When walking the streets of Tanzania, breathe in the sweet scent of cinnamon, the warm spices like cloves and cardamom, and the aromatic food being cooked with these and many other spices. Tanzania is a sensory experience, with the world’s most sought-after spices woven deeply into its history and cuisine. 

Tanzania, especially Zanzibar, is a spice-growing paradise. We explore the spices that make Tanzania famous and how to bring those spices together into a mouthwatering dish.

A Spiced History

Few people know that Tanzania grows numerous aromatic and exotic spices, even though it has a nickname of ‘The Spice Island’. Zanzibar is an extremely important and central location for the global spice trade routes. Zanzibar was announced as the capital in the 19th century by the Omani Sultanate, where they established clove plantations. It was these vast clove plantations that made the islands a global leading producer in the world of spice. It is the riches from cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and pepper that added to the richness of Stone Town and the Swahili culture – a blend of African, Arab, Indian and Persian influences merging together to create delicious cuisine.

Must-Have Spices

There are a few spices from the many that are grown in Tanzania that stand out. Some of the spices Tanzania is known for are:

Cloves, also known as Karafuu, were once more valuable than gold! It is a pungent dried flower with an intense, slightly sweet flavor and many medicinal properties.

The cinnamon in Tanzania is unlike the cinnamon you have at home. Also known as Mdalasini, the cinnamon in Tanzania is intensely fragrant and complex, and can be bought in beautiful scrolls of bark.

Kungumanga, better known as mace and nutmeg, are two beautiful and distinct spices. The hard inner seed is nutmeg, while the bright red, lacy covering is mace. Mace is known to have a more peppery flavor.

The Queen of Spice – cardamom – are those green pods with tiny black seeds packed full of flavor. Also known as Hiliki, cardamom has citrus, mint and floral notes and its great for savory and sweet dishes.

Have you ever seen pepper in its natural form? Black, green and white pepper, also known as Pilipili Manga, grows on long vines, and the different colors come from the same plant, but harvested at different stages of its ripeness.

Be sure to go on the ‘Spice Tour’, or do your own shopping in Stone Town and delight your fellow travelers or those at home with a delicious meal or two creating an authentic Tanzanian experience that will leave them wanting more and more!

Zanzibar Pilau Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

6 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods

oil for frying 5 garlic cloves

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

650g rice, washed and drained

3 onions, chopped

800g meat (beef, chicken, mutton, lamb, fish, prawns or any mix) cut into bite-sized pieces

4 tomatoes, chopped

4 potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 apple, peeled and sliced

200g raisins or sultanas

Method:

Heat the whole spices in a dry frying pan until aromatic then grind to a powder. Pound the garlic and ginger together in a pestle and mortar and set aside. Heat oil in a deep pan and fry the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and ginger paste. Continue cooking and stirring until a strong aroma develops. At this stage add the meat, stir and cook over high heat until the meat has browned on all sides. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for a few minutes more. Remove the meat and most of the onions from the pan and set aside.

Add the rice and stir thoroughly so that each grain is coated with oil. Add the spices and 250ml water, stir and wait 5 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Cover the pot and cook for simmer for a few minutes more, with occasional stirring. After ten minutes add the potatoes and the apples and raisins. Adjust the water level if necessary and return the meat and onions to the pot. Continue simmering on a low heat for 10 more minutes. Remove the pot from the stove, and keeping it covered place in a warm oven (150°C) for an additional 20 minutes. By this time the contents of the pot should be almost dry and the rice and potatoes should be tender. Serve immediately.

Recipe from celtnet.org.uk

Share your experiences in Zanzibar and Stone Town with us, and let us know about your spice travels! We’d love to see pictures of your delicious pilau too, and hear about the spice adventure in each bite of food. We are sure it will leave many mouths and hearts happy!