How about experimenting with the local cuisine while you are in Tanzania for safari or Kilimanjaro? Tanzanian delicacies cannot be missed. There is something different about the street food and local food here that you probably may not find anywhere else. Here are 5 Tanzanian food delicacies you cannot miss:
Zanzibari Pizza:
Sounds familiar? This is no ordinary Pizza, certainly not something you have tried in your favorite Italian restaurant. Think of chapati dough flattened and thinned, then folded into squares with all sorts of fillings. Usually, the filling is minced meet with some spices, onions and maybe a few other veggies. This wrap is then fried on a flat pan and once it’s crispy, it is ready to eat! If you are in Moshi, you can try this out at Naseeb restaurant. Otherwise, it is pretty much available in most parts of the country like Arusha, Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar.
Fish curry:
Known popularly as ‘Mchuzi wa samaki’, this fish is cooked in a similar way as traditional curries, with fresh coriander to top it off. It contains tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic and a few spices. Fish curry goes well with the local white rice.
Chips in eggs:
Ok, let’s be honest here – who doesn’t like fries! Right? Try combining that with some egg and vegetables, and voila – we have chips mayai. You must have a chips mayai when you visit Tanzania. This staple Tanzanian street food is a combination of French fries and eggs, looking like an omelet. What you add in it is entirely up to you. You could have onions, capsicum, tomatoes and coriander in your chips mayai.
Mandazi:
This is an East African favorite. We love having this as a tea time snack or in the morning for breakfast. Mandazi is made of white flour dough, sugar, yeast and coconut milk. Sometimes flavoring like cardamom are added to make it tastier. The dough is cut in triangular or circular shapes and then deep fried. Think of a doughnut – this is the African version of a doughnut.
Mshikaki:
Another East African popularity, this street food dish usually has small pieces of beef on skewers. The meat is marinated and then roasted. You can enjoy this with some tamarind sauce, coconut chutney or tomato sauce. Best served hot!
There is so much more local, authentic food that you can try out in the country, but the above are our personal preferences. During your stay in Moshi, you can easily access all these foods in the town center. Hostels like Rafiki Backpackers are not too far from town, and you could easily hop onto a tuk-tuk or even, walk, to your favorite restaurant or street food place!
