| Part ofa series on the |
| Culture of Tanzania |
|---|
 |
| People |
| Languages |
| Religion |
| Literature |
| Music |
| Sport |
Zanzibari cuisine reflects several heterogeneous influences, as a consequence of the multi-cultural and multi-ethnic nature ofZanzibar's andSwahili heritage. It is a mixture of various culinary traditions, includingBantu,Arab,Portuguese,Indian,British and evenChinese cuisine.
The first inhabitants of Zanzibar wereBantus coming from mainlandTanganyika. They consisted of mostlyfishers and their diet thus consisted of primarilyseafood, such astuna,mackerel,lobster,squid,octopus andoysters. Other ingredients and recipes brought by Bantus that are found in today's Zanzibari cuisine (some of which became widespread duringEuropean colonialism) arecommon beans,sweet potatoes,manioc chips,yam andplaintain.
In the 9th century,Omanis,Yemenis andPersians began colonizing theSwahili Coast, including theZanzibar Archipelago. They brought new dishes and ingredients, most notablyspices,coconut,mango,citrus andrice. One of the most common Zanzibar recipes,pilau (rice, coconuts, nuts and spices), clearly reflects its Arab origin.
.JPG)
Between the 15th century and the 16th century, thePortuguese quickly conquered most of the coast, including Zanzibar. The main Portuguese influences on Zanzibari cuisine was the introduction of those that would become major types ofstaple food in Zanzibar, namelymanioc,maize andpineapple.
In 1651, the Portuguese lost control of Zanzibar to theOmanisultanate. The Omanis brought new spices and intensified the commercial relationships between Zanzibar and India; as a consequence, Indian recipes such aschutney,masala,biryani,curry,fish cakes and samoosa (samosa) made it to Zanzibar. Most recipes of foreign origin were adapted to the ingredients that were available on the island, thus giving birth to a largely original "fusion" cuisine.
Around the beginning of the 20th century, most of the African Great Lakes region was colonised by the Germans and the British. Those did not mix with the local population as much as the Arabs, Persians and Indians had done, and their influence on Zanzibari cuisine is less evident; yet, some very common Zanzibari recipes, such as pepper steak, can be generically defined as having aEuropean origin.
After independence, Tanzania established a strong relationship with China; Chinesephysicians,engineers, and military consultants came to Zanzibar. Although only a small fraction of today's Zanzibari population have Chinese origins, some recipes and ingredients, such assoy sauce, have become commonplace on the island.
