Characteristic products
Typical of Central and Southern African countries, Zimbabwean cuisine makes generous use of starchy foods, which are most often reduced to dense and nutritious pastes, usually made from maize but also from cassava or yam. Maize is the basic cereal, but millet, sorghum, rice and wheat are also used, even though these are found in lesser quantities in traditional Zimbabwean cuisine and especially in the British specialties left by the colonists. The mielie meal, a kind of coarse cornmeal similar to polenta but whiter, is the basis of many specialties in the region. Vegetables include sweet potato, tomato, cabbage, onion, bean, cucumber and carrot. The gem squash is a small round squash with a dark green skin that melts in the mouth.
Despite its proximity to Mozambique - a former colony of Portugal - which is known for its love of chili, Zimbabwe does not have a very hot cuisine, although it is not lacking in flavor. One will note an abundant use of peanuts, Portuguese influence obliges. Wild mushrooms - hohwa or amakhowa - are cultivated underground by termites and grow on termite mounds. These tasty mushrooms can be lightly fried and served as a side dish.
There are also various meat specialties: impala stew, ostrich or kudu steaks, warthog ribs, crocodile tail. However, these dishes are most often served in lodges and bush camps or in the fancy restaurants of the big cities, for tourists thirsty for sensations. In reality, locals will more often eat chicken, beef and pork.
In addition, there are fish specialties, especially in the northwest and east of the country: bream (a freshwater fish with very fine flesh), trout (including the famous Inyanga trout, which is always served in the Eastern Highlands), and kapentas (small fish from Lake Kariba that are eaten fried).
Traditionally, people tend to eat with their hands in Zimbabwe, even though in most restaurants you will find cutlery, especially in international establishments. There is a three-part meal plan - breakfast, lunch and dinner - which originated in the British presence. Afternoon tea is popular.
The classics of Zimbabwean cuisine
Zimbabwe's national dish is sadza, also known asisitshwala. Rich in carbohydrates and very nutritious, this dough is made with maize flour cooked in hot water, simmering it until it thickens. Once the desired texture is reached, the dough is rolled into a ball and eaten with various dishes in sauce. It can be made from other grains such as sorghum and millet. Yam - also called madhumbe or magogoya - is prepared in many ways, most often boiled and eaten for breakfast or as a side dish. It is most often fried for lunch or dinner. It can also be ground into a powder to make bread. Mupunga unedovi is a complete dish made of long grain rice and peanut butter. It is usually served with meat. The dovi is a peanut stew made with okra and vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.) with sometimes meat (chicken, goat or lamb).
There are many dishes made with leafy vegetables in sauce, such as muboora, which consists of chopped pumpkin leaves simmered with tomatoes, onions and other condiments. Mufushwa wenyevhe or ulude contains dried leaves of shona cabbage, a plant often considered a weed but appreciated for its tangy, slightly bitter taste. Rich in iron, vitamins A, C, calcium and phosphorus, the leaves are rehydrated and simmered with peanut butter. The very nutritious mutakura, or mangai, is a mixture of peanuts, corn and beans. Very nutritious, it can be eaten for lunch or dinner, with or without meat, or even for breakfast. Roasted corn kernels, or mhandire, are a popular snack.
Boerewors is a South African beef sausage named after Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch, which is associated with the early settlers in the Cape region and whose culture spread throughout southern Africa. It is made of coarsely chopped beef flavored with nutmeg, pepper and coriander and is very popular on the barbecue. Another Afrikaans dish, prized for its durability, is biltong, a type of dried meat (beef, ostrich, antelope, etc.) cut into thin strips and marinated in a mixture of black pepper, coriander, sugar, salt and bicarbonate before drying in the sun.
Among the most popular offal dishes is zvikanganwahama, a stew of gizzards with tomato and small vegetables. The beef foot or mazondo is prepared as a stew that requires a very long cooking time. The meat is simmered with onions and tomatoes to create a rich and delicious dish. Tripe(matumbu or ezanga phakathi) is cooked with a tomato and onion mixture. Zvinyenze is prepared by wrapping the intestines around the tripe before simmering. These dishes are most often eaten with sadza for lunch, as well as usually with an ice-cold beer.
Although the country has no coastline, there are many lakes and rivers and matemba or kapenta are particularly popular. Similar to small anchovies, they are dried and salted in the sun, then rehydrated during preparation. They are so small that they are eaten as is, often fried with a few condiments. The more adventurous will try insects, which have been part of the diet of the different ethnic groups that make up Zimbabwe for thousands of years. Crickets or termites are cleaned and fried and then eaten as a side dish or snack. Very popular, mopane worms(madora or mancimbi) are actually caterpillars that feed on the leaves of the mopane tree. Once harvested, these caterpillars are emptied and eaten directly or dried in the sun. If they are dried, they must be boiled to soften. They can then be fried or stewed and served with sadza.
Desserts and drinks
The notion of dessert in Zimbabwe is not the same as in Europe, and one will find sweet preparations served at breakfast or as a snack for tea, but not necessarily at the end of the meal like in Europe. We can note the bota or iyambazi, which slightly resembles the sadza but is creamier, like a porridge. It is often flavored with peanut butter, salt and sugar. It is a common dish, especially for breakfast. Chimodho or mupotohayi is a corn bread also served for breakfast with butter and jam.
Curd(hodzeko or maasi) can be served with savory dishes, as a side dish, or with honey and sorghum as a snack. It is considered an excellent source of protein and also provides fats and bacteria that are very beneficial for the intestinal flora. Also of note isumxhanxa, a sweet soup of wild watermelon and corn, and pumpkin pudding or nhopi, made with pumpkin puree, water squash and peanut butter. Sometimes a little sour cream and a dash of cinnamon are added. Mapopo sweets are simply sweetened dried papaya cubes.
Although Zimbabwe is a producer of coffee and tea, it reserves its best batches for export and only serves drinks of rather average quality. This is also the case for cocoa, which is often a poor quality substitute, diluted in boiling water. Tea, on the other hand, remains very popular in the country, as a result of British colonization. If tap water is technically drinkable in Zimbabwe, especially in the big hotels, it is better to use bottled water, especially since the country does not lack natural sources. The other national drink is mazoe orange juice, a kind of orange-based cordial that can be found in all supermarkets and bottle stores, alongside excellent mango, guava, papaya, passion fruit, lychee, etc. juices. You can also find shandy, a kind of very light beer with ginger, similar to shandy, from which some explosive cocktails are made (such as the Club Special Shandy or the delicious Rock Shandy).
All types of strong spirits are available in Zimbabwe, from whiskey and gin to brandy and vodka. Beer is widely consumed. National brands include Bohlinger's and Zambezi Lager, while Castle, Lion and Eagle Lager come from South Africa. The local craft beer is called chibuku, and can only be drunk or bought in beer halls or shebeens (unlicensed bars) in townships. Usually served in a bucket that is passed from one to the other, it is made with yeast, millet and sorghum and has a rather acidic fermented taste that can be a little unsettling. There is a small local production of wine, the quality of which is still variable, but which is in full development. On the other hand, there are some excellent wines from South Africa.
