'The Sudanese Kitchen Cookbook:' A Culinary Map of Sudan’s Rich Food Traditions

The British Sudanese honorary chef and food archivist just published The Sudanese Kitchen cookbook, named after his website on which he documents recipes from all over Sudan. Al Tijani did not become a chef through formal training, but rather through experience. Living in the UK, he wanted to connect with Sudan without constantly being on the phone with his mother.

“But even when we were on the phone, I wouldn’t get the details I needed to actually make the dish. I’d get a summarized version,” he says. “So I decided to look for these details.”

However, it was challenging to access Sudanese recipes, particularly in English. “It’s a shame that such a rich cuisine and culture should not be available to people,” he thought and made a social media account, sharing his trips to Sudan and cataloging what he ate there.

The internet responded with great interest, and eventually, Al Tijani made it his mission to share Sudanese cuisine with the world. He describes it as a fusion of many different styles: dishes like fūl, molokhia, and tamiya (falafel made from fava beans) are Middle Eastern and Turkish-influenced, or “Mediterranean and Levantine-facing.”

Indigenous Sudanese food is often fermented food. Dishes like kisra and gurasa are staple breads eaten with stews and gravies, like mullah. In western Sudan, West African influences have inspired dishes like agashe or asida, a sorghum or millet flower dumpling that is similar to garri or fufu.

The fact that some of these foods are better known than others can be traced to Sudan’s complex political history, where a self-defined Arab, Muslim elite has manned governments that marginalize people who are considered to be more “African.”

Initially, Al Tijani collected recipes for dishes he grew up eating in his family, which belonged to Sudan’s central, riverine cultures. “As I expanded my work, I realized that I cannot exclude other cuisines that make up the Sudanese kitchen, especially when the government and people in Sudan sometimes marginalize those communities,” he says. “I reject the racism, colorism, and tribalism that’s associated with these parts of society, and I wanted to create a holistic food map of Sudan.”

Sponsored by the DAL Food Group and the World Food Programme, Al Tijani identified the gaps in research about Sudanese food. He had to go out of his way to archive lesser-known foods in places like Darfur, Kordofan, or eastern Sudan.

“The revolution gave me more impetus to finish the book,” he says. “For me, archiving our culture and talking about our identity is a form of resistance against the erasure that is ongoing by government forces and the militias they have employed to carry out genocide around the country.”

The cookbook is peppered with Al Tijani’s personal anecdotes and educational stories. “The cookbook became a love and passion project of mine, something I did as a way of giving back to Sudan,” he says. “I wanted to change the narrative of how people see Sudan, especially in the West, where it’s often associated with negative press and war. That’s true, but it’s often the only thing people associate with our country.”

Divided into five sections with poetic titles like “Sowing Seeds,” “Taking Root,” and “Sprouting Shoots,” the cookbook concludes with “Bearing Fruit,” recipes of traditional and alcoholic drinks.

“Alcoholic drinks are part of daily life in Sudan. It’s only since the Islamic Revolution or the crackdown of the government in the mid-80s that alcohol was prohibited,” says Al Tijani. “Even after the abolition of alcohol, it continued to be a part of the culture.”

It is important to him that people are respectful of the alcoholic recipes, specifically as they are differently enjoyed than in the West. “Oftentimes, it’s a highly respected beverage that is consumed as a rite of passage and at specific ceremonies,” he explains.

The Sudanese Kitchen cookbook is not for non-Sudanese who would like to immerse themselves in a vast culinary world. Just as Al Tijani learned about his own culture while discovering over 100 recipes for the cookbook, some of which he had never heard of, most Sudanese people are unaware of the diversity and richness of their cuisine.

“This is just an introduction,” he says. “I’d like other individuals also to do their own discovery and learn more about Sudanese food.”

Mazin Alzain photographed many of the cookbook’s stunning images, which also allowed him to learn about his own culture and heritage.

“All the photography was done in my studio, and the entire experience was truly enjoyable,” he says. “Omer is deeply dedicated to this project and the idea behind it—his care and commitment were evident in every step. He always came in with a clear vision, and together we’d discuss how best to bring it to life.”

“And of course, he’s an incredible cook,” Alzain adds, granting Al Tijani his honorable title.