Thecuisine ofMozambique represents a mixture of indigenous foods and cooking practices, coupled with outside influences fromIndian Ocean trade andPortuguese colonization.
Prior to Portuguese colonization and theColumbian exchange,millet andsorghum were the primary grains in Mozambique. They retain some presence, thoughmaize has largely displaced them as a staple food over the last few decades.[1]
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Mozambican cuisine has deeply been influenced by thePortuguese, who introduced new crops, flavorings, and cooking methods. The importation of new crops has arguably had the most significant effect of any Portuguese influence;maize,tomatoes, (sweet)potatoes,peppers, andcassava are all non-native crops that have become core components of the Mozambican diet.[2]
Cooking techniques with Portuguese influence include therefogado, a base of tomatoes, onions, garlic, andpiri-piri sauteed in vegetable oil.[3]: 4 Sweet coconutpuddings and candies are also common, possibly as a Portuguese influence.[2]
"Curry" is considered one of Mozambique's national dishes, but is loosely defined as some combination of shrimp, fish, meat, or vegetables cooked in a sauce, that does not necessarily containcurry powder.[3]: 2, 4 Goanese influences (from Goa, a fellow Portuguese colony in India) have connected curry andcoconut in Mozambican food.[2] Peanut can also be used as a thickener for curries, especially in southern Mozambique.[3]: 4
Other non-native crops that were imported from India and further east include oranges, lemons, a range of spices, and possibly sugarcane and bananas.[2]
The staple food for many Mozambicans isxima (shi-mah), a thick porridge made frommaize/corn flour.[1]Cassava and rice are also eaten as staple carbohydrates. All of these are served with sauces of vegetables, meat, beans or fish.[4] Other typical ingredients includecashew nuts, onions,bay leaves, garlic,coriander,paprika, pepper, red pepper, sugar cane, corn, millet,sorghum and potatoes.[5]
One of the most well-known Mozambican dishes is known asmatapa, a stew dish made of cassava leaves, ground peanuts, onions, tomatoes, red chili flakes, sometimes with seafood like shrimp, and commonly served over rice.[6]
As Mozambique is a coastal nation, the cuisine includes a lot of seafood, and many dishes haveIndian influences from pre- and post-colonization Indian Ocean trade contacts. Curry dishes (caril de camarao, shrimp curry),[7] and chamussas (the Mozambican version ofsamosa) are common Mozambican dishes with Indian influences. Many dishes are also made with coconut milk, including Frango a Zambeziana, a spicy chicken dish with coconut milk.[8] Rice is a common ingredient. A bolo polana is a cake made of cashew and potatoes.[6][9]
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