Mbarara District Local Customs

  Bags of charcoal
by grets
 
  • Bags of charcoal
      Bags of charcoal
    by grets
  •   Local Customs
    by grets
  • Ankole Cattle
      Ankole Cattle
    by grets
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Matoke

by grets

Some way out of town we stop for a picture of the plantains being sold along side the road. There are 7-8 different species of banana here in Uganda, the most common being the plantain-like vegetable called matoke. Plantains are more starchy than sweet and must be cooked before being eaten. They are a staple crop in much of Africa, and are served boiled, steamed, baked, or fried. Robert explained that Uganda also have another plantain called njamonja, the very sweet ggonja, red bananas, finger bananas called ndzi, the large yellow mbite and the big boyoya. Bananas are grown by small-scale farmers who rely on their 'backyard' banana plots to sustain them through times of hardship, when coffee or cocoa prices fall or when annual crops such as beans or maize fail. Ecologically speaking, banana plants help to protect fragile soils from erosion, particularly in densely populated areas with...

Tip Photo
Charcoal

by grets

All along the road are large grey bags full of charcoal, topped with straw. I've often wondered why people cook over charcoal. It seems so labour-intensive to stack up wood in huge, dirt ovens and bake it slowly down to little black lumps. Why not just burn the wood? To make charcoal, wood (mostly acacia trees are used here) is baked slowly under layers of soil to deprive it of oxygen. With the volatile components (water, tar and methane) baked away, all that is left is a pile of black pellets just 20- 25% of the original volume of the wood. It is now mostly carbon, and when it burns, it doesn’t emit lots of smoke, and it will burn hotter, longer and cleaner than wood, which means that it can easily be used inside the mud huts without filling the houses with smoke.

Tip Photo
Ankole Cattle

by grets

This area is famous for its unique Ankole cattle, one of Africa’s most imposing domestic animals. The most distinguishing feature of the Ankole cattle, is its enormous horns, which can reach the same proportions as an elephant’s tusk! The long-horned Ankole cattle were introduced to Uganda in the Middle Ages, and they are particularly suited to the harsh, arid conditions in Africa, as they can survive on limited water, extremes of temperature and poor grazing. The large horns act as radiators; blood circulating through the horn area is cooled and then returned to the main body. This allows excess body heat to be dispersed. These remarkable creatures have been closely associated with the tall, slender, brown-skinned Bahima people of the Ankole Kingdom whose relationship with their special cattle almost borders on religious with a deep friendship, devotion and comradeship between the two;...

Tip Photo
Local traditions and culture in Mbarara District
 
Explore the World
Travel Destinations
Travel Highlights

The Place

Reviews and photos of Mbarara District attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Mbarara District sightseeing.

Experience Mbarara District
 

Question about Mbarara District?

Our members can help!

postQuestion_button