ExploFood · Africa
What to eat in Zimbabwe
Five dishes to try in Zimbabwe, the most typical first. Two are vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in Zimbabwe
Sadza
Thick maize porridge eaten with stews, greens or meat.
How to have it: The daily staple; eat it by hand with muriwo (greens in peanut butter) and nyama (meat).
Kapenta
Small dried fish fried with tomato and onion.
How to have it: Caught in Lake Kariba; served with sadza at local eateries and sold dried at markets.
Madora
Mopane worms, dried caterpillars fried crisp or cooked in tomato sauce.
How to have it: A seasonal protein sold at markets; try them fried as a snack before having them stewed.
Biltong
Dried strips of spiced cured beef or game.
How to have it: Shared with South Africa; sold at butchers and supermarkets, good for road trips.
Mahewu
Thick, lightly fermented non-alcoholic maize drink.
How to have it: Sold in cartons in shops or made at home; a filling drink on hot days.
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Questions
What food is Zimbabwe famous for?
Sadza (thick maize porridge eaten with stews, greens or meat) comes first on our list, followed by Kapenta, Madora, Biltong and Mahewu.
What is the national dish of Zimbabwe?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for Zimbabwe is Sadza: thick maize porridge eaten with stews, greens or meat. The daily staple; eat it by hand with muriwo (greens in peanut butter) and nyama (meat).
Which dishes in Zimbabwe are vegetarian?
Two of the five on this page are vegetarian as usually made: Sadza and Mahewu. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What do people drink in Zimbabwe?
Mahewu: thick, lightly fermented non-alcoholic maize drink.
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 Zimbabwe
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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.