Did you know that cassava leaves are eaten as a vegetable?
The answer is a big yes. Apart from cassava tubers, cassava leaves are also a money source and are eaten as vegetable sauce locally called sombe.
Sombe is mainly enjoyed by Congolese, Burundians, Rwandan, Bakonzo in Uganda and some other tribes have inherited the culture.
What is sombe?
Sombe is a dish of pounded cassava leaves. It is a delicious and commonly eaten by Bakonzo in Uganda on Rwenzori mountains in Kasese.
Masika Faridah from Gabba market sells cassava leaves and prepares sombe for money in this area. It is mainly bought by Congolese, Rwandan, Burundians and bakonzo from Uganda. Immature leaves are prepared and we earn a lot of money from sombe business. A bundle is sold at shs.5000, I can make shs.700000 from just one sac. A lot of profits are made here.
She terms sombe an international food.
She said that sombe back at home in kasese, sombe is their major sauce , very delicious meal that is eaten by all people in the rwenzori region and it is considered the sweetest because they use a lot palm oil.
She added that they inherited the culture from the bazayire people from congo since they are neighbors.
How to prepare sombe?
Use immature leaves from the cassava tree.
Put on sunshine to and pounded from a motta.
Fried in a saucepan to dry the
put water to make the saucepan full and when water reduces to the middle, put palm oil which boils for about 30 -60 minutes
put dry fish no matter the specie and some put roasted meat , onions, tomatoes and flavors[obunzari] to promote a great taste.it is eaten warm not hot.
Sombe is eaten with ugari for congolese,obundwe [bakonzo] and some use posho.
NB. Put a lot of palm oil to make great taste and enjoyment of the sauce.
