The Sunday News
Zimbabwean food is usually defined by fresh ingredients and traditional recipes unchanged over decades. Many Zimbabwean dishes are considered to be staple dishes in Africa as they utilise ingredients that are abundant across much of the continent.
Zimbabweans have always been very resourceful when it comes to preparing their food. They tend to maximise the flavours of every ingredient no matter how simple it is.
They tend to pass along traditional cooking techniques to the newer generations and many of their practices are still used today.
We have helpfully collated some of the most iconic, traditional dishes of Zimbabwe.
Sadza
Sadza is the national dish of Zimbabwe. It is a type of bread where corn flour is used and the mixture is moulded using hands to form balls.
It can be cooked alone or with the most-used product in their country… peanut butter. It is usually accompanied by beef stew and a vegetable called covo.Sadza is made by simmering the maize with hot water and adding more until it thickens and is formed into a thick paste. It is best to eat with your hands.
Inkobe
Inkobe is a wholesome dish consisting of a mix of peanuts (amazambane), maize (umumbu), bambara nuts (indlubu), cow peas (indumba) and sugar beans.
The ingredients are simple yet still able to create a real tasty dish.
Inkobe
Inkobe has both carbohydrates and proteins which makes it a very nutritious meal. It is made by soaking the ingredients overnight, combining it together and then boiling it for several hours or until it becomes soft.
It is such a versatile dish because Zimbabweans eat it for breakfast with a cup of tea, for lunch or dinner with or without meat.
Umxhanxa
Umxhanxa is a dish traditionally prepared by the Ndebele and Kalanga people. It is a seasonal dish that is often served for lunch after harvest time in winter.
It is made with a yellow watermelon called ijodo, sugar and sun-dried maize.
The maize is boiled for about two and a half hours until the hard grains soften.
Umxhanxa
The yellow watermelon is then peeled and sliced, and all the seeds should be removed. It is boiled for 30 minutes and beaten, before the ijodo and maize are combined with sugar.
Amangqina
Amangqina is one of the most iconic dishes of Zimbabwe. It is enjoyed by all age groups and is traditionally served with isitshwala and collard greens.
The preparation of this amangqina involves boiling cow heels for several hours and seasoning with black pepper, salt and garlic. To make a rich and delicious stew, chopped onions and tomatoes are added and cooked over an open flame as it consumes a lot of electricity when cooking it in an electric stove.
Amacimbi
Amacimbi worms are one of Zimbabwe’s strangest dishes and it is often rejected by tourists because it is quite an unusual and a little hard to stomach.
However, it is considered by locals to be a real traditional delicacy.
Amacimbi
It has a high percentage of protein which makes it a very nutritious food. It can be cooked in various ways and can be eaten fried or as a stew. – Travel Food Atlas
