Menu
Malawi is a country which is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa” because of the kindness of the locals. Besides nature and wildlifes, Malawi’s food is also interesting.
Each Malawi’s menu is full of diversity and warmness that we can feel from the taste and determination in seasoning. Malawi’s dishes are still traditional and the main ingredients used in cooking are cassavas, peanuts, and chiles.
What do the taste and the appearance of Malawi food look like? Today, ACU PAY will take everyone to sit at the table and serve the recommended menus that you should not miss.
Kachumbari is a salad consisting of fresh onions, tomatoes, and chillies, seasoning with salt. This menu is very popular in African Great Lakes region countries such as Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi.
Most countries in Africa serve this menu along with meat, but people in Malawi will solely eat this menu. However, this menu is sometimes served with a main meat dish.
Nshima is a famous and staple food which is very important in Malawi. Nshima is made from ground corn. It is soft white food, a plain and sour taste with a signature smell. Nhima is often served as a side dish along with meat dishes and vegetables. It is commonly eaten in Africa, especially in the eastern parts such as Zambia, Malawi, and Kenya.
Chambo is made of local fish in Lake Malawi. It is very valuable because it is a local menu and plays an important role in the economy and food culture of the lake community.
However, the Chambo Cichlid is stipulated as an endangered aquatic animal due to the dramatic decrease in the number of this fish since 1990, most of which was caused by an excessive catch of fish.
Nevertheless, Chambo is one of the most favorite fish in Malawi. Traditionally, this menu would be served to welcome visitors, it would be served along with Nshima which is made from corn or rice flour.
A stew menu made from pumpkin leaves, tomatoes, and peanut powder. This menu is usually served with Nshima or rice. This dish is used in welcoming visitors to show their hospitality and often used in traditional events and wedding ceremonies. You can add more vegetables as you like when eating it.
The Malawi people will grow corn and pumpkin as traditional vegetables and have a crop rotation method. Pumpkin leaves are rich in vitamin B1 B6, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and protein.
Mbatata is a biscuit made from cassavas, margarine, milk, and sugar. Cinnamon is sometimes added into Mbatata to add more scent and flavor. When the orange biscuit is cooled down, it will be sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon. Mbatata may look like ordinary Malawi’s sweets and dessert, but once you taste it, you will find it delicious with high nutritional value.
Jollof rice is a rice stew with many forms of it depending on the area. The main ingredients are rice, ground tomato, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and salt. Coconut oil is used in stir-frying onions, sauce, and tomatoes then all of the ingredients are cooked along with rice.
Apart from the basic ingredients, you can add vegetables, meat, or other spices as you prefer.
The recipes of Cholent are different in each area. Commonly, Cholent is made of chicken or beef, followed by rice, eggs, nuts, tomatoes, potatoes, and red and green peppers. It takes several hours to simmer, making it look like a stew.
All of the example menus mentioned above sound so delicious, right? Here is just a part of Malawi food. There are a lot more for us to try. If you are going to visit Malawi, please make sure to try these foods.
