Spice is an essential ingredient of Zanzibarian culture; therefore, a visit to Zanzibar is incomplete without a (half-day) spice tour. With the abolition of the slave trade, spices became a significant source of income for Zanzibar, and this remains the case, with the island being the largest exporter of cloves.
Our guide and spice farmer, Mr Abeid, who inherited the spice farm from his late father, took us on a fragrant and delightful journey of exploration along his show farm, which is around 800 acres; he has his larger farm nearby. Mr Abid was very informative, charmingly engaging, and entertaining with the help of his assistant ”Maria”.
I love my spices and was still pleasantly surprised by how they are grown, how they are used, and their benefits in cooking and overall health.
We started with the Annatto plant, a natural orange-red colouring derived from the seeds, which is used in food, lipstick, and the vermilion that Hindus use on their foreheads (modelled by ‘Maria’).
Did you know that cloves grow on trees and need to be dried in the sun for five days to turn black? The same applies to peppercorns; they grow on trees. Interestingly, the island has cocoa trees, but they import their chocolate and produce cocoa powder for hot chocolate. However they export Zanzibar coffee to Arab countries, it’s a strong flavour.
We had Ylang Ylang flowers crushed in our hands and used many well-known perfumes, such as Chanel No. 5. They have a small stall selling some of their produce, which is a must-see, including Ylang Ylang oil.
There is one fruit you will love or loathe like marmite – the Durian, aka the stinking fruit. You might not want to be near one should it drop to the floor!
Lunch was provided, cooked by local women…this was the best food I’d tasted at the time of writing. You need to go and experience it for yourself. We asked for a recipe (measurements all to taste!)
Pilau rice
In a pan, fry a small amount of cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, and cardamom. Then, add crushed garlic and sliced onions, and cook until brown.
Transfer this to a pressure cooker and add washed rice and quartered potatoes with water to cover the rice. This should take up to 30 minutes. You could leave it in the original pan, cook it on the hob, or put it in a Moroccan tagine clay dish to cook in the oven.
Serve rice with Kingfish dry cooked in a mix of spices. We had side dishes of mixed vegetables cooked in coconut milk and a pinch of turmeric. Additionally, a spicy tomato sauce cooked in coconut oil, combined with cassava leaves and coconut milk, is used to create a spinach dish. Delicious. We were served water and lemon grass tea to accompany our meal.
