A Zanzibar Food Diary

When I am planning my trips, I love to have a packing list on Evernote. I also like to create Pinterest boards with things to do on the trip. As a writer, one of the things I think about when planning trips is food. I like to know what I will be eating and where I will be eating.

Think about it. What you eat on a trip can affect you in different ways. Some of my best trips were those where I had unforgettable food adventures.

After browsing through countless travel blogs about Zanzibar, I knew that I would be up for a good surprise. Coming from Kenya, I know that Zanzibar’s food would be somewhat similar to the food we find on the Kenyan coast. I was expecting Swahili inspired dishes like Biriyani, seafood and a variety of spices. I also knew that Zanzibar Island had many influences ranging from Arabic to Indian and I also expected a mix of that.

We were staying in Stone Town which is a world heritage site. A trip to Zanzibar is not complete without a visit to Stone Town. The narrow streets are like a minefield. Our mission was to walk, discover and to get “wanderfully” lost. We tasted the snacks from the vendors, we smelled the spices in the market, we touched the fruit and filled our basket.

Me at a random market by the side of the road. I can't remember what I was looking at.

We went to a fish market where the most putrid smell of fish and seafood rent the air. Fishermen came with buckets full of fish and dropped them on dirty wooden tables. Some fell on the floor and they were quickly picked up and thrown on the pile to join their dead friends.

Mongers shouted prices and auctioned lobster in another corner. It was chaotic, it was smelly but it was interesting. Amidst the noise and chaos, business was running. Like a well-oiled machine. Everything and everyone doing their part. Everyone looked busy descaling, packing, washing and selling fish. It did not take long before we were looking for the nearest exit.

The fetid smell was replaced by the smell of ripe fruit as we quickly walked to Darajani Market, a large fruit & vegetable market in Stone Town. We ate plantain and jackfruit. I had litchi for the first time. I ate so many wild and exotic fruit in that market.

Where has this fruit been all my life? It was my first time to eat it and I loved it

A glimpse of some of the fruit in the market

People busy at work

After the busy day discovering the taste and smell of this island, we headed out to the Airbnb we were staying at. I did some work on the rooftop, answered emails, typed a story and took a long shower. We dressed up and headed out for dinner.

Dinner was different. Tonight we would be trying the street food at Forodhani Market. I psychologically prepared myself and told my stomach that, “We can do this”.

The sun setting and the glistening waves crashing was the perfect backdrop for this pop-up seafood market. We moved from stand to stand. I had watched a Youtube video of the Zanzibar pizza and I was eager to experience it for myself. It was not like normal pizza but it was more of a flatbread stuffed with meat and different vegetables. The first night, I tried the spicy beef one. You cannot go wrong with beef sometimes. It was delicious and we watched as the chefs made it on sight.

the skewers

The Zanzibar pizza being cooked

The final product with sauce.

We then went to a stand where we had some delicious skewers and fruit. It was just relaxing. Life in Zanzibar moves at such a slow pace. It is like the clock ticks differently here. Slower. No one is in a rush. Coming from a city like Nairobi, where everything moves so fast, this was therapeutic.

A dash of lime juice and ice cubes was all I needed to top of this mug of sugarcane juice in my hands. I just loved it. Sometimes, I feel like I could just go back for the sugarcane juice. It was delicious.

One thing I could change about this market, however, was the cats. The countless cats that stare into your soul as you eat. The corner you from every side and just sit next to you looking at you with dead eyes. Don't get me wrong, I love cats but these were stray and they were so many on the island. There was something sinister about them. I made a mistake of throwing a piece of meat to one of them and six more appeared.

The next day, after a hearty breakfast at the Airbnb we went to Prison Island and we came back famished. We went to a local restaurant and had some delicious rice and beef stew. We also discovered that Tamarind juice is a staple in Zanzibar. It was my first time to try it and it was delicious.

The next day, we went snorkeling. We went to the mangrove forests and I got seasick at some point. I think what made me sick was the motion of the boat back and forth. We had been in the boat for hours. I am not the best swimmer and I was tired of the water. After throwing up countless times, I was so hungry. I remember feeling stomach cramps and there was nothing I could do since we were in the ocean. Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach starts aching? I slept in the boat as we headed to another Island. On the island, we got an amazing tray of different types of seafood, rice, fries, and bread. I ate and regained my energy for the next adventure.

In a nutshell, the food was great. Some of the restaurants were underwhelming and they served some bland dishes. However, we experimented a lot and tried a lot of street food. We asked our guide to recommend great places for us to eat because we did not want any bad surprises especially when it came to the street food.

As you can see, we ate alot of rice dishes

More rice

... and more rice

I love fruits and spices. The fruits in Zanzibar have such a high sugar content because of the high temperatures and humidity. I realized that their pineapples and mangoes were very sweet and different from the tart once I was used to. Even the watermelon was delicious.

Pineapples

The roadside markets.

When it came to the drinks, we always had bottled water from “Drop Zanzibar” which is a reputable water company from the island. Because of the heat, we always put 4 liters in the cooler every morning as we go to the car.

I tried to avoid soda but they have fresh juice in every restaurant. I always ordered Tamarind juice, passion or pineapple juice. I did not try any alcohol while there but they had many Tanzanian Beers, Heineken and the usual spirits.

Everywhere you went you would get coconut water. In the markets, the beach and by the roadside, people would be selling coconuts and coconut water which they call madafu.

If you ever find yourself in that part of the globe, excite your tastebuds by indulging in what Zanzibar has to offer.

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Authored by @jeanwandimi

Photography by @jeanwandimi

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