Discover Tanzania Foods

The Foods of Tanzania rely mainly on grains, rice, spices, and fruits, with meats like chicken and fish being reserved for special occasions. Dishes vary depending on where one visits. For example, the coast offers a great deal of seafood with many people saying the best seafood is in Zanzibar. Swahili style of food includes the use of spices and coconut milk, as well as rice, fish, and prawn curries. Hotels and lodges tend to serve western and international-styled food.

Popular dishes include:

Ugali
This dish involves white corn, cassava, and millet or sorghum flour that is mixed with water and salt and then boiled until it reaches a porridge-like consistency. Ugali is traditionally eaten with hands and is the most common dish in Tanzania.

Pilau
This dish is similar to rice pilaf and is usually eaten as a communal dish. It consists of spiced rice, meat, chicken or fish, vegetables, and nuts. Cinnamon is sometimes added making it a sweet dish.

Chapatti
This is a warm flatbread similar to those found in the Middle East. It is made from flour, water, oil, salt, and onions and is usually eaten with a stew or with ugali.

Vitumbua
This is a fried sweet bread commonly served by street vendors. People tend to eat it as a snack between meals.

Nayana
This dish consists of minced beef, garlic, coconut lime, and tomatoes.