"We Somalis we eat banana with everything"

[Garaad.XIV]

I've often heard Somalis on social media saying they eat bananas with everything, claiming it's a common habit in Somali culture. However, in my own experience, within my household and family, I've only seen people eat bananas with rice and pasta, nothing else. Yet, some Somalis online insist they pair bananas with everything, even dishes like laxoox or even just with tea. I'm asking to better understand: is this truly a cultural norm, or is it just a few individuals exaggerating and misrepresenting Somali traditions/cuisine online?

 

[The alchemist]

It's not. Somalis eat it mainly with rice dishes but also baasto, not with other things. That is my experience. We never had bananas around for stew.

The "we eat everything with banana" is goofy because other people do eat their food with bananas, but they don't make it an exaggerated thing. It's Somalis being unserious and Somali humor is sometimes overly corny.

I once saw a restaurant owner flat out lie to an ajnabi customer when she asked him if they eat it like this while mushing banana on top of laxoox and the guy said "Yes". The guy knowingly lied. Somalis don't even eat mushed bananas on the dishes it is used for, so I was wondering why he would let a customer ruin the dish and let them get the wrong impression of our food.

 

[Riftvalley]

Banana with rice dishes is consumed all across Swahili coast and in Somalia.

South Americans have it with their rice too (wonder if was introduced by slaves from Mozambique/malawi or something).

Somalis became associated due to your extrovert behaviours and some ajanabis lowkey using banana/rice as lowkey racist banter.

I have seen a lot of Somalis eat moos with suqaar dishes, so basically stew, rice and baasto dishes.

I have also seen some mixed Somali/yemenis having sabaayad crushed with moos and black tea. Apparently it’s a Yemeni thing.

 

[iley]

Might be a me thing but I eat other food with moos as well... doesn't have to be either baasto or bariis. I add it with soor and with maraq too.