Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Three meals a day is usual, although breakfast is frequently nothing more than
kahawa
(coffee) or chai (tea) and
mkate
(bread). The main meal is eaten at midday.
Drinks
Apart from the ubiquitous Fanta and Coca-Cola, the main soft drink is Tangawizi, a local
version of ginger ale. Fresh juices are widely available, although check first to see whether
they have been mixed with unsafe water.
In the Tanga area and around Lake Victoria watch for
mtindi
and
mgando,
cultured milk
products similar to yoghurt, and usually drunk with a straw out of plastic bags.
One of Zanzibar's great early morning sights is the coffee vendors who
carry around a stack of coffee cups and a piping hot kettle on a long
handle with coals fastened underneath. They let you know they're com-
ing by clacking together their metal coffee cups.
Tanzania's array of beers includes the local Safari and Kilimanjaro labels, plus Castle
Lager and various Kenyan and German beers. Finding a beer is usually no problem, but
finding a cold one can be a challenge.
Local brews fall under the catch-all term
konyagi
. Around Kilimanjaro, watch for
mbege
(banana beer).
Gongo
(also called
nipa
) is an illegal distilled cashew drink, but the brewed
version,
uraka,
is legal. Local brews made from papaw are also common.
Tanzania has a small wine industry based in Dodoma, although it's unlikely to give other
vintners much competition.
Dining Tanzanian-Style
HOTELIS, NIGHT MARKETS & TEA ROOMS
The best 'fast food' is at night markets, such as Zanzibar's Forodhani
Gardens, where you can wander around filling up on
mishikaki,
grilled
pweza
and other titbits for less than Tsh2000.
For dining local style, sit down in a
hoteli
- a small, informal restaurant - and watch life
pass by. Many
hoteli
have the day's menu written on a blackboard, and a TV in the corner.
Rivalling
hoteli
for local atmosphere are the bustling night markets found in many towns,
where vendors set up grills along the road side and sell
nyama choma,
grilled
pweza
(oc-
topus) and other street food. Especially in small towns and along the coast, you'll find 'tea
rooms' - great places to get snacks or light meals.
