The History of Tanzanian Culinary Delicacies

Surrounded by Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Malawi on Africa’s east coast, Tanzania, is renowned for its snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain – its wild life safaris, its tropical beaches, for Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, Lake Tanganyika, Africa’s deepest lake, the majestic Kalamba Falls, and for the spice islands of Zanzibar.

Less known is Tanzania’s distinctive cuisine.

African foods are influenced by prior centuries of colonization, migration, and trade routes. Tanzania’s current population of more than 100 different ethnic groups, including people of Asian, Middle Eastern and European origin underscores its varied past and makes it the only country in Africa whose cuisine shows the influence of countries all over the world.

And then there are the spices that make Tanzanian cuisine special – the use of coconut, cardamom, garlic, saffron, turmeric, and pilau masala – a unique mix of black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin used in many rice and stew recipes.