Food

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You really have to hand it to the monster corporations sometimes. I have been to places without internet, washing machines or even proper toilets, but never have I yet been more than a few miles away from a Snickers bar and a bottle of Coca-Cola. You could be forgiven for believing that Pringles were the staple food of Zanzibar from a glance around the shops and hotels here. In the supermarkets of Stonetown you can occasionally stumble across a packet of crisps which aren’t presented in the famous tube, but Nungwi Village and the many hotels in the area are stocked from floor to ceiling with Pringles. In my clearly sheltered experience of Pringle flavours, I can only recall coming across Sour Cream and Onion, Original, and perhaps the odd foray into Barbeque. Here, they make up for the lack of branded snack choice with flavours such as Pizza and Jalapeno (Sour Cream is still the best). I could tut and deliver a lecture on the evils of mass-production and corporate giants, or I could admit that a cold Coke - in a glass bottle - in the afternoon and a handful (or two ... or three) of Pringles with a glass of wine in the evening really is quite pleasant. However, this is definitely not a marketing campaign for global brands in favour of local food. As a vegetarian, I am used to the ‘chicken or lamb?’ ‘Ah no, vegetarian please’ ‘Eh... so ... chicken?’ conversations and slightly impromptu vegetarian options offered in foreign climes, but I have no complaints here. Luckily, I enjoyed the 3 month diet of rice and beans I lived on last time I was in Tanzania. Even better now is that the local food on Zanzibar consists of beautifully flavoured rice, beans, spinach, casava and vegetable curries, all perfectly spiced and balanced. The curries are mild - perfect for me - but laced with layers of locally grown spices and plants like cardamon, cinnamon, coconut, nutmeg, lemongrass, ginger and many more. I recently did a tour of a local spice farm, which I will have to dedicate a whole new post to - suffice to say it was fascinating. The last thing I will mention for now is chapatti - glorious soft flaky pancakes which you can eat with literally anything. I have to confess that my favourite breakfast is chapatti with Marmite, which is not looking likely to become a delicacy here.

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