Thumpy Rose On our exploration of recipes for African food, we are taking a stop to look at food in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe products range from traditional and healthy spicy recipes to recipes influenced by others. Whether they are as far as Europe or as close to home as South Africa and Mozambique. Whatever the case, Zimbabwe culture food is amazing.
Zimbabwe culture food and Zimbabwe products
In Kenya they call it ugali, in South Africa it is pap. Well, in Zimbabwe this staple food is called sadza. It is one of the most popular Zimbabwe products, made of mealie meal and eaten like you eat fufu. It can be very plain, but some like to spice it up. How? Using the usual spices that go into recipes for African food. An example being Aromat.
You’re probably thinking but Aromat isn’t a Zimbabwe product. True, but this brings us to what goes into Zimbabwean recipes. As mentioned above, inspiration for Zimbabwe culture foods comes from all over Africa. In fact, sauces and spices from popular brands like Steers and Nandos are commonly found in peoples homes. A wide range of dried and fresh spices and herbs are put into their healthy spicy recipes. These same ones are grown all over and also added into other recipes for African food. For example, many of the spices in Benin are also very popular in food in Zimbabwe.
Some of these popular spices are ginger, garlic, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric… the list goes on. The basic ones are salt and pepper, with the less common ones probably being nutmeg and cumin. Not that they aren’t available. Most of these are added to healthy spicy recipes but others like ginger and garlic are peeled and eaten raw. Researchers claim it helps to boost the immune system.
Related: What to Expect In East African Recipes
More on healthy spicy recipes
Don’t conclude that Zimbabwe only has the basic spices just yet. There is a household spice that we didn’t mention because it deserves its own space. If a Zimbabwean does not grow this in their garden or know someone who does, then they probably aren’t really Zimbabwean. This popular spice is none other than Peri peri, or the Tabasco pepper. It is more popular in Southern African dishes than as something you would find in general recipes for African food. Peri peri can be made into a sauce that you can add into most of the food in Zimbabwe: stews, veggies, and especially chicken. According to research, it can increase metabolism and improve appetites. This is because of the iron, calcium, and many vitamins in it.
Food in Zimbabwe exploration continues
Zimbabwe culture foods have similar ingredients to other recipes for African food. But there is so much out there in different African regions to explore. For more Zimbabwe products, subscribe for updates. More healthy spicy recipes await! Curious about a no-animal-meat food lifestyle? Peep instagram to see what I eat live😊.
