Food of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean meals center on sadza, a thick maize porridge, served with relish: leafy greens, beans, stewed meat or dried fish. Peanut butter, pumpkin leaves and tomatoes appear in many dishes, and braaied meat is a weekend tradition. Cooking is hearty, simple and shared from common plates.
Sadza
Thick maize porridge, formed into balls and eaten with relish.
- Main dishes (8)
- Breakfast (2)
- Street food (3)
- Soups (1)
- Salads (1)
- Desserts and sweets (2)
- Drinks (3)
- Fruits and produce (4)
Staples
- maize
- sorghum
- millet
- beans
- groundnuts
- beef
- goat
Signature flavors
- peanut butter
- tomato
- onion
- chili
- pumpkin leaves
Main dishes
Thick maize porridge, formed into balls and eaten with relish.
Key ingredients: maize meal, waterSlow-simmered beef with onion and tomato.
Key ingredients: beef, onion, tomatoA traditional dish of Zimbabwe made with collard greens, peanut butter, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: collard greens, peanut butter
Dried tiny lake fish fried with onion and tomato.
Key ingredients: kapenta, onion, tomato
Dried caterpillars fried or stewed, a protein-rich specialty.
Key ingredients: mopane worms, onionPeanut butter stew with chicken or beef.
Key ingredients: peanut butter, meatA traditional dish of Zimbabwe made with cow feet, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cow feet, onionA traditional dish of Zimbabwe made with chicken, rice, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: chicken, riceBreakfast
Smooth porridge with peanut butter or butter.
Key ingredients: maize, peanut butterFermented maize drink and breakfast staple.
Key ingredients: maize meal, sugarStreet food
A traditional street snack of Zimbabwe made with sausage, bread, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: sausage, breadA traditional street snack of Zimbabwe made with corn, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: cornA traditional street snack of Zimbabwe made with potato, gram flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: potato, gram flourSoups
A traditional soup of Zimbabwe made with chicken, carrot, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: chicken, carrotSalads
A traditional salad of Zimbabwe made with tomato, onion, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: tomato, onionDesserts and sweets
A traditional sweet treat of Zimbabwe made with rice, milk, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rice, milk, sugarA traditional sweet treat of Zimbabwe made with pumpkin, flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: pumpkin, flourDrinks
A traditional drink of Zimbabwe made with maize, sugar, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: maize, sugar
A traditional drink of Zimbabwe made with rooibos, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rooibosA traditional drink of Zimbabwe made with orange, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: orangeFruits and produce
Mango is a well-loved fruit or crop in Zimbabwe, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: mangoFull guide →
Baobab is a well-loved fruit or crop in Zimbabwe, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: baobab
Masau is a well-loved fruit or crop in Zimbabwe, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: masau
Pumpkin is a well-loved fruit or crop in Zimbabwe, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: pumpkinDish guides from Zimbabwe
Explore Zimbabwe on Geographical EffectMaps, capital and cities, population, climate, landscapes and landmarks.More cuisines of Eastern Africa
- Burundi
- Comoros
- Djibouti
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mozambique
- Réunion
- Rwanda
- Seychelles
- Somalia
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Ugali & Sukuma Wiki: Paresh Jai from Nairobi, Kenya, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Kapenta drying in the sun: Emesik, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Colophospermum mopane 50D 0486: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Rooibos geschnitten: soultea.de/André Helbig, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Mangos - single and halved: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Baobab and elephant, Tanzania: Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Indian jujube (fruit): Augustus Binu : flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- FrenchMarketPumpkinsB: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
.jpg){kind=link}
