Zanzibar The Spice Island
Food, Spice and Culture Tour.
The Tour
While in Zanzibar, take time to do a bit of research on spice tours and even grab the opportunities granted by the tour guides. This is the only chance you get to interact with local farmers, experience how they live and also sample some of the traditional dishes. The spice farm itself can be very educational and give you a great walk through nature. All tours will end with a conventional Swahili luncheon which is considered a special treat.
If you’re a frequent visitor to Zanzibar, then you’re familiar with a subtle aroma that hits you the moment you land at the airport or port. Arab traders in the nineteenth century were already familiar with the precious spices and before them the Portuguese, English, and Turks. The most sought-after was clove and pepper. Not only for the way they tasted but also the properties and intense aroma which made them natural preservatives for meat long before refrigerators were invented.
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And if you think cloves and pepper are the only spices available in the island, then you’re not alone. You’ve probably heard about the Myristica. This is a mind-blowing tree whose fruit provides not one but two spices, Nutmeg and Mace. Both grant you an unmistakable and fabulous flavour that leaves your taste buds craving for more. And while you think you’ve heard the last of them, wait a minute! You may want to throw into the cart the queen of spices: Cinnamon! This is a fantastic digestive which has been credited with providing good health with anti-inflammatory properties. All these form the commercial allure of Zanzibar and more than anything else are known to have helped to place the island on the world map.
Here are some of spices that are grown in Zanzibar and their health benefits:
