Sharmout, a traditional Sudanese dried meat, is already popular among Sudanese communities abroad where it is transported and sold through the ‘suitcase trade.’ The challenge now is turning an informal trade into a formal industry. Across Sudan, generations have grown up with sharmout, a traditional Sudanese dried beef prepared by sun-drying strips of meat. Long before refrigeration, drying meat was a practical way of preserving food. Over time, however, sharmout became more than a preservation