Kawari

كوارعar

Also: Kawara, Kaware', Trotter soup, Cow-foot broth

A Sudanese gelatinous broth made by slow-simmering cleaned cow or sheep trotters until the collagen melts into a thick, rich soup.

Identity criteria

  1. 1Built on cleaned bovine or ovine trotters (feet)
  2. 2Defined by the gelatinous, collagen-rich, sticky-lipped broth
  3. 3Cooked by very long slow simmering to render the connective tissue
  4. 4Savory, lightly spiced, not a clear consommé
  5. 5Eaten with bread or kisra to soak up the broth

Components

Base

TomatooptionalSome versions add tomato; many keep it pale

Protein

Cow or sheep trotters (feet)essential

Aromatics

Onion and garlicessential

Seasoning

Cumin, black pepper, bayessential

Garnish

Lemon and fresh chilioptional

Cilantrooptional

Technique

Cleaning and de-hairing the trotters
Essential prep so the broth is clean-tasting and not gamey
Prolonged slow simmer
Only hours of gentle cooking dissolve the collagen into the silky, body-rich broth that defines kawari

Form & serving

Served
In a deep bowl with the broth and soft trotter pieces
Temperature
hot
Portion
main bowl
Pairs with
kisra · bread · rice · lemon and chili

Character

Flavour

savoryrichgelatinouswarm-spicedmeaty

Texture

thick, lip-coating gelatinous broth with soft tender trotter meat

Eaten

A hearty everyday and restorative Sudanese dish, often eaten in the morning or as a strengthening meal, served with kisra or bread for soaking.

When

all-year · winter (as a warming dish)

Variations & related

Regional variations

  • Sudanese kawari · Sudan

    Often served with kisra; prized as restorative

  • Spiced trotter soup · Horn/Gulf region

    Related slow-cooked trotter broths across the region

Related dishes

  • sibling Paya

    South Asian trotter stew built on the same collagen principle

  • sibling Khash

    Caucasian/Central Asian trotter-and-head broth

  • pairs-with Kisra

    The Sudanese sorghum flatbread eaten with it

Substitutions

  • Cow trottersSheep/goat trottersadmissible

    Closest substitute; smaller and quicker

  • TrottersBoneless meatinadmissible

    Loses the gelatinous collagen body that defines the dish

  • Long simmerQuick boilinadmissible

    Collagen never renders, leaving a thin watery broth

Common mistakes

  • Not thoroughly cleaning/de-hairing the trotters, leaving an off taste
  • Cooking too briefly so collagen never dissolves and the broth is thin
  • Boiling too hard and turning the broth cloudy and greasy without skimming
  • Over-spicing and masking the natural rich brothiness

Provenance

A traditional Sudanese broth treasured as nourishing and restorative, part of a wider regional tradition of trotter and offal soups.

Claimed by: Sudan

References

  1. 1.Sudanese culinary tradition
  2. 2.regional trotter-soup references

Confidence: medium

Built on these foundations

1

The base preparations this dish is assembled from — open one for its master ratio & method.