Basic HTML Version
www.ebizguides.com
158
Entertainment
Introduction
From the Red Sea and its virgin treasures, to the
desert and its preserved archeological sites; from
the numerous tribes to the incredible diversity of
wild life, Sudan is considered as one of the top ten
countries characterized by a variety of attractions.
This potential has not been completely exploited yet
and tourists are not very common. So be prepared
to be among the first ones to discover this country.
It full of surprises.
Food and Drink
Sudan is a very large country, encompassing many
different tribes with different cultures. It has been
colonized by the French, the Italians and the Eng-
lish. Thus, the food in Sudan is a result of all these
influences. The Syrian traders and Arab settlers who
came to Sudan during the Turkish rule brought pep-
per, garlic and other spices. They also introduced
other dishes like meatballs and pastries and new
vegetables and fruits.
The most common dish is called “ful”. It is made of
brown beans that spend hours being stewed in a
large pot. It is cooked with oil and spice and is eaten
with the local bread, “kisra”, made of corn, and ac-
companied by salad, tomato, onions, peanut butter,
cheese or falafel for example. There are many dif-
ferent stews such as the niamimiya, the sharmout,
the waika, bussaara or sabaroag.
Vegetables are also widely consumed: potatoes,
egg plants, peppers are part of the daily meals.
They’re all natural and can be found easily every-
where.
Meat is found in other dishes such as swharma ke-
babs, made of lamb or chicken. Fish is consumed
fried most of the time, the Nile perch for example, is
consumed with bread and spicy sauce. The Suda-
nese people have these dishes even for breakfast,
between 11 and 1pm, which is considered as the
most important meal of the day.
Appetizers are also appreciated. Maraara and um-
fitfit are made of sheep lung, liver and stomach.
They are cooked with onions, peanut butter and salt
and eaten raw. Porridges and soups are also very
popular.
Some dishes are specific to some areas of the coun-
try. Wheat floor in North Sudan, banana paste in the
East, influenced by Ethiopia, milk and dairy prod-
ucts for the cattle breeders in the West and fish in
the South.
Concerning the dessert, pastries, cakes and cara-
mel crème are the local favorites. Sudanese people
love sugary food and drinks, so when ordering a
drink, ask for sugar to be served seperately if you
don’t want to have half of the glass filled with sugar.
Fresh juices are widely consumed and can be found
everywhere, even in small shops in the streets. The
most widespread are orange, grapefruit and lemon,
and they are pressed just in front of you and offer
a very refreshing break. The tabaldi juice is a local
specialty made of baobab fruit.
Given that alcohol is forbidden in Sudan, an alterna-
tive to beer has been found with the non alcoholic
malt beverages which are often flavored with apple,
strawberry or ginger and are very sweet also.
Karkade is a typical Sudanese drink, made of dried
hibiscus flowers. It is prepared as an infusion and
can be served cold or hot.
Coffee and tea are also consumed a lot. Coffee is
prepared with beans fried in a pot with spices and
cloves, which give it a very special taste. Ginger,
cinnamon, milk and sugar are often added to the
beverage. Tea and coffee are served in very small
cups and are most of the time very strong.
Music
The Sudanese people use local instruments for their
music, like the tambour (lyre) or the nihas which is
a drum used for celebrations. The taar is a small
instrument used by tribes in their traditional dances
and songs. The sufi also use it during their incanta-
tions. These instruments are made of natural ma-
terial and resources. For example, in the southern
Blue Nile region, the Ingessana tribes use cow
horns to make the wazza, which has a dual func-
tion: one taps on it for the beat sound while blowing
the horn for tunes.
The Egyptian pop has largely influenced the modern
local Sudanese music. It is now mainly composed
of loud Arabic lyrics accompanied by synthesizer
melodies.
Some local Sudanese musicians are really suc-
cessful, such as Abdel Gadir Salim (from the Nuba
mountains) and Abdel Aziz el Mubarak (from Wad
Medani).
Dancing
Sudanese tribe performs traditional dances. They
reflect various aspects of life and correspond to
many events like the advent of rainy seasons, har-