Djibouti is a mostly Muslim country on the horn of Africa. It does not produce much of its own food (less than 5% by some statistics), so they are a major importer of food products. That said, dairy products and meat from their cattle are the traditional foods, along with grain dishes. In the cities, the diet is influenced by Italian and other European foods.
A notable feature of the diet, that is eaten like food, is a narcotic called qat. Qat is a leaf which is imported from Ethiopia. Qat is consumed recreationally by virtually all men, preferably after lunch, when government offices and work come to a standstill in the midday heat. Qat is supposed to enhance concentration -- yeah, right! -- and kills the appetite, so poor people even consume it to keep from being hungry.
When my son was deployed in Djibouti with the Navy, they had to have special training to warn them against consuming qat because it is widespread and the unsuspecting U.S. military may consume it by mistake, thinking it is what we think of as "food."
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