The main job of the people of Tanzania is farming. Basic crops include manioc, corn, cotton, sugar cane, coffee and tea. Common dishes of the Tanzanian people might include fruits and plant based meals with ingredients such as beans, cabbage, bananas, coconut, rice, corn, wheat, and mangoes. Meat is not eaten often, but chicken is often enjoyed in many types of dishes including a dish called ugali. In the coastal areas, people usually choose to eat some kind of fish with rice. Duckling meat is a delicacy and is served only for special occasions.
Food of Africa - African Cuisine
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African Cuisine
Africa
African food is very unique, colorful, and interesting. There are six different regions in Africa. Each has its own cooking habits and ingredients. These regions are East Africa, Horn of Africa, North Africa, Central Africa, West Africa, and Southern Africa. The food in Africa was influenced by European and Arabic food. East African cuisine includes corn, sheep, goat, bananas, rice, cloves, and saffron. The British brought pickles, vegetables, and a variety of soups. The Portuguese introduced new cooking techniques such as marinating and roasting, as well as tomatoes, bananas, pineapples, peppers, and pigs. These ingredients greatly influenced African recipes. People living in the Horn of Africa eat stews, rice, beans, and flatbreads. Cardamom, cumin, and cinnamon are frequently used in dishes as well. North Africans have a diet of couscous (that was introduced by the Berbers), wheat, sausage, olive, potato, zucchini, and tomato. Central African foods are probably the most exotic. Central Africans eat more than just chicken and beef. Antelope, crocodile, monkey, and warthog are also meats used in dishes. Nevertheless, Central African dishes are similar to the dishes in other African countries. People consume stews containing tomatoes, spinach, onion, pepper, ginger, and chicken. West African cuisine is full of spices, starchy foods, and meat. Grains are the staple foods, but yams and cassava are also important. Beef, fish, and mutton make wonderful dishes. The baobab leaf and vegetables are popular in local cuisine. South African cuisine is a fusion between European and local cuisine. There is a great variety of fruits such as grapes, oranges, apples, and papayas. Mackerel, prawns, mussels, crayfish, lobster, and tuna are often caught in Southern Africa. Impala and ostrich are also consumed.
Tanzania
South Africa
The people of early South Africa were primarily hunters and gatherers. They would mostly eat foods like crayfish, coconuts, squash and tortoises. Modern agriculture did not arrive until the Bantu people of Northern Africa introduced it to them. They actually taught the South Africans to grow foods including sweet potatoes, squash and corn. Almost 200 years after the Portuguese arrived in South Africa, it was the Dutch who established the first European settlement on the Cape of Good Hope in 1652. Dutch people introduced foods such as watermelons, cucumbers, pineapples, potatoes and pumpkins. The French began to establish vineyards, Germans brought pastries and baked goods, and the British introduced meat pies. Other foods from China, India and Indonesia also had an influence on the South African cuisine.