The Bakonzo are the indigenous tribe on the foothills of Rwenzori Mountains. try the traditional cooking tour and you will understand alot about this unique culture. It is an ethnic tribe that extends up to Congo, with the majority of their tribesmen living across the boarder; called the Banande.

The Bakonzo people have a custom of living on the hills. They do all their works up there from farming, grazing, building and some times hunting in those old days.

Visitors to Ruboni always wonder how the people build houses, farm or climb these mountains throughout their life. If you ever wondered how the Bakonzo people cook their daily meals, then this Traditional cooking tour is an opportunity for you to learn and even participate in cooking one or several of their meals. It is all organized in this out-of-the-world cooking experience with the indigenous tribe members.

The Bakonzo being more attached to Congo than to Uganda, their food, dances, language and all other life aspects differ a lot from those of other tribes in Uganda. Their food is unique too. You will understand why doing this cooking experience and other activities. In this 2-5 hour coming experience, the guest will learn how to grow harvest, prepare, cook and eat one local meal. The prices for the experience includes eating on the meal for your lunch/ dinner

So you know, I want to give you the following hints, so that you have an idea on the Bakonzo foods before participating in the tour.

The staple foods for Bakonzo are;

• Cassava,
• Millet,
• Bananas,
• Yams,

And the common sauces are;

• Sombe, (cassava leaves sauce)
• Instant beans sauce,
• Erisusa (yams leaves sauce)
• Meat
• Fish (from the mountain rivers and lakes in the lowlands)
• Esishogho (black night shade)

As the culture has evolved and there has been exchange between other cultures, the Bakonzo now eat all other foods including the rice, Irish potatoes, maize, G-nuts, other fruits and vegetables. As you interact with the local people during the experience, you will also learn that the Bakonzo used to have original varieties of these other foods that were accustomed to growing in the hills without application of chemicals. However, these varieties are no longer common. The local people now depend on growing improved varieties.

None the less, the Bakonzo still attempt to grow most of their food ingredients. With the effects of climate change, some ingredients that cant grow locally at the homes are bought from the next villages or local markets. very little on their daily menu is imported from other countries.

How to join the traditional cooking tour

this tour is suited for guests staying in the Ruboni village. it can be done in full or in different levels, the levels include; harvesting, food preparation, cooking or serving the food. all stages are dine in the traditional way including serving the food.

For those willing to participate, it is easy to book this tour. Contact the community visitors center through this website, specifying that you want to participate in the cooking experience. at booking time, it is important to say any specific interest you have in the cooking tour. you can also specify the kind of sauce or ingredients you like to cook. otherwise the chef will select the meal to be cooked based on availability and the information they will have got from you.

what is included in the cooking tour?

the payment made for the tour includes purchase of the ingredients, the experience, participating in the activity, the interpretation and a meal for the person participating. all the inputs of this tour are sourced locally. The money spent on food ingredients, and the services all stay within the community making this experience very sustainable.