
These exotic influences came about with the arrival of Arab merchants on East Coast trade routes more than a thousand years ago. With the settlement of Indian families in Tanzania, the cuisine of the country has evolved again to incorporate spicy tea and foods like samoosas and chapattis. There are a number of Indian restaurants in Dar es Salaam which is the biggest city in the country.
To Start the Day
Ugali is a common food and widespread across Tanzania. It has the consistency of a stiff porridge and can be eaten in a number of ways such as a wrap for meat or for rolling and dipping. Maandazi (a type of doughnut) is often eaten at breakfast while in the more remote areas, buttermilk or a thin meaty soup may be eaten.Drinks and Snacks

Sweet snacks include Maandazi - a small triangular sugared donut, nuts, crushed coconut, dried fruit and sometimes popcorn. Street snacks in the cities could include fried sweet potato or plantain (a type of green banana used for cooking purposes). Other savoury snacks include Vitumbua (rice cakes) and a kind of rice bread, as well as Samosas (fried pastry triangles with fillings), Chapattis (thin flat breads) and corn on the cob.
Lunch and Dinner

Vegetables used in the main meal or as an accompaniment include leafy greens like spinach and cassava leaves, plus sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peas, beans, okra and braised cabbage. Dessert is often made with fresh fruit in season such as pineapple or papaya and accompanied by honey and coconut.
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