Traditional Food To Try In Zambia

1. Nshima

Nshima (cornmeal porridge) is basic but the most important dish that makes a Zambian meal complete. The traditional recipe uses two ingredients – water and mealie meal, a very finely pounded corn meal. The mealie meal is cooked in boiling water and stirred non-stop over an open flame until it achieves the right thickness and texture similar to mashed potatoes. It is served scooped in oval fist-sized lumps. You have to make a small indention with your thumb to form a spoon and scoop the relish served with it by using one hand to eat it together. It is cooked with a thicker consistency if served for dinner and lunch, and eaten with relishes made of vegetable, meat or fish.

2. Ifisashi

Vegans and vegetarians will love this dish primarily because it can be cooked with any kind of green leafy vegetable (like baby spinach or sweet potato leaves) and peanuts. It is usually served with Nshima. The peanuts are grounded into a fine powder before adding to chopped greens, tomatoes and onions that are boiled together in a pot of water. It is stirred constantly until the water is reduced and the dish is pasty in consistency. There are many versions of how Ifisashi is cooked and in some, meat is added, if available

3. Michopo

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Michopo (roasted goat or beef meat) is best eaten with a bottle of the local beer called Mosi. The flavorful roasted meat of goat or beef is grilled outdoors and then, served with a mix of chopped potatoes, tomatoes, onions or chili. There was a time the government banned roasting Michopo in public. Apparently, it’s a real crowd favorite that’s causing too much smoke.

4. Samp

Samp (South African porridge) is made of coarsely ground dried Indian corn kernels. The kernels are chopped and stamped until it breaks, but not as finely as mealie meal. It is served with slow-cooked sugar beans - a heavenly combination that was a favorite of their former president, Nelson Mandela.

5. Ndiwo

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Ndiwo (vegetable relish) is a well-known side dish typically served with Nshima or rice. It’s quite easy to cook and there is a wide range of green vegetables that you can use in cooking Ndiwo or Ndiyo in other places. You need to saute a small chopped onion, two cloves of chopped garlic, and two chopped tomatoes in a pan with a little oil over an open flame. After 2 minutes, toss in the green leafy vegetables with a little water then cover the pan. On medium heat, simmer for 5 minutes or until the leafy greens are tender and the water has evaporated. The green leafy vegetables you can use are cassava leaves, beet greens, spinach, chard, cabbage, kale leaves, rape leaves, mustard leaves, Chinese cabbage, pumpkin leaves, bean leaves, and sweet potato leaves.

6. Ifishimu

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Ifishimu (local caterpillar), sometimes called Ifinkubala, is an African delicacy that literally wormed its way to the dining table. It is a large species of caterpillar, specifically the Mopane worm that thrives on the leaves of the Mopane tree, where it is harvested by women and children in the wild. Once picked, the tail is pinched to break up the innards and the green liquified gut is squeezed out from the worm. Originally, it is preserved by boiling them in salted water, then dried out in the sun or smoked to enhance its flavor. Nowadays, it is packed in cans soaked in brine and sold in stores. It is eaten as a raw and crispy snack or rehydrated and fried into crunchy crisps, or sautéed with tomatoes, onions and spices and served with Nshima.

7. Vitumbuwa

Vitumbuwa (South African donut) is a popular late afternoon tea time snack and sometimes a breakfast fare. These are delightful round dough balls made from water, yeast, sugar and flour that are fried into golden brown perfection. The fritters are commonly served in markets wrapped in newspaper.

8. Kalembula na Impwa

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Kalembula na Impwa (dry sweet potato leaves with eggplants) is a vegetarian dish that is a combination of two recipes. Kalembula is made of two bundles of dry sweet potato leaves (kalembula) sautéed using a special technique in salt, onions, tomatoes, and a little water until the desired texture is achieved.

Impwa, cooked separately, requires the use of the short and round variety of eggplant in this recipe. 12 eggplants are boiled, peeled off their skin, and sliced before they are sautéed in a pot with diced onions and tomatoes. It is constantly stirred and simmered until soft and ready to serve with Kalembula.

9. Utukondo twa Nkumba

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Utukondo twa Nkumba (pork trotters) is a recipe that uses one of the tastiest parts of the pig and no wonder this dish is another local favorite. Preparing this trotter dish may vary with every tribe, but the basic ingredients are quite the same. The trotters are washed, then dried and added to fried tomatoes and onions with a little pepper in a covered pan. You have to cover and simmer it for 10 minutes before adding beef stock and two cups water. Cover it once again, then reduce it to very low heat and simmer for another 2-3 hours. Serve when the trotters are tender.

10. Chikanda

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Also called as ‘African polony, Chikanda is a Zambian sausage that is served in slices either hot or cold. It is a vegetarian dish made from an interesting mix of baking soda, chili, peanuts, and orchid tubers, and cooked until it forms a meatloaf like texture. It is paired with Nshima or eaten as a desert or snack.

Try exotic Zambian dishes

Though Zambian dishes may look exotic and challenging to pronounce, they are in fact very tasty and very basic. These dishes are easy to prepare and the ingredients easy to find. There are nine tribes in Zambia, so expect that the same recipe may have different versions depending on the location. The dishes, aside from being very nutritious, also reflect the culture and lifestyle of every tribe. The cooking procedures have not changed over the years, except for the British influence when they introduced various breeds of livestock. Try the dishes with the unique Zambian taste and enjoy an exciting culinary journey.