Tanzania

Ugali and grilled meats inland; Zanzibar’s spiced curries, coconut, seafood and street mixes reflect Swahili trade routes. That is the short version of what Tanzania cooks. Look for Ugali (stiff maize porridge, the national staple with fish, beans or greens), Nyama choma (charcoal-grilled goat or beef with chili salt and kachumbari) and Chipsi mayai (french-fry omelette doused in chili sauce, beloved everywhere). Maize reached East Africa through Portuguese Indian Ocean trade and only replaced sorghum and millet as the national staple in the twentieth century. This atlas has 43 Tanzania dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.