These are what makes Zimbabwean food unique in Africa

From worms to the chicken stew to peanut butter and cornbread, the variety of taste and textures is fantastic. Like almost all African countries, Zimbabwe’s food characterized by its intense and distinct flavour through herbs and spice in most of the recipes they prepare.

Zimbabwe has a vibrant and delicious culinary culture, whose dishes stand out and their taste and for their ease of cooking. The trick is to use good quality basic materials.

All types of meat products dominate the diet of the people of Zimbabwe. Chicken, cow pig, sheep and goat are used to prepare various stews accompanied by multiple ingredients of vegetables and grains. The simplest version of these dishes is to cook them roasted or grilled.

Another main ingredient in the diet of the Zimbabwean people is fish, Particularly freshwater fish. They usually grilled and eaten with rice or corn. Sometimes they are also cooked with various kinds of vegetables, both boiled and raw.

Another of the most striking outstanding of this country’s cuisine is a balanced combination of British and traditional Zimbabwean cuisine. Vegetarian travellers will find many subtropical foods and very high-quality options here.

Different foods in Zimbabwe

1. Mabhonzo Emombe

One food that Zimbabweans appreciate the most. It is a stew made with beef bones. It is cooked with other ingredients, such as vegetables or beans, and accompanied by the ubiquitous Sadza.

2. Sadza

It is a stellar food for the people of the country, essential for them. It is a kind of bread made from cornmeal. The mixture is moulded by hand until it forms balls.

They can drive alone or with peanut butter, one of the most consumed foods in the country. They commonly accompanied by beef stew and Covo. Covo is a vegetable similar to chard and cooked with onions, garlic, and peanut butter.

3. Muboora

Muboora is a traditional African dish native to Zimbabwe. It made from a mixture of pumpkin leaves, oil, tomatoes, onions, salt, and bicarbonate of soda.

The pumpkin leaves need to wash thoroughly, as they are usually full of soil. They cooked over low heat in a pot filled with boiling water and all the other ingredients until the onions and tomatoes fully cooked.

4. Mopane Worms

One of the foods to try in Zimbabwe are worms. It is a dish that most tourists tend to reject, and only some are encouraged to try it. However, it is considered a real delicacy. Mopane worms are a particular species that is found only on the tree of the same name.

They are prepared in different ways and can eat as stewed, crispy and fried. Their percentage of protein is higher than that of veal, so they are a very nutritious food.

5. Dovi

Dovi is a traditional Zimbabwean peanut stew made from chopped peanuts, garlic, onions, okra, vegetables such as carrots or potatoes, and broth or other liquids. The food made with or without meat, usually chicken, goat or lamb. It recommended to combine it with Sadza (cornmeal and water), rice, or mashed potatoes.

6. Maheu

It is the most famous and standard drink in Zimbabwe. It is made from corn and made with leftover Sadza, which is called Maheu. Therefore, it is a very cheap drink that you can buy or make at home. It brings energy and vitality.

7. Chikenduza

Chikenduza is a traditional African dessert native to Zimbabwe. These sweet cakes made from flour, vanilla, milk, sugar, butter, yeast, salt, eggs, red food colouring, and powdered sugar. The pastry is rolled into balls and baked in muffin moulds or similar bakeries until it puffs up.

These sweet cakes should then be twice the size of a bun. The chilled cakes covered in a thick pink icing made from powdered sugar, water and food colouring

8. Muriwo Unedovi

This dish consists of green cabbage cooked with a rich peanut butter sauce. In addition to kale, you can use any other green soy vegetable such as pumpkin leaves, spinach, etc. . Sometimes, it accompanied by rice or Sadza. It is a recipe that is very easy to make and very cheap.

9. Mupunga Unedovi

Mupunga Unedovi is a traditional African dish originating in Zimbabwe. Simple food made from only three ingredients: long-grain rice, peanut butter, and salt. The rice boiled in water until it absorbed liquid, then the peanut butter is put into the pot along with a little water.

10. Muriwo na Nyama

This recipe of Zimbabwean cuisine is also known as “highland stew” or “Highfields stew. “The idea for this dish originated in one of the highland areas of Zimbabwe, hence its name. It is a very famous and homely dish consisting of a delicious stew of meat and green leaves.

11. Bota

It is a porridge flavoured with peanut butter, milk, butter, or jam is traditionally eaten for breakfast.

12. Traditional chicken stew

It is described by a wide variety of flavours, as it cooked with many various spices. The chicken is cooked in a rich tomato sauce and thus acquires all its flavours. It is almost always accompanied by rice.

13. Mopopo Candy

Papaya is one of the major crops in Zimbabwe, so locals make candy from it. Papaya is boiled and sprinkled with sugar to make a sweet treat.

14. Nyama

One typical Zimbabwean dish based on meat, in this case, is veal. It is usually cooked with leaves of various vegetables or with beans. It has a delicious flavour and is very simple to prepare. It served with rice or Sadza.

15. Kapenta

It is known as the kapenta, the fish of Lake Tanganyika, although it is also often found in the Zambezi River, which stretches between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is a tiny fish, eaten as a snack while walking the streets. It can also be incorporated into sauces and served with rice and Sadza.