The original inhabitants of Zanzibar were presumably African fishermen who lived in villages scattered throughout the island. They subsisted on a diet of mainly fresh seafood, including tuna, kingfish, lobster, octopus, squid, and oysters. This diet changed radically during the ninth and tenth centuries with the arrival of the Arab and Persian traders who came to trade in East Africa, built settlements, and intermarried with the local people. As they integrated themselves into the African societies, they introduced their religion, Islam, as well as cooking techniques and eating habits, bringing with them coconut palms, mango trees, citrus fruits, and rice. Spiced pilau rice, one of the island's most common and delicious dishes cooked with coconut, nuts, and spices, is of Arab origin.

Sorpotel

Mango Cobbler with Cashew Cinnamon Crunch Topping

Spice Island Spice Cake

Battered Pepper Shark

Oysters Alla Matemwe

Meat Pilau

Boku-Boku

Curried Fishcakes with Chutney Yogurt Sauce

The Omanis ruled Zanzibar from their capital in Muscat until the early 1800's when the Sultan, Said Seyyid, visited the island while on a trip to mainland Africa. He was so taken with its beauty he decided to move to Zanzibar, taking with him not only his personal items, but relocating the entire capital of his dynasty to the island as well. Seyyd's decision to move the capital radically changed Zanzibar, as he was responsible for the genesis of the island's spice plantations and led the island into a century of great wealth. It was during this period that the majority of the Stonetown of Zanzibar was built, as well as many palaces, grand houses, and mosques.

Behind much of the great wealth were a number of prosperous Indian merchants. Trade between Zanzibar and India had been going on for centuries, and by the 1800's businessmen from India had a mercantile strong-hold on the island and were also the money-lenders for many of the Arab plantation owners. They came from many different regions of India and were from a variety of backgrounds, including Hindus, Muslims, and Catholics. They built their own temples, mosques, and churches, and added more layers to the cultural diversity on the island. The Indian men did not tend to intermarry with other cultures, but instead brought their families with them from India. Their wives brought with them a long legacy of Indian cooking techniques. Their traditional recipes combined with locally available ingredients has created a variety of spicy pickles, chutneys, biriyani, curry sauces, fish cakes, samboosas, and other common Indian snacks, but all with a unique Zanzibari flavor.

Cloves were not the only item traded on the islands, as Zanzibar was the site of one of the largest slave markets in Africa. The slaves, sold to Arab plantation owners for use on the islands and in the Middle East, as well as to Europeans, were captured from the mainland from as far west as what is now present day Zaire. The British abolitionist movement finally pressured the Omani government to outlaw slavery by the turn of the twentieth century, but due to the years of slavery, a large number of mainland Africans inhabit the island. Their diets still consist of items that they ate on the mainland, including fried cassava chips, stewed greens, sweet potatoes, yams, and roasted maize.

Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, other cultures have also played a role in Zanzibar's history. Americans were the first to set up a consulate in the early 1800's, and were soon followed by the British, French, and Germans. Many explorers, including Livingstone, Burton, Speke, and Krapf, began their journeys into the heart of Africa from the shores of Zanzibar. These explorers lead to the eventual German and British colonization of East Africa and paved the way for an influx of settlers. While the British did not necessarily make a contribution to Zanzibari cuisine (unless you consider leathery pepper-steak and greasy chips a contribution), they did import china from England, Holland, and Japan. Large, flat serving bowls, decorated with bright colored flowers and geometric designs from the 1920's are still commonly found throughout the Stonetown and used in many of the local homes to serve piles of steaming rice dishes.

After independence in the 1960's, the Chinese were brought to the island to serve as technicians, doctors, military advisers, and agricultural experts. While only a handful still remain, it is possible to buy soy sauce on the island and enjoy dinner at a local Chinese restaurant.