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Kombo (South Sudanese Spinach & Peanut Stew with Smoked Fish)
Earthy dark leafy greens and smoked catfish simmered in a velvety peanut and sesame sauce, seasoned with kombo ash-water.
The story
Kombo is a foundational staple throughout South Sudan, deeply cherished among Nilotic communities including the Dinka and Nuer. Traditionally prepared using local wild greens, pumpkin leaves, or jute leaves, the stew is thickened with roasted peanut paste (groundnut butter) and fragrant smoked Nile fish. It is traditionally scooped by hand using freshly made Asida, a stiff, comforting sorghum porridge.
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