What to Eat in Zanzibar: A Food Lover's Guide

Zanzibar's position at the crossroads of ancient spice trade routes has gifted the island one of the most distinctive and complex food cultures in Africa. Arab traders brought spices, the Portuguese introduced new ingredients from their colonies, and Indian merchants left their mark on everything from biryani to samosas. The result is extraordinary.

Zanzibar Pizza

Despite the name, Zanzibar pizza bears no resemblance to Italian pizza. It's a thin dough stuffed with minced meat, vegetables, egg and cheese, folded into a parcel and cooked on a flat griddle. You'll find it at the Forodhani Night Market in Stone Town, fresh and piping hot, for around 3,000–5,000 TZS ($1–2).

Urojo (Zanzibar Mix)

Urojo is the ultimate Zanzibari street food — a tangy, turmeric-yellow broth filled with fried cassava, crispy bhajia, boiled potatoes, coconut chutney and a squeeze of lime. It's complex, refreshing and unlike anything you'll have eaten before. Find it at local restaurants and street stalls throughout Stone Town.

Pilau Rice

Zanzibar pilau is rice cooked in a fragrant broth of cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and black pepper — the island's signature spice blend. Often served with slow-cooked meat and a tomato relish, it's the definitive comfort food of the island.

Fresh Seafood

Zanzibar sits in the Indian Ocean. The seafood is exceptional. Grilled lobster, king prawns, octopus cooked in coconut milk, and fresh tuna are all caught locally and served the same day. Head to any beachside restaurant in Nungwi, Kendwa or Jambiani at sunset and order whatever came off the boat that morning.

• ✦Octopus curry — a Zanzibari speciality cooked with coconut milk and spices
• ✦Mishkaki — grilled meat skewers marinated in garlic and spices, sold on street corners
• ✦Samaki wa kupaka — fish marinated in coconut and spice paste, grilled over charcoal
• ✦Maandazi — East African doughnuts, slightly sweet, eaten for breakfast with chai
• ✦Kashata — coconut and peanut brittle, sold in small bags as a sweet snack

Zanzibar Coffee & Spice Tea

Coffee culture in Zanzibar is ancient and ceremonial. The local kahawa is brewed with cardamom and ginger, served in tiny cups from ornate brass urns by vendors in Stone Town's squares. Spice tea — a blend of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and cardamom brewed with milk — is the island's answer to a hug in a mug.

Where to Eat

• ✦Forodhani Night Market, Stone Town — best street food on the island
• ✦Lukmaan Restaurant, Stone Town — legendary local food, extremely cheap
• ✦The Rock Restaurant, Michamvi — built on a coral rock in the ocean, iconic setting
• ✦Sno Cream, Stone Town — fresh fruit ice cream, a local institution since 1948
• ✦Beach BBQ at Nungwi — any beach restaurant at sunset