Food, eating habits and cusine of Tanzania

The Tanzanian cuisine is typical throughout East Africa where a complete meal consists of any of the staple carbohydrates of corn, rice, cassava, or sorghum and plantains, accompanied usually by fish, beef, goat, chicken, mutton stew or fried pieces of meth. In most cases, the meal is served with several types of vegetables such as spinach and other leafy greens, and pieces of pumpkin or sweet potatoes. Plantains are preferred in the northeast while wali or rice and samaki or fish cooked in coconut milk in the south and along the coast. Ugali, a thick mass of corn or sorghum is a favorite dish in the southwestern and central regions. As a national dish, ugali is a stiff dough made of cassava flour, maize, millet or sorghum served with sauce containing cooked beans and vegetables, as well as meat or fish.

The most popular coastal dish is called pilau, which consists of rice spiced with curry, cumin, cinnamon, cloves and hot peppers, while the nidizi kanga, a local dish of fried bananas or plantains, is also popular among tourists and Tanzanians alike. Breakfast and snacks are also taken regularly but their preferences largely depend on local traditions and income levels of the people. The most common breakfast consists of bread, sweet rolls or mandazi or biscuits with coffee or chai (tea); chapatti or fried flat bread with tea; or vitumba or small rice cakes with tea. Also sold along the side streets are the so-called finger foods such as fried plantains or sweet potatoes, and charcoal-roasted corn on the cob. Some Indian foods are also available in the urban areas such as samosa or vegetable or meat-filled pastries, and a spiced rice dish they call masda.