
If your New Year’s resolution is to eat out less and cook more at home, then I’ve got a book to help you get started. Food blogger Miriam R. Kinunda has combined her love for cooking with the delicacies of her homeland aka a taste of Tanzania.
In Taste of Tanzania: Modern Swahili Recipes for the West, Kinunda provides a brief overview of the culture of Tanzania where it is socially acceptable to stop by a relative’s home and get a bite to eat without calling first.
Because there are only a few supermarkets in the country, Tanzanians tend to go to the market every day for their fresh fruits and vegetables and Kinunda’s recipes reflect that tradition. You’ll find ingredients that include traditional and non-traditional fruits and spices, and a wide array for meats, poultry and fish dishes with easy instructions. Many of the recipes are taken from Kinunda’s childhood, which she has prepared herself as an adult including Makange Ya Kuku (a popular chicken dish) and Vipopoo (a dessert pasta commonly made during Ramadan.) Coconut milk is a common ingredient found in many of the dishes showing that there is much commonality between Tanzania, other African nations and even some West Indian cultures. Dust off those pots and pans and get a Taste of Tanzania today, available on Amazon.
For more on Kinunda, her line of spices and information on “Taste of Tanzania, go to tasteoftanzania.com.