called the Obusera and Busaa, traditional liquor which is served in traditional gourds cut into two halves for individuals. Busaa is also served inside a container during ceremonies from which it is drunk with aid of pipes with those involved seated around the container. The community is also famous for chewing a root plant called the Mkombero. Mkombero is chewed for medicinal purposes and also as a ‘stimulant’. It is always specifically chewed by men to enhance their ‘bed arousals’.