Four decadent food items to try in Zanzibar

Shaped by centuries of trade and migration Zanzibar boasts a unique food culture! You could find European, African and Persian influences in the food served here and it is certainly delicious and extremely flavourful.

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Zanzibar Pizza

Unlike the slim and crusty pizzas of the west, Zanzibar pizza falls a bit on the thicker side and has a different shape. The pizza starts as thinned out dough that is topped with an assortment of ingredients such as onions, capsicum, triangle happy cow cheese, an egg, mayonnaise, chilli sauce and your choice of meat. The dough is then placed on a frying pan to cook. When the base gets crispy, it gets turned over and gets cut into squares and then served hot.

Seafood platters

Being an islands Zanzibar has an abundant supply of fresh seafood. Most of the hotels and Zanzibar resorts the likes of The Residence Zanzibar offer seafood on their menus. Seafood platters offered in Zanzibar, contains lobsters, tuna, prawns, calamari, octopus and kingfish. The cooked seafood is then served with wedges of lime.

Mishkaki

This is a staple street food that you could find in the many footstalls and restaurants that are scattered across Zanzibar. Chunks of marinated chicken or meat are skewered and grilled to perfection on open coals. It is an ideal late afternoon snack.

Pilau

This is one of the most iconic rice-based dishes you could savour during your time in Zanzibar.

Having an Arabian origin; Pilau is made with fried onions, meat, broth, vegetables, and spices such as ginger, garlic, cardamom, cloves, cumin, and cinnamon cooked together with rice. Grated coconut, dried fruit and nuts are drizzles on top and ghee or butter is also slathered on top for extra flavour. What you get in the end is a mound of fragrant and delicious rice with chunks of meat.