For long-term travelers, or those looking to move (forever or temporarily) to beautiful Tanzania, I share my thoughts, advice and more about what it is really like living in Tanzania.
Learn about how to cope with the rainy season, where to grocery shop and daily life in Tanzania.
I share about local Arusha and answer specific questions about life and living comfortably in this amazing nation. Have question that isn’t answered yet? Send me a message on my contact page and I will address your specific questions about living in Tanzania.
This refers strictly to Tanzanian ugali. Other dishes, in other countries, may have the same name but vary in ingredients.
WHAT IS UGALI?
To start with, ugali is ground maize/corn flour. That’s it – corn. Just corn flour, boiled. Corn. Water. It’s gluten-free and pure carbs, no fat added.
HOW TO MAKE
Check out this great instructional video by Jikoni Magic for how to make ugali. Basically, it is made into a porridge by stirring in boiling water until it becomes stiff. A decent wooden spoon is essential for proper cooking. Every household will have a variation of stiffness they prefer; from very malleable and dough-like to almost a baked ‘corn-bready’ firmness.
Our family likes it more on the baked side, and we snack on the crunchy bits that stick to the sides and bottom of the pot, called ‘ukoko’. Seriously, my kids fight over those little burned bits. The first host family I stayed with served a very soft ugali and I hated the texture, so I thought I hated ugali. Then I tried other styles and discovered I like the thicker, more cooked version of ugali.
Ugali itself doesn’t have much taste. Imagine mashed potatoes without any flavor: no salt, no butter. Or, polenta on its own, no tomato-garlic sauce poured on top. Kinda bland, I know. Ugali is in the same category: a mushy carbohydrate, perfectly paired with a strongly-seasoned thick sauce. And (shhh!) just between you and me — the name doesn’t sound very appetizing. But, pair it with some well-seasoned beef, a fish stew, or thick chunks of roasted pork in a spicy carrot sauce and… am I drooling? oops… It’s the perfect foundational carb that lets the main dish shine.
Our typical Monday dinner: Ugali with fish stew, steamed vegetables and avocado slices.
I used to say it was sacrilegious (or something) to eat ugali with utensils. Ugali is made to be eaten with hands! Hands, people! But, more and more I see any adults from Tanzanians in business suits to tourists in safari hats eating ugali with a spoon, and scooping up some sauce at the same time. Keeping their hands perfectly clean. Kinda nice at a restaurant, actually. Who am I to judge how you eat your ugali, really? I repent of my former pride; eat ugali however you desire.
MORE INFORMATION
Maize flour or corn flour is called “unga” in Swahili. It is available at almost any local shop in any neighborhood of anywhere in Tanzania.
There are two types of unga available: ‘donah’ or ‘sembe’. Sembe is all white, a bit more refined and makes a smoother ugali. That’s what my boys prefer, and what many restaurants serve. Donah is heartier, brownish and somehow seems to have the tiniest bit of flavor. That’s what Mr Mechanic and I prefer. Try both and come to your own conclusion.
Now go! Try some ugali (or cook your own!) and tell me how you liked it.
It’s your first trip to Tanzania and you have only 12 days. It seemed a very long time when you were requesting the vacation days from work, but now seems much too short to visit the Serengeti, see Ngorongoro Crater, hike to the top of a mountain, attend a beach party and tour Stonetown, Zanzibar.
It’s okay. Tanzania is a big, adventure-filled country and 2 weeks just doesn’t do it justice. Accept it and plan to return again (and again).
For whatever length of time you are here on your first visit, this is a list of essential things all travelers to Tanzania should experience. If you can accomplish these 5 things, then consider it a good visit:
Learn a Little Swahili
Eat Ugali
Drink Tea/Coffee
See a Sunrise/Sunset
Enjoy Unique Tanzania
Learn a Little Swahili
Knowing how to greet someone in their own language is always appreciated. Even if you’re only touring a few days make your host/driver/guide/etc very happy by learning to say “Jambo!” or even better “Shikamoo”.
Jambo ———————-Hello
Shikamoo —————-Respectful greeting for someone older than yourself
Asante ———————-Thank you
Kwa Heri —————–Good Bye
Choo (Ch-oh) ————-Toilet
Maji —————-Water
Eat Ugali
Ugali is a traditional food of Tanzania. While every tribe within Tanzania has their own cultural food, ugali is a dish for all Tanzanians. Ugali is considered a ‘porridge’, or a boiled grain, so think of it as similar to oatmeal or polenta. On its own it has very little flavor, and is more of a carbohydrate to soak up a sauce or stew. Check out this post to learn more about ugali.
There are a few Tanzanian dishes that pair really well with ugali and I couldn’t imagine eating them without it:
Kiti Moto. This is roasted pork, not often available at your hotel. You might need to ask your guide to take you to a specific roast pork joint to try it, but believe me, it will be worth it! Imagine thick-cut, roasted salty pork chunks with a peppery sauce. The texture and taste of ugali pairs perfectly.
Nyama Choma. Tanzanian-style barbecue, again with salt and hot peppers to spice it up. Ugali matches perfectly with the hearty goat meat or ginger-garlic rubbed beef. Again, ask a local for the best nyama choma place in town and wander away from the hotel.
Steamed fish. You will need a friend (or two) to help you finish a whole foil-wrapped fish, and the ugali will be helpful to sop up the delicious sauce. If you are visiting the Tanzanian coast, make that a fish in coconut sauce and lick your fingers.
Drink Coffee and Tea
Both. Try Both. That’s not coffee or tea, that’s very deliberately coffee and tea. If you don’t have a chance to visit a coffee plantation and see the process from beans-to-brew ending with a freshly roasted, ground and brewed-to-perfection cup of coffee, then I’m sorry – you’re missing out on a great experience! The next best thing is to have a cup at just about any cafe. Nothing that’s been shipped across the ocean and stored for 1+ months can even come close to the taste. And if you’re in Zanzibar – make that a Zanzibar coffee. If you thought ginger, cloves and cardamom were not a spice mixture for coffee, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Even if you’re not regularly a coffee drinker, since you are in a beautiful country that grows their own beans, try a cup just for fun. See my favorite coffee spots in Arusha here.
I wasn’t much of a hot tea drinker before Tanzania. This American woman liked her too-sweet iced tea. But Tanzania has turned me into a (hot) tea drinker. Think beyond the basic tea bag – they flavor it up here. Try some freshly brewed cinnamon tea on a chilly morning. Or a tea flavored with natural lemongrass (I prefer mine with some milk). Maybe a soul-warming masala tea (again with the milk). Or lemon and local honey. Mr Mechanic likes ginger tea to wake him up in the morning, and I have never regretted adding fresh cardamom pods to my tea. This is definitely not the limit to tea – there are plenty more options! Just try some tea while you’re in Tanzania.
See a Sunrise / Sunset
I promise you, the early hour will be worth it. Force yourself out of that warm bed and watch the sunrise. Your future self will thank you for waking up early to grab these incredible shots, perhaps with Mount Kilimanjaro in the distance, or the back-lit acacia trees of the Serengeti. Wherever you are, the landscape at sunrise is just *that* much more fantastic. But if your’e in Zanzibar, make those sunset pics. You need photographs of the sun sinking into the ocean, reflecting against the waves. Perhaps from a rooftop in Stonetown with a sundowner in your hand? …hey, it’s your vacation, I’m just giving suggestions…
Don’t forget to set aside your camera for a minute or two and savor the beauty without looking through a lens. Bask in the moment, whether sunrise or sunset, and smile that you’re in Tanzania watching the sun start or close another day.
Enjoy Unique Tanzania
comparison is the thief of joy
Theodore Roosevelt
Comparing Tanzania to another African, or even East African country is setting you up for disappointment in some aspect. Appreciate Tanzania for what it is. Don’t compare it against Kenya or Zimbabwe or another country. Tanzania has its flaws, areas for improvement (Roads? Highways? I thoroughly agree!). But if you compare Tanzania against other travels, previous trips or neighboring countries, you will rob yourself of this present experience.
Eat some fresh pineapple, have a local Tanzanian beer and consider some of the stand-out things that are unique to Tanzania: – Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa – The active volcano Ol Donyo Lengai, you can summit and check out that live lava (it last erupted 2013) – Zanzibar: —-with sea turtles and 100+ yrs old tortoises —-Kizimkazi where you can swim with dolphins in the wild —-Jozani Forest for the unique Red Colobus Monkey —-Stonetown, crawling with history at every corner – Tanzanite, the gem found only in Tanzania and that is 1,000 times more rare than diamonds – The endangered Black Rhino – Annual Serengeti Migration (which, you can watch aerially from a hot air balloon) – Local Kikoy, Kitenge, Batik, and Khanga materials for your crafting and fashion pleasure – More varieties of banana than you ever knew existed, including red bananas – Lake Tanganika, the second largest and deepest fresh water lake in the world – Gombe National Park, where you can learn about primates just like Jane Goodall (and it is not accessible by road, you have to reach it by boat) – Udzunga Mountains National Park that has no roads and must be hiked through, with unique species of monkey found only in the park and an estimated 25% of all plants that are endemic, as well
And that’s just to name a few of Tanzania’s features.
Embrace Tanzania for all that it is and enjoy your experience to the fullest!
