Culinary traditions of Zanzibar
Zanzibari cuisine
reflects several heterogeneous influences, as a consequence of the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nature of
Zanzibar
's and
Swahili
heritage. It is a mixture of various culinary traditions, including
Bantu
,
Arab
,
Portuguese
,
Indian
,
British
and even
Chinese cuisine
.
Early history
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The first inhabitants of Zanzibar were
Bantus
coming from mainland
Tanganyika
. They consisted of mostly
fishers
and their diet thus consisted of primarily
seafood
, such as
tuna
,
mackerel
,
lobster
,
squid
,
octopus
and
oysters
. Other ingredients and recipes brought by Bantus that are found in today's Zanzibari cuisine (some of which became widespread during
European colonialism
) are
common beans
,
sweet potatoes
,
manioc
chips,
yam
and
plaintain
.
In the 9th century,
Omanis
,
Yemenis
and
Persians
began colonizing the
Swahili Coast
, including the
Zanzibar Archipelago
. They brought new dishes and ingredients, most notably
spices
,
coconut
,
mango
,
citrus
and
rice
. One of the most common Zanzibar recipes,
pilau
(rice, coconuts, nuts and spices), clearly reflects its Arab origin.
Between the 15th century and the 16th century, the
Portuguese
quickly conquered most of the coast, including Zanzibar. The main Portuguese influences on Zanzibari cuisine was the introduction of those that would become major types of
staple food
in Zanzibar, namely
manioc
,
maize
and
pineapple
.
In 1651, the Portuguese lost control of Zanzibar to the
Omani
sultanate
. The Omanis brought new spices and intensified the commercial relationships between Zanzibar and India; as a consequence, Indian recipes such as
chutney
,
masala
,
biryani
,
curry
,
fish cakes
and samoosa (
samosa
) made it to Zanzibar. Most recipes of foreign origin were adapted to the ingredients that were available on the island, thus giving birth to a largely original "fusion" cuisine.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, most of the African Great Lakes region was colonised by the Germans and the British. Those did not mix with the local population as much as the Arabs, Persians and Indians had done, and their influence on Zanzibari cuisine is less evident; yet, some very common Zanzibari recipes, such as pepper steak, can be generically defined as having a
European
origin.
Post-independence
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After independence, Tanzania established a strong relationship with China; Chinese
physicians
,
engineers
, and military consultants came to Zanzibar. Although only a small fraction of today's Zanzibari population have Chinese origins, some recipes and ingredients, such as
soy sauce
, have become commonplace on the island.
References
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]
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National cuisines
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Ethnic and regional cuisines
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Lists
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