Rwandan buffet

Of the Month of lunches I’ve had in Rwanda, at least half have been Rwandan Buffet. Rwandans love their buffet, and after some initial skepticism, I too have learned to like it. A well spread buffet in Kigali will include 5 starches, 3 vegetables, 2 meats, a salad and fruit. A more humble buffet up-country has seven starches, one vegetable, one meat and no fruit.

Seven starches? How can one meal have seven starches (I can hear you asking) Let me elaborate: Rice, noodles, cassava, boiled potatoes, sweet potatoes, stewed bananas, and French fries. On good days the city buffet might switch out the sweet potatoes or cassava with fried chapattis (flour tortillas, but better), corn or manioc meal, or plantains. The variety of starches is unparalleled. One can smother these starches in the sauce provided. It tends to be yummy red sauce (in which the meat was cooked? With tomatoes? I don’t know, but it’s always good) or a mild flavored sauce of ground and boiled peanuts.

It is impossible to escape from Rwandan buffet without having over eaten – upcountry I’m usually swearing to not be obliged to try everything tomorrow, but in the city, I’ll already be looking forward to the next opportunity to indulge.