Dinning at Zanzibar

Food in Zanzibar

When you explore the kitchen of Zanzibar it is – as is the island itself – influenced by many cultures. It is inspired by India, Pakistan, Arabia, China, and of course Africa. 

But it is the Swahili food traditions that are the most dominant throughout the island. The main components of traditional Swahili dishes are fruit, coconut, coconut milk as well as fish and seafood. 

On special occasions in any normal household in Zanzibar, you can be served a dish called Boku Boku. The dish contains beef, ginger, cumin, chili, red onions, garlic and whole wheat flour. It is combined into a sort of dough and is served with a salad.

Another traditional dish is Poisson Aux Coco. The dish is made up of three components which are also the three main ingredients of the Zanzibar cuisine – fish, coconut and a spice mixture. The fish is cooked over charcoal and once it is cooked, a coconut sauce is poured over it.

Besides the local dishes, there is also a wide selection of restaurants to choose from. They serve international dishes from Europe, Asia, and America as well as contemporary dishes in general. One restaurant you must pay a visit is Dhow Restaurant. The restaurant itself is a restored dhow that was previously used as a trade vessel between Zanzibar and the east African countries and it is quite literally moored to the pier in Zanzibar City. The food is served as a buffet and contains fish and seafood such as shrimp and lobster. This restaurant evokes a romantic image of the east African trade with its decadent decor and sails blowing in the wind. Try also the restaurant at Dolphinbay-resort. See picture below.