International Culinary Tour Project Zimbabwe

Cuisine Of Zimbabwe Zimbabwe food includes both traditional and international (British food). Similar to several African nations, most of the people of Zimbabwe rely on staple foods.

About Zimbabwe Food Similar to its history, Zimbabwe food also has different shades of color and flavor. With the advent of European colonies, the country has adopted a heterogeneity in its culture, rituals, lifestyle, and food. Some of the popular Zimbabwe Food Recipes are Salted Groundnuts, Corn meal with pumpkin, and Peanut butter stew. Cornmeal, also named as Mealie meal, is used to make ilambazi or bota isitshwala or Sadza. Sadza is a porridge prepared by blending the cornmeal with water to create a chunky paste. Once the paste has been boiled for more than a few minutes, extra cornmeal is given to condense the paste.

7 days Itinerary Day 1 Homemade Biltong Try the Unusual Biltong is made from strips of beef, or other meat, which are cured briefly in salt, marinade in vinegar and then air-dried. The resulting dried meat, which is essentially raw, is used as a snack or cooked as part of a meal. It is typically dried out in the cold air (rural settings), cardboard or wooden boxes (urban) or climate- controlled cabinets or dry rooms.

Day 2 Kapenta or matemba - are tiny sardine-like fish; originally from Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania, which was introduced into other African lakes, including Lake Kariba. They are usually sun- dried. Those who do not like the distinctive smell of dried Kapenta, might prefer the fresh or frozen fish. These are, however, not always easy to find since most of the catch is now dried. The dry fish must be fried gently, otherwise it becomes bitter and smells burnt. In fact the best way to prepare them is probably to make an onion and tomato sauce and then add the fish. Kapenta can be served with Sadza or rice and vegetables.

Day 3 Fruit of the Wild Mopani worms are a popular delicacy in Southern Afr1ca. They are so called because they chiefly feed on the leaves of the wild mopani or mopane trees which grow in hot, low-lying areas. Their Shona name is madora. They are called amacimbi in Ndebele and are the caterpillars of the Emperor moth. They have become an important food resource for people in the region.

Day 4 Fruit of the Wild Mazhanje or wild loquats are amongst the most popular foods in Zimbabwe. They are harvested from the wild and sold by roadsides or brought into towns and cities for sale. Availability is generally from November to December. Although the tough skin contains bitter tannins, the flesh is honey sweet with a slight flavor of oranges. They provide a perfect ending to an African meal. The are eaten fresh, discarding the hard seeds and skins.

Day 5 The common Food Sadza Sadza is made from cornmeal or maize, and eaten with relish. Relish can be any kind of vegetable stew, but nyama, (meat), such as beef or chicken, is common among families who can afford it. Sadza is cooked slowly until thick, like porridge.

Day 6 The Traditional Food Dovi (Peanut Butter Stew Other traditional foods are peanuts, beans, butternut squash, gem squash, green maize (or corn on the cob), and cucumbers. Avocados are plentiful and cheap. Bowara, or pumpkin leaves, can be eaten fresh and are commonly mixed into stews, like dovi (peanut butter stew)

Day 7(last day)- The Special One Simple and Tasty fat free beef mince From Zimbo Kitchen absolutely simple and totally delicious You can serve it with anything really from with bread at breakfast or with mashed potato, spaghetti or any pasta for that matter and rice even. I used this in the baked butternut cups recipe, it was yum and everybody loved it