Zambian Cuisine

26 dishes · Community built

Zambian Dishes

#1

Village Chicken

Free-range chicken slow-stewed in tomato and onion until deeply tender.

#2

Vitumbuwa

Sweet, fluffy banana fritters, a favorite Zambian breakfast treat.

#3

Zambian Nshima

Zambia's staple maize porridge, eaten daily alongside vegetables and meat.

#4

Ifisashi

Leafy greens stewed in rich ground peanut sauce.

#5

Ifinkubala

Dried, seasoned caterpillars, fried or stewed, a traditional protein source.

#6

Mabisi

Thick, tangy naturally soured milk, drunk on its own or eaten with nshima.

#7

Zambian Fish Stew

Fresh fish simmered in a tomato and onion sauce with groundnuts.

#8

Kapenta

Small dried fish from Lake Kariba, fried crisp and eaten with nshima.

#9

Zambian Samp and Beans

Dried corn kernels simmered with beans until tender, a filling Zambian staple.

#10

Chikwang

Fermented cassava pounded and wrapped in leaves, then steamed into a firm, tangy staple.

#11

Chila

Naturally soured, thickened milk, a traditional Zambian fermented dairy staple.

#12

Chibwabwa

Pumpkin leaves cooked with groundnut powder into a thick, savory relish.

#13

Zambian Beef Samosa

Crisp fried triangular pastries filled with spiced minced beef.

#14

Delele

A slippery okra relish cooked with groundnuts, typically served alongside nshima.

#15

Lumanda

Tangy sorrel (roselle) leaves simmered with tomato, onion and groundnut powder, a sharp, savoury relish for nshima.

#16

Katapa

Young cassava leaves pounded and cooked slowly with groundnut powder into a rich green relish.

#17

Zambian Bream

Whole bream fish fried until crisp, served with a simple tomato and onion relish.

#18

Zambian Beef Stew

Tender beef simmered with tomato, onion, and vegetables, a staple Zambian home-cooked dish.

#19

Munkoyo

A naturally fermented, mildly sweet drink made from maize and munkoyo root.

#20

Zambian Groundnut Stew

A rich stew of vegetables and meat cooked in a ground peanut sauce.

#21

Impwa

Small bitter garden eggplants cooked down with tomato and onion into a relish to eat with nshima.

#22

Kalembula

Sweet potato leaves cooked down into a thick, savory relish with tomato and onion.

#23

Zambian Pumpkin Fritters

Sweet, spiced pumpkin fritters, fried until golden, a popular snack made from local squash.

#24

Chikanda

A firm, savory cake made from ground wild orchid tubers and groundnuts, sometimes called African polony.

#25

Zambian Roasted Groundnuts

Simply roasted peanuts, a beloved everyday Zambian snack.

#26

Zambian Ndiwo

A general term for a Zambian vegetable relish, often made with rape leaves and tomato, eaten with nshima.

Help build Zambian cuisine on What To Eat

What To Eat is community-built. If you know Zambian food — dishes we've missed, better descriptions or authentic recipes — we want your knowledge.