As many of you already know our founder, Maggie Mazoleka, is originally from Tanzania in East Africa. Maggie's Tanzanian heritage strongly influences the MaRobert's brand as, through the production of her sauces, she seeks to bring the taste of Tanzania to the table of our customers. In this post we look at the culture of Tanzanian food to give you an idea of the kinds of ingredients and dishes that are typically served there.
Tanzanian food has a spicy, tangy, smoky flavour palate which makes for a variety of delicious meat, poultry, vegetable, and fish dishes. Maggie describes Tanzanian cuisine as something that brings families and the community together; people enjoy a variety of dishes and share meals as an experience. The Swahili word for "together" is "pamoja" - which is what Tanzanian food does; it brings people together. Central also to Tanzanian cooking, according to Maggie, is the taste of the food - and it must be good.
Mishkaki (left) is a popular Tanzanian dish, usually made with beef, chicken, fish, or goat. First the ingredients are marinated, then skewered ready to be cooked over charcoal. Barbecued meat known as Nyama Choma (right) is prepared similarly.
Carbohydrates are also a staple in Tanzanian dishes and, as such, meat and vegetables are often served with rice, flatbreads/chapatis (right), or Ugali (left) which is comprised of maize flour prepared with water.
Plantains are often used in Tanzanian cooking and can be fried (above) or used in a dish called Ndizi Nyama which combines the cooked fruit with meat.
For more ideas and inspiration on Tanzanian and East African cooking check out MaRobert's Pinterest where you can find delectable images to feed your food obsession!
