The flavors of Tanzania
Of course, when you travel, you are always curious to know what to expect with the food in that country. Tanzanian cuisine does not have a lot of variety but the dishes you encounter are special! We would like to take you through these special dishes so you know exactly what to expect!
Tanzanian cuisine
Tanzania’s cuisine is derived from the different cultures and backgrounds found in the country. For example, you will see aspects coming back from Swahili the Arabic cuisine, Indian cuisine as well as traditional Tanzanian cuisine. Your taste buds will be tested by the many new flavors you will taste here. Tanzanian cuisine mainly uses fresh local products. In the various communities there are markets where these products are traded, for example vegetables, fruit, fish and meat.
Tanzanian spices
Do you also know the images of the nice markets where the spices are on the table in big bags. You can find these markets in Tanzania too! In Tanzania, they often use simple spices when preparing food. Think: cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric, garlic, black chilies and nutmeg.
Meat dishes in Tanzania
Tanzania’s national dish is ugali. This is a dish made from a porridge of maize flour and is often served as a side dish with main dishes. Especially with meat and fish dishes, you will see it often. In addition to ugali, nyama choma is also a well-known meat dish. This dish consists of grilled beef, goat or chicken prepared over an open fire.
Fish dishes in Tanzania
Fish dishes are seen in Tanzania mostly along the coast. Pilau is one of the favorite dishes here. This is a spicy rice dish with various sea creatures flavored with spices and herbs. Furthermore, much is prepared with the catch of local fishermen.
Snacks in Tanzania
In Tanzania, people are also good at making sweet treats. Mandazi is a deep-fried dough dish that is similar to a doughnut. In addition, they work a lot with coconut and ”Kashata” is also a local delicacy. If you are in Tanzania and come across these snacks we definitely recommend tasting them!
Besides sweet treats, you’ll also see a lot of roasted corn in Tanzania. An easy yet delicious recipe!
Food from the street: beware!
In Tanzania a lot of food is sold on the streets and we always let our travelers know to be careful with this food. Our bodies are not used to the food prepared on the streets here and sometimes this can cause health problems. Therefore, if you cook something on the street, always check that everything is well done before eating it.
Fruit in Tanzania
As in the rest of Africa, fruit plays an important role in Tanzanian cuisine. As such, you will find a wide variety of fruits, some of which you didn’t even know existed. The best known fruits are mangoes, grapes and bananas. Lesser known fruits include: African custard apple, Jackfruit and Durian.
Bananas in Tanzania
The banana is perhaps the most common fruit in Tanzania and Tanzanians are crazy about making dishes with it. So you will regularly come across colored bananas but also banana soup, fried or baked banana, boiled banana and even banana beer is perfectly normal here.
What to drink in Tanzania
In Tanzania, as in the rest of Africa, they drink a lot of tea. In addition, if financially possible, they like to drink soft drinks and beer. These are generally quite pricey in Tanzania and therefore not available to everyone. Popular beer brands in Tanzania are named after words you can really associate with Tanzania: Safari, Kilimanjaro and Serengeti.
Eating on safari
During your
safari
Tanzania the food will be completely taken care of by us. At the hotels we have great chefs who will prepare all the food for you with passion. You will taste Tanzanian dishes here but have a choice of familiar dishes from around the world. Breakfast and lunch will also all be taken care of during your safari so you have enough energy for all the
activities
.