Kisra

A Sudanese woman prepares kisra.

Kisra, also spelled kissra (Sudanese Arabic: [ˈkisra] ), is a popular thin fermented bread made in Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Algeria and some parts of Uganda and Kenya. It is made from durra or wheat. There are two different forms of kisra: thin baked sheets, known as kisra rhaheeefa, which is similar to injera; and a porridge known as kisra aseeda or aceda. The latter is usually paired with a meat and vegetable stew, such as mullah. As of 1995, the then-undivided country of Sudan ate an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 short tons (18,000 to 27,000 t) of sorghum flour annually in kisra.

Sorghum in Kisra

Traditionally, in Sudanese households, sorghum is used as a base for making Kisra. Sorghum grains are known for having high nutritional value through its minerals and vitamins, which contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Two common sorghum varieties are feterita and tabat, which are used to mill fermented flour. This flour is then used in fermented batter that contains starter from fungal or bacterial fermentation.

See also

• List of breads
• Sudanese cuisine
• Lahoh

Further reading

• Mariod, Abdalbasit (17 February 2023). "Kisra: A Traditional Fermented Flatbread from Sorghum and Millet". Traditional Sudanese Foods: Sources, Preparation, and Nutritional and Therapeutic Aspects. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5275-9314-5.
• Steinkraus, Keith (4 May 2018). Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods, Revised and Expanded. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-351-44251-0.
• Sulieman, Abdel Moneim Elhadi; Mariod, Abdalbasit Adam (31 January 2022). African Fermented Food Products- New Trends. Springer Nature. ISBN 978-3-030-82902-5.