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Home » Destinations » Africa » Tanzania

Tanzanian Food: Typical and Traditional Cuisine

Modified: Jul 24, 2019 · Published: Nov 11, 2013 by Mark Wiens |

Breakfast in Tanzania
Breakfast in Tanzania

Tanzania, located on the East coast of Africa, has a cuisine that's been influenced by several cultures and flavors.

Indian, Middle Eastern, and local African ingredients and cooking techniques are all fused to form the base of food culture in Tanzania.

We'll begin with breakfast, and then I'll walk you through a day of eating in Tanzania.

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Like in many countries, breakfast usually is light and straightforward.

Often in the morning people will drink a cup of chai (tea with milk and about three spoons of sugar) paired with some bread.

Common choices are just typical white bread, a chapati, or a mandazi, which is a slightly sweet deep-fried square of dough.

Uji, a millet porridge, is also a breakfast option.

A big filling Tanzanian lunch
A big filling Tanzanian lunch

Lunch is typically eaten at about 1 pm throughout Tanzania, and at small local restaurants, there are some great dishes to choose from.

Ugali, just like in Kenyan food, is a grain starch usually made from cornmeal or sorghum flour. The flour is cooked with water until it becomes a thick paste.

Rice is the second staple throughout Tanzania.

Occasionally along the coast, you'll also find pilau rice or rice that's been cooked with a variety of spices like cumin, coriander, and cardamom.

Indian flatbreads, especially chapatis, are also often available. These options make the base of nearly all meals.

Along with rice or ugali, beans and a vegetable called mchicha (kind of like spinach) are two of the omnipresent side dishes.

The beans are often cooked quite plain, seasoned with a just a bit of salt and pepper and tomatoes.

The mchicha is typically fried with oil, garlic, onions, and tomatoes.

Grilled chicken
Grilled chicken

Rice or ugali, beans, and mchicha is a standard Tanzanian meal, and from there you can order delicious things like grilled chicken, nyama choma (grilled meat, which happens to be my favorite), fried chicken, fried or grilled fish (depending on which part of the country you're in), meat stew, or curry.

Along the coast, you'll find amazing dishes like octopus curry, which is simmered in a rich coconut cream sauce that's seasoned with spices.

Tanzanian snacks
Tanzanian snacks

When it comes time for a snack, Tanzania doesn't have too many options, but what's available is tasty.

Samosas, originally brought over from India, are available both on the streets and at restaurants throughout the country.

There are usually both vegetarian and meat-filled versions.

The meat samosas are a combination of minced beef with onions, garlic, and spices, all wrapped into a pastry shell and deep-fried.

Another of the most common snacks in Tanzania is roasted maize (corn).

Using white field corn that's mature, the corn is husked, then slow-roasted over open coals until it chars on the outside.

The corn tastes best when brushed with some lemon chili salt.

Greasy chips
Greasy chips

Dinner is often quite similar to lunch, rice, and ugali with some beans and vegetable, plus a form of meat if it can be afforded.

Mishkaki
Mishkaki

There's also barbecue, which is similar to Indian tandoori or Middle Eastern kebabs, yet it has its own Tanzanian flavors added.

Mishkaki as it's known, is usually made from beef, goat, chicken, or fish, that's marinated, skewered and grilled over charcoal.

They roast the meat until blackened, giving it a lovely fiery flavor.

Mishkaki is especially popular during the late afternoon and throughout the night for those that want to chow down on delicious piles of tender meat.

I like to eat mishkaki with garlic naan or a side of greasy chips (French fries).

It's not the most diverse cuisine in the world, but with the influence of both Indian and Middle Eastern flavors, paired with the wonderful tropical fresh ingredients, there are some delicious meals to eat in Tanzania!

Pin for Later

tanzanian food

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About Mark Wiens

Mark was raised in central Africa before migrating back to the U.S. for University. After graduating, he decided to continue traveling the world. On Migrationology, he shares the cultural side of travel from a slow-paced local perspective that often revolves around his love for eating all forms of food. Join him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter @migrationology.

Comments

  1. trupti shetty says

    November 11, 2013 at 9:54 am

    The Mishkaki and the grilled chicken look fabulous

  2. Denise says

    November 11, 2013 at 1:56 pm

    In two months I'm moving to Tanzania for a year so this is helpful! I love Chai, so glad to see that is common for breakfast! But I better eat up now since I see a lot of rice and beans in my future!

  3. Ivan Taptrip says

    November 14, 2013 at 2:23 am

    All look yummy! But, also look so little, hahah! Congratulations for the great post! :D

  4. Nick - Goats On The Road says

    November 14, 2013 at 5:20 am

    Mmmm... this post made me hungry. When we were travelling in Africa last year, it was great to reach Tanzania and regain some of the continents diversity in cuisine. Gotta admit though, we ate a lot of the Indian based dishes. LOVE THAT CURRY!

    The best restaurant we ate at was Safari Inn in Dar... Soooo good! Right down the street they have some nyama choma too!

  5. Corinne says

    November 19, 2013 at 2:52 am

    Yum! I want to try it all. I love your food photos.

  6. Rebecca says

    November 25, 2013 at 10:33 pm

    as much as I love reading about other cultures foods I find it just such a tease! I want to eat it not read about it!

  7. Ronnie says

    November 23, 2015 at 12:32 pm

    Tanzanian food is just amazing. I love the chips and the nyama choma! If you haven't been to dar-es-salaam, you better pack your bags and go!

  8. Mark says

    December 07, 2015 at 10:58 pm

    The chicken and samosas are calling my name! Yum.

  9. Life, Other Than | Shannon says

    February 25, 2016 at 5:05 pm

    One of my favorite travel memories is of the street food in Zanzibar. Between the sugar cane juice and the little piles of fresh-cut pineapple, I think my sugar levels are just now returning to normal.

  10. vanessa says

    December 19, 2016 at 3:23 am

    yummy...

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

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