Southern Africa
Zimbabwe
Sadza, muriwo unedovi and slow-braised oxtail.
Staples
- Sadza (stiff white maize-meal porridge)
- Sadza rezviyo (stiff finger-millet porridge)
- Nyimo (round Bambara groundnuts)
- Muriwo wetsunga (mustard-leaf brassica greens)
- Madora or Amacimbi (sun-dried mopane caterpillars)
Seasonings
- Dovi (stone-ground peanut paste relish base)
- Mafuta emombe (rendered traditional beef tallow)
- Mhiripiri (crushed African bird's eye chilis)
- Munyu wetsime (mineral-rich riverbed salt)
- Chimera (malted grain fermentation starter for acidity)
Techniques
- Vigorous pot-beating of maize porridge over fire
- Braising bitter greens with rich peanut paste
- Woodsmoke curing of salted beef strips
- Clay-pot roasting of dried legumes and insects
At the table
Prepared primarily by female home cooks, a typical plate centers on a sculpted mound of piping-hot sadza accompanied by stewed usavi (meat relish) and dovi-enriched greens, all scooped and eaten communally with the right hand. In the eastern highlands of Manicaland, finger millet sadza is paired with wild forest mushrooms, whereas the southwestern Matabeleland lowveld emphasizes pastoral beef preparations and mopane worms simmered with wild tomatoes.
38 recipes across 7 courses
Ask AI for moreBreakfast
Bota Rine Dovi (Sour Maize Porridge with Peanut Butter)
Silky, tangy fermented white maize porridge enriched with stone-ground peanut paste and sweetened with raw cane sugar.
Bota rinedovi (Thin Maize Porridge with Peanut Butter)
Traditional Zimbabwean breakfast porridge made from fine white maize meal enriched with rich roasted peanut paste and a touch of sweetness.
Chimodho (Traditional Pot-Baked Cornmeal Hearth Bread)
A dense, golden hearth bread made from white cornmeal and flour, steam-baked inside a cast-iron pot over glowing embers.
Chimudhumana (Steamed Fresh Sweetcorn Bread)
Tender, fragrant parcels of fresh green maize batter steamed inside corn husks, capturing the sweet essence of the early harvest.
Mbambaira Yakabikwa (Boiled Sweet Potatoes)
Steamed, fork-tender white-fleshed sweet potatoes infused with sea salt, sweet cream butter, and fragrant whole warm spices.
Nhopi (Whipped Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Porridge)
A velvety, sweet-savoury Shona porridge whipped from tender stewed pumpkin, stone-ground peanut paste, and coarse mealie meal.
Soup
Mabhonzo emombe (Clear Beef Bone Broth with Tomatoes)
A slow-simmered, gelatinous Zimbabwean beef bone broth clarified with ripe tomatoes, fresh ginger, and spring onions.
Supu YeMusoro WeMbudzi (Spiced Slow-Cooked Goat Head Broth)
A restorative, collagen-rich broth simmered from charred goat head, pungent indigenous aromatics, and fiery African bird's eye chilies.
Main
Chimukuyu (Sun-Dried Beef Jerky Stew)
Lean strips of sun-dried beef braised into tenderness and simmered in a velvety, deeply savoury peanut butter gravy.
Chimukuyu ne Dovi (Cured Biltong Beef in Peanut Butter Sauce)
Salt-cured sun-dried beef rehydrated and braised in an unctuous, rich roasted peanut sauce served alongside piping hot sadza.
Guru ne Matumbu (Simmered Beef Tripe and Intestines)
Slow-simmered beef honeycomb tripe and small intestines stewed with sweet onions, tomatoes, and chillies to unctuous tenderness.
Huku ne Dovi (Zimbabwean Braised Chicken in Peanut Sauce with Sadza)
Fall-apart chicken simmered in a rich, velvety peanut butter and tomato sauce, served alongside collard greens and sadza.
Maguru (Braised Beef Tripe in Spiced Gravy)
Tender honeycomb and blanket beef tripe simmered low and slow in a rich, spiced tomato and onion gravy.
Manhuchu (Cracked Maize Samp and Sugar Bean Stew)
A hearty slow-simmered stew of cracked white maize samp and red speckled sugar beans enriched with aromatic vegetables and spices.
Mazondo (Slow-Stewed Beef Trotters)
Collagen-rich beef trotters simmered for hours with aromatics until fall-apart tender in a thick, naturally gelatinous, savoury gravy.
Mutakura (Stewed Maize and Mixed Legume Medley)
A hearty, sustaining Shona harvest stew of field-dried whole maize, groundnuts, cowpeas, and Bambara groundnuts simmered until creamy and tender.
Tsunga ne Nyama (Braised Mustard Greens with Stewed Beef)
Tender bone-in beef braised with pungent African mustard greens, ripe tomatoes, and onions for Zimbabwe's quintessential sadza accompaniment.
Side
Chikande (Savory Wild Orchid Root Cake)
A firm, savory Eastern Highlands delicacy prepared from pounded wild orchid tubers, crushed peanuts, and soda, steamed into savory slices.
Derere (Sautéed Okra Relish with Bicarbonate of Soda)
Silky, tender okra pods whipped into an unctuous, savory green relish elevated by a pinch of soda to enhance its signature slip.
Dovi ReMhodzi (Pounded Melon Seed and Squash Relish)
A velvety, nutty heirloom seed stew layered with tender sweet squash, aromatic alliums, and gentle heat.
Mukaka Wakakora (Naturally Fermented Clabbered Sour Milk)
Thick, probiotic curdled whole milk with a velvety texture and clean lactic acidity, served atop steaming hot sadza.
Mupunga Une Dovi (White Rice Simmered with Peanut Butter)
Fragrant white rice cooked tender and enfolded into rich, velvety roasted peanut butter with a touch of salt.
Muriwo une Dovi (Braised Pumpkin Greens in Peanut Sauce)
Silky, destringed pumpkin leaves braised with sweet tomatoes and folded into a rich, velvety unadulterated peanut butter sauce.
Sadza reZviyo (Finger Millet Stiff Porridge)
Earthy, mineral-rich finger millet flour is vigorously whipped and steamed into a thick, glossy, purplish staple porridge.
Tsunga NeMadhumbe (Braised Bitter Mustard Greens with Taro Roots)
Earthy taro roots simmered tender with pungently savory mustard greens in a fragrant tomato-onion braise.
Usavi weMhodzi (Toasted Ground Pumpkin Seed Relish)
A velvety, deeply nutty relish made from stone-pounded pumpkin seeds simmered with caramelized onions and ripe field tomatoes.
Dessert
Drink
Chibuku (Fermented Opaque Sorghum and Finger Millet Beer)
A creamy, effervescent, and tangy indigenous opaque beer crafted from cooked maize, malted finger millet, and red sorghum.
Hwahwa (Seven-Day Traditional Sorghum Beer)
An opaque, effervescent, and tangy indigenous red sorghum brew with an earthy aroma, rich body, and gentle natural sourness.
Maheu (Fermented Sweet Maize and Sorghum Brew)
A traditional, probiotic sweet-and-sour beverage crafted from thin white maize porridge inoculated with malted sorghum.
Mukumbi (Fermented Marula Fruit Wine)
A prized, naturally effervescent wild wine extracted from ripe marula fruits and wild-fermented to a tart, aromatic nectar.
Street food
Gwenya (Pan-Roasted Salted Pumpkin Seeds)
Crispy, crackling, pan-roasted whole pumpkin seeds seasoned with wood-ash sea salt and fiery peri-peri.
Ishwa (Toasted Winged Termites with Salt)
Crisp, naturally nutty winged alates dry-toasted with fine sea salt into Mashonaland's prized rainy season delicacy.
Madora (Pan-Fried Seasoned Mopane Caterpillars)
Sun-dried mopane worms are rehydrated, boiled tender, and pan-seared with onions, ripe tomatoes, and chili to a crisp, savory finish.
Maputi (Puffed Corn Kernels)
Crunchy, lightly oiled puffed white maize seasoned with fine salt, capturing the signature aroma of Zimbabwean streets.
Matemba (Deep-Fried Crispy Dried Kapenta)
Golden, crunchy freshwater kapenta fish fried with aromatic garlic, onion, and chili for an irresistible high-calcium lake snack.
Mhandire (Roasted Dried Maize and Peanut Medley)
Toasted flint maize kernels and blistering red-skin peanuts tossed in seasoned brine for a satisfying, nutty Zimbabwean trail crunch.
Zvinyenze (Braided Offal and Intestine Skewers)
Smoky, crisped beef tripe and liver intricately wrapped and braided with small intestines, chargrilled over red-hot wood coals.