Ibigori

1. 1Whole maize cob, cooked and eaten directly off the cob
2. 2Prepared either roasted over open coals or boiled
3. 3Eaten plain, with minimal or no seasoning
4. 4Sold and eaten as an everyday street snack
5. 5Uses field/starchy maize rather than sweetcorn varieties

Charcoal roasting

Roasting over coals chars the kernels and develops smoky, nutty flavour

Boiling

An alternative gentle method that softens the starchy kernels

Served

Held by the cob and eaten by hand

Temperature

hot

Portion

one cob per person

Pairs with

beans · tea · as a standalone snack

• Roasting → Boilingadmissible

  Both are traditional and accepted preparations

• Field maize → Sweetcornadmissible

  Sweetcorn changes the texture and flavour from the chewy starchy traditional cob

• Whole cob → Loose kernels off the cobinadmissible

  Eating it off the cob is part of the dish's identity as a street snack

• Treating it as sugary sweetcorn rather than starchy field maize
• Over-boiling until kernels turn mushy
• Adding butter/cheese toppings that aren't part of the plain street tradition

Maize is a staple across Rwanda and the Great Lakes region; ibigori, roasted or boiled cobs, is a ubiquitous everyday street and roadside snack.

Claimed by: Rwanda

1. 1.Rwandan street-food tradition
2. 2.East African maize staple cuisine

Confidence: high