ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Malawi
Five dishes to try in Malawi, the most typical first. Four are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Malawi
Nsima
Stiff maize porridge, the base of almost every meal.
How to have it: Eaten by hand with relishes of beans, greens, fish or meat; in Malawi a meal without nsima is a snack.
Chambo
Lake Malawi tilapia, fried or grilled whole.
How to have it: Order it at lakeshore lodges in Cape Maclear or Nkhata Bay with nsima or chips.
Kondowole
Stiff porridge made from cassava flour.
How to have it: The northern lakeshore staple; eaten with fish or usipa relish instead of maize nsima.
Mandasi
Lightly sweet fried dough buns.
How to have it: Sold at bus stations and markets in the morning; eat them with sweet milky tea.
Thobwa
Sweet, thick non-alcoholic drink of fermented maize and millet.
How to have it: Sold in bottles at markets and roadside shops; best drunk cold.
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Questions
What food is Malawi famous for?
Nsima (stiff maize porridge, the base of almost every meal) comes first on our list, followed by Chambo, Kondowole, Mandasi and Thobwa.
What is the national dish of Malawi?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Malawi is Nsima: stiff maize porridge, the base of almost every meal. Eaten by hand with relishes of beans, greens, fish or meat; in Malawi a meal without nsima is a snack.
Which dishes in Malawi are vegetarian?
Four of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Nsima, Kondowole, Mandasi and Thobwa. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Malawi?
Thobwa: sweet, thick non-alcoholic drink of fermented maize and millet.
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Tick off every dish you try in Malawi
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.