Zambia's Unique Cuisine
Zambian cuisine is heavily centered around nshima, which is a food prepared from pounded white maize (Nshima, 2019). Nshima is part of nearly every Zambian meal. In addition to nshima, Zambian cuisine includes various types of stew, cooked vegetables and different types of beer (Nshima, 2019).
​
Main Meals
​
Dried fish and insects like Inswa are also eaten. Greenhead tilapia is also a common type of fish eaten in many homes. Jelloff rice cooked with tomatoes and many spices are also common and lastly, Ifishashi which is vegetables cooked with ground nuts and tomatoes (Zambia, n.d).
Nshima
Made from corn meal. In the top right corner. Served with small fish and vegetables
Jellof Rice
Made from rice that is seasoned in tomatoes, meat broth, and vegetables.
Green Head Tilapia
Freshwater fish seasoned and fried served with a side of pumpkin leaves and sauce
Ifishashi
Vegetables cooked in groundnuts and tomatoes. seasoned with a few spices.
Interesting Meals
Zambians also have interesting additions to the diet that should be tried by any tourist visiting the country (Kapambe, 2018). Chikanda is a very common street food that is vegetarian and is referred to as African polony most times by locals.
​
Caterpillars or mopane worms are also a common sight in the local markets. Impwa which is in the eggplant family is also a common vegetable (Zambia, n.d). Inswa is most often found during the rainy season because that's when the life stage of these termites comes to the surface after rains (Zambia, n.d).
Meal PreparationVideos
The videos below show how some common Zambian meals are prepared in homes. The first video shows how Nshima is prepared and the second video shows how dried vegetables are cooked with groundnuts.
References
Kapambwe, M. (2018, March 23). 9 Traditional Foods You Must Eat While You're in Zambia. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/africa/zambia/articles/9-traditional-foods-you-must-eat-while-youre-in-zambia/
Zambia. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/zambia/food-and-drink/
Nshima: A Staple Food in Zambia. (2019, March 29). Retrieved from https://theturquoisetable.com/nshima-a-staple-food-in-zambia/
By. (2014, January 09). 10 Zambian Comfort Food recipes. Retrieved from https://moguldom.com/37083/10-zambian-comfort-foods/3/