Zanzibar has been a crossroads of the Indian Ocean for a thousand years. Arab, Persian, Indian and African traders all left something in the pot, and the result is Swahili food: coconut and lime, cloves and cardamom, fish straight from the dhows. Here at Binta House our dadas (dada means sister) cook it every day. These are the dishes we tell every guest to try.
1. Pilau
Rice cooked in stock with cloves, cinnamon, cumin, cardamom and black pepper, often with beef or chicken. Pilau is the dish of weddings, Eid and every family celebration on the coast. The smell alone tells you you’re in Zanzibar.
2. Samaki wa kupaka
Fish, grilled over charcoal, then smothered in a sauce of coconut milk, tamarind, garlic and chilli. Kupaka means “to spread”, and that’s exactly what you do with the sauce. One of the great dishes of the Swahili coast.
3. Pweza wa nazi
Octopus is caught right off Nungwi’s reef. Cooked slowly in coconut milk with garlic, turmeric and lime, it becomes tender and rich. If you only try one seafood dish, try this.
4. Mchuzi wa samaki
Swahili fish curry: tomato, onion, coconut, curry spices and a squeeze of lime. Eat it with rice, or better, with chapati to mop up the sauce.
5. Chapati
Soft, flaky, layered flatbread, a gift from the Indian side of Zanzibar’s story. Our dadas roll it fresh for breakfast, and it disappears fast.
6. Mandazi
The Swahili doughnut: a lightly sweet, triangle-shaped fried bread flavoured with coconut milk and cardamom. Perfect with a cup of chai in the morning.
7. Wali wa nazi na maharage
Coconut rice with red beans simmered in coconut sauce. Simple, cheap, filling and delicious: the comfort food of the coast, and a great vegetarian choice.
8. Mishkaki
Marinated cubes of beef or chicken grilled on skewers over charcoal. You’ll smell them at every evening street-food stall on the island.
9. Urojo (Zanzibar mix)
A tangy, yellow soup made with mango and tamarind, loaded with bhajia (fritters), potatoes, boiled egg, mishkaki and coconut chutney. It’s messy, spicy and completely addictive. Locals swear it’s the real taste of Zanzibar.
10. Zanzibar pizza
Not a pizza at all: a thin dough wrapped around minced meat, egg, onion and cheese (or banana and chocolate for dessert) and fried on a hot plate. The most famous place to try it is Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town at night.
11. Mkate wa kumimina
A soft, slightly sweet rice bread made with coconut milk and cardamom, baked in a pan with coals on the lid. Often eaten at breakfast, especially during Ramadan.
12. Chai and Zanzibar coffee
Swahili chai is brewed with milk and spices: ginger, cardamom, sometimes cloves or lemongrass. Strong, black Zanzibar coffee is sold in tiny cups on street corners, sometimes with a piece of kashata (coconut or peanut sweet) on the side.
Tips for eating in Zanzibar
Eat with your right hand. If you eat by hand, use your right; the left is considered unclean.
Go pole pole (slowly). Swahili meals take their time.
Try the fruit. Mangoes, passion fruit, jackfruit, rambutan and tiny sweet bananas: what’s in season is always worth trying.
Respect Ramadan. During the fasting month, many local restaurants close in the daytime. Avoid eating in public in the village during the day.
Taste it at Binta House
Breakfast by our dadas is included with every stay at Binta House, and they’ll happily cook Swahili lunches and dinners on request. Ask for pilau on your first night and octopus on your last. You’ll understand why guests come back.
