The Republic of Sudan (in Arabic: جمهورية السودان‎), is an Arab-African state.

The history of the Sudanese people is a combination of indigenous inhabitants of the Nile Valley and descendants of immigrants from the Arabian Peninsula, intertwined with the history of Egypt.

Sudan suffered 17 years of civil war (1955-1972), followed by the second Sudanese civil war (1983-1998), between the central government of Sudan and the SPLA/M of South Sudan.

Due to ongoing political and military struggles, Sudan was seized in a bloodless coup by Colonel Omar al-Bashir in 1989, who proclaimed himself president of Sudan.

The civil war ended with the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement that granted autonomy to what was then the southern region of the country.

Following a referendum in January 2011, South Sudan separated with the consent of Sudan.

In 2019, in response to massive popular protests calling for al-Bashir’s resignation, the Sudanese army ousted the president through a coup, temporarily taking control of the country.

Following an agreement between protest forces and the military, a Sovereign Council composed of civilians and military was established, which will govern the country during the democratic transition until 2022.

Sudanese cuisine is very flavorful; many recipes come from the Arab tradition and are therefore common in much of North Africa.

The main ingredients are fish and meat, except pork, which is prohibited for religious reasons.

There is extensive use of spices, such as cardamom, originating from India, caraway often mixed with garlic and chili, and turmeric, used both to flavor and to give dishes a “colorful” appearance.

Legumes are widely used.

The national dish is ful medames, a fava bean stew, which we have already encountered in the first part of “Around the World in 80 Dishes“.

Most Sudanese eat from a communal plate, using pieces of large flatbreads (Kisra or Khubz) to scoop up sauces.

In Sudan, Christmas is synonymous with homemade cookies.

All families engage in this ritual, and the cookies are shared with friends, neighbors, and guests.

Here are the Kahk: crumbly, not too sweet, and lightly dusted with powdered sugar, made with flour, butter, and sesame… we prepared them together during the session with ViaggiandoMangiando On Air: African Dinner.