A taste of Zimbabwe Foods!

While walking down along Harare streets in ,Zimbabwe you meet typical Africans walk up and down the streets.In the restaurants and open-air chefs there are preparing typical dishes of Zimbabwe cuisine.After filling your nose with the tantalizing odors and eyes with the appealing colours ,you might be tempted to taste the succulent food.
The appeal of Zimbabwe food originates from a mix of carefully chosen herbs, roots, tubers,leaves and seeds.These produce a blend of sweet ,sour ,salty ,bitter and hot flavors and smells that make it very difficulty to walk without atleast taking a taste.The Zimbabweans comes with such an unusual cuisine because of the different social influences and and influence of colonial backgrounds.
The Zimbabwe cuisine is a product of different mix of international flavors, from chinese,Europeans,American and other travellers from the far east, middle east and others.
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in the central part of southern Africa .The plateau between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers.The travellers across the globe brought the foods of their homelands with them ,and the tastes and aromas of all those different vituals have remained in Zimbabwe.
According to the history , traders from India showed the Bantu of the Mutapa empire how to use curry when cooking.The Bantu people is the major African race to occupy the Zimbabwe around the  8th century. In the 14th century the Spanish and Portuguese explorers brought chilies ,peppers,corn ,rape, cabbage ,onions and tomatoes to the Bantu People.Today , the cuisine of Zimbabwe is very extensive , but most of Zimbabwean meals include a variety of yellow and red chilies with curry pastes of the same colours.This mixture of curry and chillies gives the Zimbabwean cuisine the rich flavors characteristic of foods from typical African cuisine.
A typical Zimbabwean meal consists of different dishes ,which may include soup,salad,stirfry,curry and dipping sauces.The stiff porridge of corn is always on the table.Then there is dessert ,which may include sweets based on sugar and eggs.The barbaqued beef , fried or boiled potatoes ,cheese and milk are also part of sweet side of Zimbabwean cookings.
A key to good food anywhere is fresh ingredients and in Zimbabwe these are often right around the corner.In the cities and towns ,market produce sell fresh fruits ,vegetables ,fish, and such spices as lemon grass,coriander ,garlic,ginger ,galangal,tamarind,barbaque, and cumin.At such markets you will also select plenty of hot chilies and limes ,which are a big part of Zimbabwe food.
When visiting Zimbabwe to taste these foods try to eat the beef stews,hot and sour shrimp soup ,roasted mutton ,the game meet that is specialty of Zimbabwe.Other good choices are spicy papaya salad ,glass noodles ,white Thai rice with roasted chicken or duck,shredded pork ,or marinated fish.The peanuts heaped on fresh pineapple and garnished with red chilies and coriander leaves.To add more to your deliciuos meal ,a dessert of sticky Thai rice with coconut milk and mangoes.
The best way of eating Zimbabwean food , according to their traditional customs is using fingers to press. The specially prepared stiff porridge into balls ,which then dipped into sauces and pop into your mouth.When eating noodles dishes ,you may prefer to use chopsticks .But if the chopsticks leave you fumbling ,you can always resort to using a fork and a knife or spoon.The Thai rice ,potatoes, saphagattes are getting popular in Zimbabwe.
By now you had developed an appetite to enjoy the Zimbabwean cuisine .The delicacies of this beautiful African country may open up a world of tastes you haven't yet explored !!!