The African Gourmet

Author: Robert Palmer Photo: USAID

Tanzania is a country in Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda on the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the south. To the east it borders the Indian Ocean.
The country’s name came after the united of  Tanganyika, the large mainland territory, and Zanzibar the offshore archipelago, British colonies united in 1964, forming the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which later the same year was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

Tanzania is the 31st-largest country in the World with approximate 364875metre squares, it is slightly more than twice the size of the U.S. state of California.
Tanzania has many  famous features,  these include mountain, lakes and River . Tanzania is mountainous in the northeast, where Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, is located. To the north and west are the Great Lakes of Lake Victoria (Africa’s largest lake) and Lake Tanganyika (Africa’s deepest lake, known for its unique species of fish species).
Tanzania contains many large and ecologically beautiful  wildlife parks, including the famous , Serengeti National Park in the north, and Selous Game Reserve and Mikumi National Park in the south. Gombe National Parks in the west is known as the site of Dr. Jane Goodall’s studies of chimpanzee behavior.
The economy of Tanzania is mostly based in Agriculture, though there are other economic sector  which contribute  to the revenues of the country, these include Tourism, Industry and other social sectors.
Population division in Tanzania is extremely irregular. Density varies from 1 person per square kilometer  in dry regions to 51 per square kilometer  in the mainland’s well-watered highlands to 134 per square kilometer (347 per sq. mi.) on Zanzibar. In Tanzania many people are living rural  area. Dar es Salaam   is the capital and largest city; Dodoma, located in the centre of Tanzania, has been dominated the new capital, although action to move the capital has stalled.
Tanzania consists of more than 120 ethnic groups, of which the Sukuma. The Sukuma are one  of the largest ethnic groups in Tanzania, with an estimate of 3.2 million members representing between 10-13 percent of the total country  population. Sukuma are located in many area of Tanzania, but mostly in east and south of lake Victory, Mwanza a city in Sukuma, is one of the largest and fastest growing area in Tanzania. These speak Bantu language, Sukuma-language.

The Nyamwezi  are the second-largest ethic in Tanzania. They live in the northwest central area of the country, between Lake Victoria and Lake Rukwa. The term Nyamwezi is of Swahili origin, which means “people of the moon”.
Historically, there have been five tribal groups, all referring  as Wanyamwezi to outsiders these include Kimbu, Konongo, Nyamwezi, Sukuma, and Sumbwa, who were never united. . The Nyamwezi have close cultural ties with the Sukuma people.
The Chaga (also called Wachaga, Chagga, Jagga, Dschagga, Waschagga, or Wachagga) is  the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania. They live on the southern and eastern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, as well as in the Moshi area.  Their relative wealth comes from not only the favorable climate of the area, but also from successful agricultural methods which include great extensive irrigation systems and continuous fertilization practised for thousands of years. They were one of the first tribes in the area to convert to Christianity. This might have given them an economic “advantage” over other ethnic groups, as they had better access to education and health care as Christians.
Haya is among the  ethic in Tanzania, these people is situated in Kagera region,and they speak (OluHaya, Swahili:Kihaya) which is  a Niger-Congo language  in the south and southwest coast of Lake Victoria. In 1991, the population of Haya speakers was estimated at 1,200,000 people

The Nyakyusa (also called the Sokile, Ngonde or Nkonde) are an African ethnic and linguistic group who live in the fertile mountains of southern Tanzania, they speak the Nyakyusa language, a subset of the Bantu language. In 1993 the Nyakusa population was estimated to number 1,050,000, with 750,000 living in Tanzania and 300,000 in Malawi. The Nyakyusa were eager agriculturists. They practiced intensive crop rotation with corn, beans, squash, sorghum, millet, yams, etc., with banana plantations stretching for miles. Clearing and hoeing the land three to four hours a day was the responsibility of the men and his sons, never the women. The crops were used for food, beer, and hospitality, as well as for sale and barter. Neither old age nor high status excused a man from his duty to hoe. They were said to fear leaving their area for concern of being unable to exist without their accustomed food of meat, milk, bananas etc. Each year at the beginning of the rainy season, the Nyakyusa assemble at a place called ‘Chikungu’ where their chief Kyungu calls for rain. All villagers are told not to light fire in their homes in the morning of the ritual rain-calling ceremony.

Ugandan Drinks

Author: Twino Photo: USAID

When it comes to beverages, Uganda has it all. Both alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages are found in Uganda. For those who would like to taste Uganda’s beer, Uganda breweries in Kampala and Nile breweries at the source of the Nile, will make your day with their beer varieties. For those who are not allowed to take alcoholic drinks Uganda caters for you too. Coca-Cola and Pepsi cola factories are the top of non alcoholic makers of those dinks. But other small factories are also competing with the big two.

Do you want to taste the traditional beverages? Take heart………….you know Uganda, is composed of many tribes and for that matter every tribe has it traditional drink. If you go deep in the villages in a place like Kabale district of southwest Uganda and you ask for water to drink, people especially old men and women will laugh at you. For them to take water is like a punishment. And if you want to test Uganda traditional alcoholic drinks, ask for any person from any tribe, you will no regret.

If you have never heard of it, get it from me now,….more than ¼ of Uganda is covered by water. Uganda has more than 30 lakes with  lake Victoria one of the biggest Lakes in the world. This means that every corner of Uganda has access to water foods especially fish. If you have never tasted the tropical African fresh fish, then Uganda is the country to come to.

Author: Robert Palmer Photo: T. Brunette
Much of Zanzibar’s population came from the mainland, one group known as Shirazis follows its origins to the island’s early Persian settlers. Non-Africans residing on the mainland and Zanzibar account for 1% of the total population. The Asian community, including Hindus, Sikhs, Shi’a and Sunni  Parsis and Goans, has declined by 50% in the past decade to 50,000 on the mainland and 4,000 on Zanzibar. An estimated 70,000 Arabs and 10,000 Europeans .
Generally, each ethnic group has its own language, but the national language is Swahili,  and another official language is English.   
Also other  tribe found in Tanzania’s include, Zinza,
The Zinza are an ethnic and linguistic group based on the southwest shore of Lake Victoria and neighboring islands in Tanzania.
The Zaramo are a Bantu people who are based in eastern Tanzania, particularly in the area between Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo. In 2000 the Zaramo population was estimated to number 656,730.  
The Zigua are an ethnic and linguistic group based near the Indian Ocean coast between Dar es Salaam and Tanga in Tanzania.
The Yao, is a major ethnic and linguistic group located at  the southern end of Lake Malawi, which played a significant part in the history of east Africa . The Yao are a predominantly Muslim people group of about 2 million spread over three countries, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania and are one of the poorest people groups in the world.
The Sandawe are an agricultural ethnic group based in the Kondoa District of Dodoma Region in central Tanzania. In 2000 the Sandawe population was estimated to number 40,000.  
The Ngoni people are an ethnic group living in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia, in east-central Africa. The  language used by Ngoni are Tumbuka, Chewa and Zulu, these are the major Christianity traditional in Tanzania

The Nyanyembe are an ethnic and linguistic group based in northern Tanzania.

Nyiramba is an ethnic group living mainly in Iramba, Singida region in central Tanzania. Their mother tongue is Kinyiramba, though majority can also speak Swahili.

The Manda are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Ludewa District in the Iringa Region of southern Tanzania, along the eastern shore of Lake Malawi, The  population of   Manda was estimated  22,000 recorded  in 2002.

The Matumbi are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Lindi Region in southern Tanzania, on the banks of the Ruvuma River.
The Machinga are an ethnic and linguistic group based in Lindi Region on the southern Indian Ocean coast of Tanzania.
The Makonde are an ethnic group in southeast Tanzania and northern Mozambique. They  generated their culture on the Mueda Plateau in Mozambique.  The Makonde population in Tanzania was estimated in 2001 to be 1,140,000, 358.

 Different Regions, Different Styles, Different Tastes

Author: ntjones Photo:G. LaRue

With so many wide and varied coffee producing regions throughout the world it is hard to know what to expect when you buy a coffee from these places. Some of regions rely on small independent farmers to produce the coffee other regions are run by the multinational companies. We are well aware of how famous Java is in the world of coffee, it has now become a second name for coffee. But there a many less well known regions that are producing some of the most outstanding coffee in the world, These beans get their unique flavours and aromas from the way they are grown and processed, for instance some regions in the Americas grown their coffee in the shade, while other prefer their beans to be grown on the slopes of mountains. To name and describe ever region of coffee producing world would take a little longer than I can afford, but they can be broken down into the main regions so you get a general overview of what to expect of the coffees from these regions.

Africa and the Middles East

With Ethiopia being the birth place of coffee Africa has a long history with the Coffee bean and some of the most famous coffees have their origin in African and the Middle East, Mocha Coffee got it’s name from a port in Yemen. Coffee from these regions will always remain popular with each region having its own unique flavours and aromas and this is mostly down to the wide variety of  climates from the desert like regions of the Middle East to the tropical regions of the Cameroon and Kenya. Even though there are many different varieties of African coffee you are always assured of a wonderful cup of coffee.

The Lozi language, also acknowledged as Silozi and Rozi language is spoken by the Lozi people, total speakers of approximately a half million people.

Lozi (loh-zee) 101
The Bantu language Lozi  is spoken in the African countries of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia.
Some common Lozi words are:
1.   Ambile- To Speak
2.    Cali- Shawl
3.     Boi- Shyness
4.     Ciso-Burning
5.     Amo-Tie