Africa: the Land of Good Soup?

Before we departed on this trip, I frequently wondered what the food would be like as I myself knew next to nothing about African cuisine. I was worried that i wouldn’t like any food or be able to stomach some of it. Life rarely works out the way we think it will, and this is one of such situations. The food has been delightful in every way, but it shines brightest in one area, and it’s certainly not one I had planned on.

Would you believe it if I told you I have had a bowl of soup with every lunch and dinner? Let me go a step further: I have had DELICIOUS soup with every lunch and dinner. If you told me I would have been eating so much hot soup in Africa, I would have pointed at you right between your eyes and said “you pants are on fire.” But here I am consuming copious amounts of delicious soup. I even have rankings for them.

It all started in Rwanda when our amazing butler Clement took our lunch order after day 1 of gorilla trekking. I saw that they had a soup and salad option, and I don’t particularly fancy salad, so i went with the carrot and coriander soup. Clement instantly smiled and said “oh, excellent choice, sir.” to which I smiled slyly and looked at Abi. It’s not often I am complimented on my food order and she isn’t. I could tell he wasn’t just sucking up to me either, he genuinely loved the soup I ordered. This response from him made Abi change her starter order to the soup as well. We got freshened up, and our expectations for the soup were high.

We sat at the table overlooking one of the twin lakes and got a drink. We were chatting when I noticed our bowls of high expectations were approaching. I didn’t waste any time and dipped some of the included bread into the bowl. My mind was insanely blown. It wasn’t just good; it was incredible. I wasn’t even halfway through, and I was contemplating the etiquette behind ordering a potential second bowl. I ultimately didn’t, but I came to find out that our mate Fernando did! I still can’t believe the amount of flavor packed into a bowl of carrot and coriander soup. From here, Clement had my full trust, so I asked him for recommendations at every meal. We had a lot of fun with Clement when ordering our meals. This led to more and more soups, and I have yet to be disappointed even in the slightest. We’ve had tomato and red pepper (possibly my favorite so far), traditional Rwandan vegetable garden soup, and chicken noodle soup (which was insanely good, and you won’t find a better bowl in the USA) just to name a few. I simply can’t wait to try more soup. Thank you for opening my eyes to the wide world of African soups, Clement!

Americans and many other countries have a warped perception of Africa. I think we picture this dry, barren land that is unbearably hot, but the fact is I haven’t seen that image once. In fact, it’s been very lush and green. The climate here is beyond pleasant, and I have been very chilly at multiple points in fact. I haven’t been uncomfortably hot at any point including gorilla trekking. Now of course, I am only talking about the climate here in East Africa, but it’s wonderful. If I knew a month ago I’d be doing a soup tour of Africa, I would have laughed! My original surprise at enjoying hot soup in Africa comes from years of not truly understanding the vast complexity or subtle nuances of Africa. It has in itself been a lesson for me to not build up these false ideas of places, people, or cultures without doing your due diligence and researching. I mean we have all heard to not judge a book by its cover, but it’s probably such a common saying because it really is true. My advice to you is to just go for it, forget your preconceived notions and worries behind, explore, and, above all, try the soup.

Stay tuned for more updates coming very soon.