Stews

Kapenta

Zambia

Small sardine-type fish from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kariba; caught in nets, salted, and sun-dried on racks; a very important food and income source for many Zambians; fried until crispy or stewed with onions, tomatoes, and chili; salty, intense, and flavorful; served with nshima; a TasteAtlas-listed must-try.

🍲 StewsDishCommon
Kapenta sticker illustration

Original eatfuls sticker artwork

What it is

A closer look at Kapenta.

Small sardine-type fish from Lake Tanganyika and Lake Kariba; caught in nets, salted, and sun-dried on racks; a very important food and income source for many Zambians; fried until crispy or stewed with onions, tomatoes, and chili; salty, intense, and flavorful; served with nshima; a TasteAtlas-listed must-try.

What to look for

Know it when you find it.

Tiny, crispy dried fish; salty and intense; fried golden or stewed in tomato-onion sauce; served with nshima; the fish relish that feeds Zambia.

Where it belongs

Origins and
traditions.

Food rarely respects a border. These are the places the dataset connects most strongly to Kapenta.

Native to

Zambia

Country-wide tradition

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Traditional in

Malawi

Country-wide tradition

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Names around the table

One food, more than one name.

Kapentaprimary
Kapentalocal · 🇿🇲
Matembalocal · 🇲🇼
Matembaalias

Keep exploring

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