"Zanzibar pizza isn't really pizza: dough loaded with meat, egg and cheese, folded into a parcel and fried flat at Stone Town's seafront night market."
About Zanzibar Pizza
Zanzibar Pizza is one of Tanzania's most beloved dishes, representing the rich culinary tradition of the region.
Zanzibar Pizza, a staple of Tanzania's cuisine
Not Really a Pizza
Zanzibar pizza is the star of Stone Town's night market and bears little relation to the Italian dish. A thin sheet of dough is loaded with fillings, folded into a parcel and fried flat on a griddle until crisp and golden. It is closer to a stuffed savoury pancake than a pizza, and it is one of the island's great street foods.
The Method
The cook lays out a stretched sheet of dough, piles the filling in the centre, folds the edges over into a sealed square parcel and fries it flat in oil or butter on a hot griddle. The folding traps the filling, often bound with egg, inside a crisp casing. It is theatre as much as cooking, done in plain view at the stall.
Sweet or Savoury
The fillings run from savoury, minced meat, onion, egg and cheese, to sweet, banana, chocolate and condensed milk. Each is folded and fried the same way, so the same stall turns out both dinner and dessert. Trying one of each is the usual approach.
At Forodhani
Zanzibar pizza is cooked to order at the Forodhani Gardens night market on the Stone Town seafront, where the griddles fire up as the sun sets and the sea breeze drifts through. It is the most fun street food on the island and a defining taste of a Stone Town evening. Eaten hot off the griddle, it is at its best.
What to Expect
At the Forodhani night market on the Stone Town waterfront, vendors lay a sheet of dough, add meat, egg and cheese, or banana and chocolate for a sweet version, fold the parcel and fry it flat until crisp. The parcel is served hot from the griddle, the sea breeze drifting through the market.
Why Try It
It is the signature street food of Stone Town's famous night market, a folded, fried savoury or sweet parcel that defines a Zanzibar evening.
Insider Tips
Eat it at the Forodhani Gardens night market by the Stone Town seafront.
Try a sweet version with banana and chocolate as well as a savoury one.
It is cooked fresh to order, folded and fried in plain view at the stall.
