East Africa · Breakfast
Somali Sabaayad Flatbread
Flaky, layered Somali flatbreads paired perfectly with sweet spiced Somali tea or savory stews.
The story
Sabaayad is a beloved staple of Somali cuisine, traditionally eaten for breakfast or late afternoon tea known as casariya. Closely related to the Swahili chapati and Yemeni paratha-like breads, it is characterized by its square or circular folded layers laminated with oil or ghee. In Somali households across the Horn of Africa and the diaspora, hot sabaayad is commonly drizzled with honey or melted ghee and eaten alongside a steaming cup of cardamom-scented Shaah.
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