A FOOD TRADITION

Mbundu cuisine

Mbundu cuisine is associated with communities across the north-central Angolan zone, including areas around Luanda, the Kwanza valleys and Malanje. It combines cassava and maize meal with beans, peanuts, palm oil, leafy greens, freshwater fish, goat and chicken. Funge or pirão commonly accompanies stews, while pounding, slow simmering, drying and charcoal grilling are important household techniques. Examples include calulu, kizaca or cassava-leaf stew, and mufete, a grilled-fish meal served with starchy sides and vegetables. These foods are also common beyond Mbundu communities and in urban Angolan cooking, so the category is best understood as a regional-cultural tradition rather than a list of exclusive Mbundu dishes.

Catalogue preview Cuisine connections may be unreviewed. Regional comparisons include their food references and do not establish the ingredients of a particular meal.