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Food & drink in Zimbabwe
A country built of sublime African landscapes, enchanting waterfalls, secret caves and ancient relics. But what about the food? The Zimbabwean cuisine is adventurous, satisfying and full-flavoured. Spices and herbs brought over during the British colonisation mixed with traditional African cuisine, giving Zimbabwean food a distinctive, refined taste, unique to the rest of Africa. Most meals center around meat, and more often than not are topped with peanut butter!
What is Zimbabwe's national dish?
Sadza
Widely consumed throughout the entire country is the national dish of Zimbabwe - sadza. Sadza to Zimbabweans is like pasta to Italians. It's made by gradually cooking either cornmeal or maize until it maintains the consistency of thickened porridge. It's usually eaten by rolling a chunk into a ball and dipping it into a meat stew or sauce. It is often topped with peanut butter or margarine.
Top tip!
Although most Zimbabweans in the cities eat using a knife and fork, the rural areas tend to eat the traditional way - using their right hand and no utensils.
Vegetarian food in Zimbabwe
Traditional Zimbabwean food does contain a lot of meat, although that doesn't mean that vegetarians will starve. Cities and major towns are your best bet as you'll have a variety of cuisines to choose from with many dishes being veggie-friendly. The Happy Cow app is an excellent resource for finding vegetarian and vegan restaurants. Some veggie-based dishes to try in Zimbabwe are covo, sadza, nhedzi, bota, muriwo unedovi and muboora.
Drinks in Zimbabwe
Whawha
Whawha is one of the most popular drinks in Zimbabwe. It's a traditional maize beer.
Beer
Zambezi is Zimbabwe's national beer. Other popular brands include Bohlingers, Lion, Eagle and Castle.
Mazoe Orange
Mazoe Orange is a popular refreshing drink in Zimbabwe made with fresh fruit and no added chemicals.
Maheu
Maheu is a drink made from leftover sadza to increase your energy and vitality.
Where's good to eat in Harare?
On a Budget
- Elephant & Pineapple
(15 York Avenue, Harare 00000, Zimbabwe) - Book Cafe
(Fife Ave. | Fife Ave, North of city centre, Harare, Zimbabwe) - Pizza Inn
(Union Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe)
Won’t Break the Bank
- Gava's
(2nd St. | Belgravia Sports Club, Harare, Zimbabwe) - Queen Makeda Ethiopian Restaurant
(3 Lanark Rd, Harare, Zimbabwe) - Organikks
(1 Dacomb Drive | Cnr Hindhead Road And Dacomb Drive, Chisipite, Harare HARARE, Zimbabwe)
Treat Yourself!
- Victoria 22
(22 Victoria Rd, Harare, Zimbabwe) - Amanzi Restaurant
(158 Enterprise Road | Highlands, Harare, Zimbabwe) - Emmanuel's
(132 Baines Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe)
*Please note that these recommendations are a current guide only.
What food should I try in Zimbabwe?
Mopane Worms
During the summer months, mopane worms are a common site at open-air markets. They're dried, fried with onions, then sprinkled with spices and salt. The lean meat is high in protein, making them a popular road-side snack in Zimbabwe.
View tours to Zimbabwe
Muriwo Na Nyama
Zimbabwe's take on comfort food, Muriwo Na Nyama is a popular dish with the locals. Essentially it's a beef stew with vegetables and added green leaves. It's usually served alongside sadza.
Muriwo Unedovi
Muriwo Unidovi is a popular dish made from collard greens. Any leaves can be used, but spinach, cabbage and pumpkin are the favourites. It's usually served with sadza or rice, and a creamy peanut butter sauce.
Kapenta
A favourite snack in Zimbabwe is Kapenta. Kapenta is small dried sardines, caught from the Zambezi river. They are either served with a sauce or a portion of sadza or rice.
Traditional Chicken Stew
One of the most famous stews in Zimbabwe is the traditional Chicken Stew. Chicken is simmered in a rich tomato sauce with a huge variety of spices, giving it its incredible flavour. It's usually served alongside rice.
Mupunga Unedovi
Mupunga Unedovi is another delicious dish in Zimbabwe with peanut butter as its star ingredient. It is a mix of rice and peanut butter and served with a meat stew in a thick gravy.
Mapopo Candy
Papaya is one of the most widely grown crops in Zimbabwe and is the key ingredient for Mapopo Candy. The papaya is cooked in sugar, then dusted with sugar flour and enjoyed as a candied snack.
Nhedzi
A traditional Zimbabwean dish, nhedzi is a deliciously-rich soup, made from local wild mushrooms and a savoury broth. Nhedzi is only found in the more rural areas of the country.
Bota
Bota is a popular breakfast dish in Zimbabwe. Essentially it's a thin porridge made from Mealie Meal, flavoured with milk, butter, jam or peanut butter and topped with crushed peanuts.
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