The foods people eat in Rwanda are really simple and only use a few ingredients. Rwandan's daily meals always have potatoes, beans, eggs and a vegetable. These foods are easy to grow locally and are used in lots of creative ways. Even though people don’t always have a huge variety of food choices, they’re really good at making the most of what they have!
One new food I tried in Rwanda was boiled green bananas, called ibitoke. Before I tried them, I thought they would taste sweet, just like regular bananas. I was really surprised when they didn’t! They aren’t sweet at all. Instead, they taste more like a potato.
One of the first foods I tried with my Rwandan friends was ibitoke. I was nervous at first because I wasn’t sure I would like it and I thought it might be mushy, but it was actually good! The texture wasn’t too soft which I was nervous about and the onions, carrots and tomatoes added different flavors.
Ibitoke is made with green, unripe bananas that are peeled and cut into pieces. They’re boiled in water with vegetables, like onions, carrots and tomatoes, until they’re soft. Sometimes people add a little salt or other spices, but it’s usually really simple.
