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Zanzibar’s first organic “Farm to Table” food extravaganza is set amid the organic fields and garden of Msonge Farm, twenty minutes from Stone Town. For those seeking an authentic Swahili feast that is one of the lesser known and advertised experiences on the island, this is hard to beat.
Swahili Cuisine
Swahili cuisine has many influences from the Swahili Coast occupation by seafaring nations throughout history such as the Portuguese and Arabs, along with travellers and traders from India.
The famous moniker, “The Spice Islands” is well suited – Zanzibari cookery creates mouth-watering dishes flavoured with cloves, ginger, cinnamon, chilli, lemongrass, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, garlic and black pepper.
The Farm
Msonge Organic Family Farm has been operating since 1965 on 15 hectares of land. It is a family-owned and family-run business, and has always been managed without the use of industrial fertilizers and pesticides. In 2007, the farm acquired its own official East African Organic Mark, and 8 years later was transformed into a commercial permaculture farm.
Msonge Organic Family Farm supports eating according to the seasons as an important part of a healthy and sustainable diet, and their produce is picked when it is ripe and has the highest nutritional value.
Eating and Relaxing
Visitors to Msonge are seated within the lush, natural surroundings of the farm garden, and seating arrangements are in the traditional Swahili style using majamvi (straw mats) with low wooden tables. As well as being able to kick back and relax in the verdant surroundings of the farm garden and fields additional entertainment is provided with Taarab music.
The food is served buffet-style on wooden platters with a cornucopia of dishes cooked with fruit and vegetables picked fresh from the farm, and chickens and eggs that are also raised there. Occasionally, the menu may also be supplemented with locally caught fish – indeed during my last visit to Msonge pieces of fried fish and octopus coconut curry were two of the many dishes on offer.
Being presented with such a wide range and huge amount of food as you are at Msonge, it is useful to know that you do not need to make any difficult decisions on any particular thing you want as an “order” – guests are encouraged to sample each of the wide variety of things being served rather than sticking to just one dish. Seasonal fruit juices, mint flavoured water and coconut water are a few of the drinks that are served along with the meal.
Bookings
This celebration of locally harvested food and delicious Swahili cooking occurs on the second and last Sunday of every month with a price per person of 25,000Tsh.
Bookings can be made by telephone or WhatsApp on +255 778 778 760 or +255 776 374 466 or via their “PAKACHA” app which can be downloaded on both Google Play and the App Store.
