Zambia offers a feast for foodies, from meat to veggies to fish. Lusaka, its culinary heart, is where we explore this tasty food scene with blogger Tauya Nankamba.
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00:00Meat, vegetables, or fish, foodies will find it all in Zambia and Lusaka is the culinary
00:07capital of this southern African nation.
00:10Together with food blogger, Thaya Nankamba, we discover its vibrant food scene.
00:15My name is Thaya Nankamba and I am an economist and the Lusaka food critic.
00:19Thaya introduces us to chikanda, a Zambian snack with a texture that resembles bologna
00:26though it's entirely vegan.
00:28Lucas Sivala shows us how to make it.
00:31This is the chikanda riu, which before grinding it, before we grind it, it looks like this.
00:37The wild tubers, ground nuts and aromatic spices are blended and cooked to a luscious
00:42paste.
00:43For many Zambians, this traditional dish does not only activate the taste buds but evokes
00:48emotions of warmth and nostalgia.
00:51So this is the last step of the process, he's about to bake the chikanda in a separate pot.
00:57After cooking the paste for about two hours, it needs to bake for another 60 to 90 minutes.
01:03Then the chikanda is ready to be cut and refined with a spicy hot tomato relish.
01:10For Sivala's children, there is no better dish to start the day with.
01:15From the homely charcoal stoves in the outskirts, Thaya takes us to Putayatu in the city centre,
01:21Lusaka's premier restaurant specialising in traditional Zambian cuisine.
01:27Chef Jones is preparing lunch and is cooking a house specialty for us.
01:39Chef Jones serves this dish with vegetables such as impua, a local eggplant variant, and
01:45okra, all vegetables native to Zambia, and of course, shima.
01:51And it's time to indulge in this dish full of harmonising flavours.
01:55Wow, thank you so much.
02:03To conclude our day, Thaya takes us to her favourite street food grill, the go-to spot
02:09after a memorable night out with friends.
02:12After stewing, succulent cubes of goat meat are combined with freshly chopped vegetables
02:17and spices, cooked over fire and served in a paper pouch.
02:22While goat meat is enjoyed across Africa, Zambia has earned a reputation as the epicentre
02:28for delicious goat meat recipes.
02:29And it's such a great way to end the day or the weekend on a night out.
02:34Lusaka holds a rich and flavourful culinary history and will continue to inspire and satisfy
02:41our, and hopefully your, palates.