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Chagga Mash · Banana & Beans

Kiburu

Kiburu — street food from Arusha, Tanzania
Photo: Mwaride / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

A pinch of magadi, a natural alkaline mineral, doesn't just season kiburu, it visibly deepens the mash's green color.

Green bananas and beans are boiled together and pounded into a single soft, mildly sour mash, its pale greenish color often coming from a pinch of magadi. It's a Chagga dish traditionally served at funerals, weddings and other gatherings around Kilimanjaro and Arusha.

Why it's made this way: Combining a starch and a protein into one pounded dish reflects an efficient, communal style of highland Chagga cooking meant to feed large gatherings from simple, home-grown ingredients.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries. Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below. Photo credits.