eastern-africa
Explore 73 foods connected to Zambia, from everyday staples to rare local specialties.
Start with Munkoyo →
The local shortlist
12 editor-selected foods for understanding the place through what people eat.
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The full directory
73 foods in this view. Filter by category, type, rarity, or search every recorded name.
Zambia
Traditional Zambian fermented drink made from maize meal; sweet and slightly tangy; the roots of the munkoyo plant are used to ferment the porridge; a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage; served at gatherings and celebrations; the traditional drink of Zambia; thick and smooth.
Zimbabwe
Covo, rape or pumpkin leaves boiled down with onion and tomato and finished with a large spoonful of peanut butter until the sauce thickens and turns russet.
Zimbabwe
Dried maize kernels boiled for hours with groundnuts, cowpeas or bambara nuts and nothing but salt, eaten by the handful.
Malawi
The relish or side dish served with nsima in Malawi; usually a cooked vegetable — pumpkin leaves, amaranth, cassava leaves, or beans — sometimes enriched with dried fish, groundnuts, or a little meat.
Kenya
Kenya's unofficial national dish: grilled goat or sheep meat over open fire, eaten with hands, ugali, and kachumbari
Zimbabwe
Nyimo
Bambara groundnuts, a hard round legume grown mostly by women on marginal soil, boiled for hours or roasted and salted.
Malawi
Pap
South Africa's staple food: a starchy porridge of maize meal (mielie-meal), served soft or stiff with meat, gravy, or chakalaka
DR Congo
Saka saka
The beloved national staple of the Congo — cassava leaves pounded into a fine paste and slow-cooked for hours with palm oil, onions, garlic, and often smoked fish or beef; rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals; the palm oil gives a characteristic reddish-brown color and nutty flavor; served with fufu, chikwangue, or plantains; the backbone of daily Congolese dining.
DR Congo
Poulet moambe
The national dish of the Democratic Republic of the Congo — chicken braised low and slow in a glossy, deep-orange sauce built from palm nut pulp, peanut butter, tomatoes, and warm aromatics; the name 'moambe' refers to the palm butter made from the pericarp of palm nuts; served with rice, fufu, or chikwangue; the soul of Congolese culinary tradition.
Zambia
Imilumya
Zambian pounded vegetable relish; various vegetables and greens pounded together; cooked with groundnuts and spices; a traditional preparation method; served with nshima; a regional specialty from rural Zambia; the pounded relish that combines multiple vegetables; earthy and nutritious.
Nigeria
Balls of sweetened yeast batter dropped into hot oil by hand and fried until deep brown and hollow inside.
Zambia
Chibwabwa
Traditional Zambian dish of pumpkin leaves cooked into a silky stew; sometimes with tomatoes, onions, and groundnuts; a simple relish served with nshima; prepared during special ceremonies; the leaves must be properly cooked; a TasteAtlas-listed must-try; one of the most beloved vegetable relishes in Zambia.
Zimbabwe
Huku yemumusha
Free-range village chicken, slow-grown and lean, stewed for a long time with onion and tomato because it is far too tough to roast.
Zambia
Michopo
Zambian roasted beef or goat; meat grilled over charcoal; smoky and tender; a popular street food and bar snack; served with chili and onions; the braai tradition of Zambia; found at roadside stalls and bars; eaten with hands; the grilled meat of Zambia's streets.
Malawi
Isitshwala
White maize meal stirred into boiling water in two stages — a thin porridge first, then more meal beaten in — until it is stiff enough to be rolled into a ball by hand.
Guadeloupe
समोसा
A crisp South Asian pastry is folded around spiced potato, peas, onion, or meat, then fried and served with chutney
South Africa
Sitambu
A South African staple of crushed dried corn kernels, cooked with beans or served with meat. A national and traditional staple, hearty and savory, a comfort and daily dish
Botswana
Botswana's national dish — beef or goat meat boiled in a three-legged iron pot with only salt, water, and cooking oil, simmered until tender, then pounded and shredded; served at funerals, weddings, and independence celebrations.
Zambia
Mabisi
Traditional Zambian sour milk; milk left to ferment naturally; tangy, thick, and refreshing; a traditional dairy product; served with nshima or taken as a drink; similar to amasi in southern Africa; a way to preserve milk without refrigeration; the fermented dairy of Zambia.
Zambia
Chibwantu
Traditional Zambian fermented drink; similar to munkoyo but sweeter; made from maize meal and fermented with roots; a refreshing beverage served at gatherings; sweet and slightly tangy; the celebration drink of rural Zambia; non-alcoholic or very low alcohol.
Zambia
Thobwa
Traditional Zambian sweet fermented drink; made from maize meal; thick, sweet, and refreshing; popular in the eastern and northern provinces; served at markets and gatherings; similar to munkoyo but distinct; the thirst-quenching drink of Zambia's hot climate.
Zambia
Kalembula
Zambian dish of sweet potato leaves; a common relish served with nshima; leaves cooked with tomatoes, onions, and sometimes groundnuts; nutritious and earthy; one of the many leafy green relishes of Zambia; foraged or grown in gardens; similar to pumpkin leaves but with a distinct flavor.
Kenya
Kachumbari
A Kenyan fresh tomato and onion salsa with chili and lime, the essential nyama choma companion
Malawi
Posho
Kenya's staple food: dense maize flour porridge cooked in boiling water, served with meats, vegetables, or stews
Zambia
Inkoko Yamu Musha
Lean, free-range village chicken cooked in a simple tomato-onion gravy; more flavor and less meat than supermarket chicken; a prized dish for special occasions and Sunday meals; served with nshima; the traditional chicken of rural Zambia; richer in flavor than commercial chicken.
Tanzania
Plain or coconut rice served with coconut-stewed beans — the cheap plate of the whole country.
Zambia
Tente
Zambian wild greens; foraged leafy vegetables cooked as a relish; one of the many names for wild vegetable relishes in Zambia; cooked with tomatoes, onions, and sometimes groundnuts; nutritious and earthy; served with nshima; the foraged greens of rural Zambia; a traditional food.
Zambia
Masuku
Masuku or wild loquat; a wild fruit found in Zambia's forests; small, round, and sweet; eaten fresh as a snack; foraged from the wild; a seasonal treat; the wild fruit that marks the rainy season; sold at rural markets; sweet and slightly tart.
Botswana
Thelele
Wild okra that grows seasonally in Botswana — cooked into a slimy, savoury relish served with pap; a wild vegetable that is also dried for preservation, available year-round once dried.
Zambia
Mikate
Zambian doughnut balls; sweet, deep-fried dough; golden and crispy outside, soft and fluffy inside; sold at street stalls and markets; eaten as a snack or with tea; similar to vitumbuwa but sweeter; a popular treat across Zambia; the sweet fritter of the streets.
Zambia
Vitumbuwa
Zambian fritters; a cross between a dumpling and a doughnut; either sweet or savory; made from wheat or maize flour dough deep-fried until golden; a national dish eaten everywhere; sold at street stalls and markets; crispy outside, soft inside; served with tea or as a snack; a beloved Zambian treat.
Zambia
Malambo
Chicken gizzards are a popular delicacy in Zambia; cooked in a tomato-onion gravy; tender and chewy; served with nshima; a prized relish that uses every part of the chicken; a common street and home dish; the offal delicacy of Zambia; inexpensive and flavorful.
Zambia
Nshima
The cornerstone of Zambian cuisine; thick porridge made from ground maize flour (mealie meal); stirred into boiling salted water and cooked until smooth and firm; firm enough to hold its shape when molded; eaten by hand, preferably the right hand; served with relishes, stews, fish, vegetables, and beans; the dietary essential that powers the nation; eaten at lunch and dinner.
Zambia
Maputi
Roasted maize on the cob or maize kernels; a popular street snack across Zambia; maize roasted over charcoal or open flame; smoky and slightly charred; sold at roadside stalls and markets; the grab-and-go snack that uses Zambia's staple crop; cheap, filling, and ubiquitous.
Zambia
Moambe
Zambian palm nut stew; chicken or meat cooked in a rich sauce made from palm nuts; shared with DRC where it is the national dish; a hearty, rich stew; served with nshima or rice; the palm nut stew that crosses borders; a celebration dish in Zambia.
Zambia
Samp
Crushed maize kernels cooked until soft; eaten in Zambia as a staple; similar to samp in South Africa and Zimbabwe; sometimes cooked with beans; a comforting, starchy dish; served with relishes or stews; the crushed maize of Zambia; a variation on the maize staple.