The trouble with Tanzania is that there’s just too much to do
– from kite surfing and climbing Kilimanjaro, to quad biking and
cycling around Arusha National Park.
Whatever you’re doing, you’re certain to build up a healthy appetite.
But you’ve no need to worry because Swahili cuisine is tasty, filling
and plentiful.
The ideas for traditional Swahili dishes that you can enjoy on your adventures.
With Arab, Indian and Portuguese influences, Swahili cuisine uses a
variety of spices like coriander, clove, chilli and black pepper
together with a range of staples like maize, cassava, rice, wheat and
sorghum.
Nyama choma
This “charred meat” is a rich, filling barbeque of beef, chicken or
goat, marinated in garlic, lemon juice, curry powder and turmeric and
slow-roasted over hot coals until supremely tender. It’s a very social
food and a dish that’s enjoyed by communities everywhere in Tanzania and
up into Kenya, too.
Wali na maharage
Swahili beans is a favourite of vegetarians or meat-eaters alike and
is a way of cooking cheap, dried beans with local, flavoursome
ingredients to produce a filling bean stew that is both sweet and spicy.
Cooked beans are sautéed with onions, ginger, tomatoes and coconut
milk.
Pilau
Pilau is a common dish all over the world, but the secret to the
Swahili version is that it’s flavoured with the spices fresh from the
“Spice Island”, Zanzibar. Famous for clove and cinnamon, and with the
addition of cardamom, Swahili pilau is a delicate, fragrant and
beautiful dish that’s always welcome.
Chipsi mayai
Think of this dish as the delicious baby of a pile of sautéed
potatoes and omelette – and it’s easy to prepare! After you’ve sautéed
your potatoes, whisk up an egg or two and add it to the pan. Mix it
around a bit and soon it’ll cook into a slab of eggypotatoey loveliness.
Ndizi na nyama
Got meat? Got bananas? Then you’re ready for ndizi na nyama, meat and
banana stew. For those of you who think that fruit and meat are an
unholy alliance, think again. This tasty, unusual stew uses unripe
rather than sweet plantains which, when added during the last ten
minutes of cooking, become tender and succulent.
Ugali
The most ubiquitous food across all of Tanzania is ugali – a starchy
accompaniment made of cornmeal, semolina or sorghum flour and water –
the equivalent of rice or pasta. Because it’s easy to make and the
ingredients are low-cost, it’s a popular food and you’ll see it often
during your adventures in Tanzania.
And to drink?
Tea and coffee are plentiful in Tanzania, but fresh-pressed
pineapple, orange, sugar-cane and papaya juices are sweet and
thirst-quenching after a long day’s hike. There’s a variety of
refreshing beers on sale as well. Local beers include Kibo Gold,
Serengeti and Kilimanjaro, but be aware that in Muslim areas alcohol is
only sold in the tourist hotels, bars and cafes.
These are only a taste of some of the delicious choices that Tanzania
offers. In the end, there truly is nothing better than watching an
African sunset with a beer in hand and a full, satisfied tummy!
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