The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Zanzibari Foods. If you manage to be in an Zanzibari restaurant or you are visiting Zanzibar, I recommend the following
1. Mchuzi wa pweza (Octopus Curry)
Octopus is a favorite among Zanzibar’s seafood and is widely eaten at street food stalls and luxury hotels throughout the island. Slices of octopus are usually cooked in a rich blend of spices such as turmeric, coriander and then simmered in a coconut cream sauce. Octopus curry is easily one of the most delicious dishes to eat in Zanzibar.
2. Coconut Bean Soup
One of the island’s most popular dishes is coconut bean soup, a mixture of coconut milk, grated coconut, tomatoes and beans, and seasoned with spices. This dish is nutritious and perfect for vegetarians. It is a wonderful meal loved by locals and foreigners alike.
3. Date Nut Bread
Date palm bread is a typical and popular Tanzanian bread, served mainly for breakfast. It is composed of butter, sugar, flour and, of course, nuts and dates. This bread is very nutritious and has a delicious moist texture. It is like the unofficial bread of Zanzibar, so no day in Zanzibar is complete without nut bread.
4. Supu Ya Ndizi (Plantain Soup)
A traditional dish of plantains cooked in chicken broth. This involves mashing the plantain to a paste, then simmering it in the broth before seasoning with salt and pepper. This tasty and rich soup is a great side dish to complement roti, rice, chapati or bread.
5. Zanzibar Pizza
Essentially they form a large circle, thin it and put it on the comal, then add another smaller circle inside and then start adding the filling and at the same time fry it on that comal. In the filling, they add whatever ingredients you order (chicken, beef or fish) and then a mixture of peppers, onions and egg. The final step is to add some mayonnaise and cheese slices, and then fold the edges of the pizza to form a rectangle.
6. Biryani ya Zanzibar
Biryani, with origins in the Middle East and parts of India, is also one of the most famous dishes to eat in Zanzibar. The rice is cooked in a variety of spices and then combined with a meat or fish curry, which always accompanies the rice. Popular versions include fish, beef and goat.
7. Ndizi Kaanga (Fried Plantain)
A popular food in Zanzibar that can be served as a snack or as a side dish to other dishes. A popular snack among locals, plantains are generally unsweetened, but a pinch of sugar may be added before frying to bring out the sweetness. The roasts are usually powdered with a little salt.
8. Wali Na Maharage
Wari na maharage is a rice and bean dish served with vegetables, fish or meat. The rice is boiled in coconut oil or coconut milk to make it taste creamy, and the beans are usually Tanzanian red beans. The food is often seasoned with various spices such as cinnamon, cumin, cloves, pepper and paprika.
9. Zanzibar Spice Pilau Rice
This spicy rice comes in a giant copper pilau pan shaped like an hourglass. The best way to enjoy this dish is to sit in a circle around a large plate full of pilau, remembering, always, to use your right hand and eat communally from the pan. Generally served at weddings, funerals and parties.
10. Ugali
The stiff porridge made with maize flour has many names all over Africa and in Zanzibar it is called Ugali. Corn flour is cooked with water into a stiff porridge, which is hard work. This is a staple diet for many Tanzanians. It is eaten with the right hand and mashed into a ball, then, pushing the thumb into the center of the ball, the ugali ball is spooned into a ball and eaten along with the food that has been stuffed into the hole.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional African Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.