Most hotels serve local Tanzanian food that usually consists of meat stews or fried chicken accompanied by staples including chips, boiled potatoes or
ugali (maize meal porridge eaten all over Africa). There is much greater variety of cuisine in the cities and tourist spots, and the major hotels and safari lodges offer Western and other international food. The Swahili style of food is delicately flavored by spices and coconut milk and features fragrant rice, grilled fish and prawn curries; it can be sampled on Zanzibar and the coast. The Indian Ocean provides a full range of seafood, and
just about every fruit and vegetable that exists is grown in Tanzania. Coffee is grown on the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and is served freshly ground in small porcelain cups;
chai (tea) is served very sweet in small glasses.
Things to know: Table service is normal in restaurants, while bars generally have counter service. The larger hotels and lodges offer buffet meals. On the coast and on Zanzibar, the population is predominantly Muslim, so while alcohol is available in the tourist hotels and resorts, it is not available in local restaurants and should not be drunk in public.
National specialties:• Seafood such as prawns and lobsters.
• Tropical fruit such as coconuts, pawpaws, mangoes, pineapples and bananas.
National drinks:
• A good lager,
Safari, is produced locally.
•
Konyagi is a popular gin.
• A chocolate and coconut liqueur called
Afrikoko.
• A wine called
Dodoma, which comes in red or rosé.
Legal drinking age: 18.
Tipping: Not generally common, though waiters in tourist hotels and restaurants may expect to be tipped.
NightlifeNightlife is limited in Tanzania but in
Dar es Salaam, there are several
nightclubs,
cabaret venues and
cinemas. Generally, nightlife is centered on the top tourist
hotels and
restaurants on the coast, which often feature bands at the weekends and dance floors on the beach.
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