The saltiest thing I have ever tasted in my life is The Indian Ocean. After you swim and your body dries, little salt crystals form on your skin, that’s how salty it is. Despite this, all the food I ate on the island was very mildly, if a little under salted.
The indian Ocean provides transport, food, livelihood and fun for those near it. In summary, it is the lifeblood of Zanzibar. I ate lots of octopus, a little shrimp, lobster and calamari, all so fresh I could see the fisherman trapping them right over there. On one day, on Nakupenda Island, I had all of them in one go.
Shrimp
Think of shrimp like little sea grasshoppers. They have a soft belly but a really busy back and face. This means that if you don’t want the crunchy, you have to undress each one you eat, making the process a little bit bothersome.
They have a ‘fish like’ smell so be prepared for that if you have never eaten them. PS: When I say a little like grasshoppers, I do not mean the taste. Nothing can ever taste like grasshoppers. They are singular.
Calamari
I first tried Calamari at Yujo. This one was deep fried and a lot more chewy. My neighbour said it looked like I was chewing gum. They have an almost neutral taste so go for them because they will bring a bit of balance if you are having a sea food platter like this one.
Lobster
The whole time I was eating lobster I could only think of one thing; local Ugandan food. Lobster is great, but it doesn’t live up to the Western media hype. A lot of the films I have seen present it as an ultra-luxurious meal and an incredible eating experience. The story telling around it makes you want to try it, the same goes for Pizza.
Sitting there on the sand and pulling back the exo-skin to reveal the meat inside reaffirmed my decision to write more about local food. No don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed it, it’s just that the ‘what if we could sell katogo this way’ couldn’t leave my mind.
Like all the sea food, the lobster was roasted on a fire right in front of us.
Octopus
As I was walking about the beach I met a young fisherman who after some hellos asked if I had travelled with my husband. I said no and asked if he had a wife. He said no, claiming to only be 20 years old. He very obviously wasn’t but I didn’t argue. Anyway, he took me to a spot where they catch the octopus, holding my hand over some sharp slippery rocks. It was low tide and we were literally walking on the surface of the ocean. I saw a live Octopus and it was so…it seemed so…alive.
The fisherman escorted me back and one of his friends warned him. I did not understand what was being said but the body language-wagging finger, raised voice, laughter-said, don’t you play around with that woman like you do other visitors Fisher.
A few moments later, I was eating some fried octopus. It was really really good. Not as chewy as the calamari. You could eat 2 dozen pieces.
Fruits
Almost every meal in Zanzibar comes with watermelon and pineapple. No scurvy on this island. For good measure, they added coconut to the fruit salad. Like nearly the entire meal, the Ocean played a part in its preparation.
Kachumbali
The game changer for this kachumbali was a squeeze of fresh lime. Lime, not lemon. It was interesting to see how a little new thing could transform a meal I have eaten literally millions of times. All this was coupled with wonderful road side like fried chips. You know they are always better than those in the restaurant, I wonder why.
After the meal, our hosts cleaned the dishes, and guess what they used? Sand and Ocean water. Everything was put away and back onto the Ocean we went!
PS: If you want a great trip that is organised with precision, go with Twenty8 tours; tots recommend.