ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Zambia
Five dishes to try in Zambia, the most typical first. Four are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Zambia
Nshima
Thick white maize porridge, the base of nearly every Zambian meal.
How to have it: Roll a ball in your right hand and use it to scoop up relishes like beans, greens or fish.
Ifisashi
Leafy greens cooked in a ground peanut sauce.
How to have it: A common relish with nshima; local restaurants serve it as a side.
Kapenta
Small sardine-like fish, dried and fried with tomato and onion.
How to have it: From Lake Kariba and Lake Tanganyika; eaten with nshima and sold dried at markets.
Chikanda
Firm 'African polony' made from wild orchid tubers, peanuts and chilli.
How to have it: Sliced and sold at markets and roadside stalls, especially in Northern Province.
Munkoyo
Lightly fermented maize drink flavoured with munkoyo root.
How to have it: A rural drink sold in markets and at gatherings; it is sweet when fresh and sour later.
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Questions
What food is Zambia famous for?
Nshima (thick white maize porridge, the base of nearly every Zambian meal) comes first on our list, followed by Ifisashi, Kapenta, Chikanda and Munkoyo.
What is the national dish of Zambia?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Zambia is Nshima: thick white maize porridge, the base of nearly every Zambian meal. Roll a ball in your right hand and use it to scoop up relishes like beans, greens or fish.
Which dishes in Zambia are vegetarian?
Four of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Nshima, Ifisashi, Chikanda and Munkoyo. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Zambia?
Munkoyo: lightly fermented maize drink flavoured with munkoyo root.
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 Zambia
Explo is a free app: light up the countries you have visited, keep the dishes you have tried, and check visa rules, weather and holidays before you go.
Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.