How a street food tour is spicing up culinary tourism in Zanzibar

The feeling of being outside defeats all the air-conditioned restaurants in the upscale hotels they have booked. With bowls of traditional Zanzibari octopus soup, tourists sip the flavourful broth from the bowl before eating the pieces of octopus.

Authentic experience in the streets of Stone Town, tours are from Monday to Saturday, taking walks for breakfast and dinner. From sunrise, the corners of Stone Town are filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread sold by street vendors.

For new visitors who want to experience Zanzibar, he said, “Go deep in Stone Town. If you wanna know the history of Zanzibar, wake up at six o’clock in the morning. Walking around at six o’clock in the morning, before the shops open. Yes, go walking around. It’s safe. Numbers are safe.

Walking around six o’clock in the morning after prayer.” Lodi said, This is the perfect time to walk around Stone Town, the calmness, the tranquil setting that is sought by many visiting the island.

As the island comes alive, the hustle and bustle of the old city begins. During the afternoon times Lodi finds time for his wife and children and prepares for evening tours.

Lodi is a people person; they called him the Heart of Stone Town because he was born and raised in the ancient city. For all the times he has spent in the streets, he is proud to say he gets along with almost everyone.

“Thank God I got no beef with nobody; I'm good with everybody. I enjoy being with people.

My life is the people. I enjoy being with people,” he chuckled. The idea for a street food tour came during a casual conversation with a friend and his wife.

He noticed that Lodi was a natural communicator, sociable and loved to eat around the town, but many visitors didn't know their way around the local food spots where they sold authentic Zanzibari food.

And that's when he decided, instead of walking around by themselves, they would invite tourists and show them around where to go for the best food. They just move around Stone Town following where the food is and eat like how Zanzibari eat.

From the coffee corners to the best biryani dish. They strictly go to local street food vendors and purposely avoid established restaurants, because it's where you can eat authentically prepared Zanzibari food. These stalls prepare meals as if they are cooking a family meal.

Lodi also understands that eating at local kiosks puts money directly in the hands of the locals, something he is very intentional about. His impact on local people is visible; vendors are equally appreciative of the tours and how they have not only boosted their sales but also made them visible to tourists and locals alike.

Asked to define Zanzibar cuisine, Lodi said, most people know the all-time favourite Zanzibar mix soup, urojo, but the island's cuisine ranges from rice and sauce, cassava, breadfruit to local snacks like samosas and flaky Zanzibari flatbread.

The archipelago's cuisine is a blend of food shaped by centuries of interaction between African, Arab, Indian and Persian influences along the Swahili Coast. Their food tours are very organic; it's always a friend of a friend who recommends them.

The casual walks feel like just a group of friends out and about, holding conversation about everything, from football matches, politics, to the history of the ancient town.

People enjoy the time they spend with this charismatic local guide. Spending a day with him feels like talking to an old friend and that's what most people around Stone Town say.

The visitors he takes around come from neighbouring Kenya and South Africa, while some come from as far as the United States and Europe, all have one thing in common, the love for culinary adventure and down for a good conversation. “For the last two years, I have had friends from Europe, America, Asia, Australia, even my fellow Tanzanians, come for the street food tour. It's a blessing to have so many friends,” he said.

Unlike other tour guides who specialize in taking tourists sightseeing famous landmarks and attractions like Prison Island, he has opted to strictly stick to tours around Stone Town and taking visitors on a culinary expedition. He tries to be as creative with every tour. “I’m not the guy to take them to Prison Island.

It's not like every day, everybody goes there or to the sandbank. Tourists get tired of all the stuff, but everyone eats everyday,” he explained.

 As Eat Like a Zanzibari embarks on its third year, Lodi is excited for the future and Tourist arrivals on the island have surged; local food stands have increased, he feels that adds to the adventure and subsequently, young Zanzibaris are starting food businesses knowing tourists would love to try their food. “People say I am the heart of Stone Town, but for me, I feel like a regular person who loves people and loves eating,” he chimed in.

Lodi reiterates that street food is clean and safe. Pointing to the fact that you see the chef making it from scratch, “you buy nothing that you don't see them cooking, unlike other restaurants where you find the food is already cooked,” he said.

“If you want chapati, you can get chapati; you can see the lady right there cooking; you can see it.” He added. He urged visitors not just to ‘read the cover,’ but rather to ‘read the book.’ It's through tasting the street food that one can really know about it and make informed opinions on it.

From porridge to Zanzibar mix, even the coffee and ginger tea, everything is cooked in the presence of the tourist. The chef passes you a hot meal and you sit and enjoy the spicy island atmosphere.

For anyone who gets to step foot on the island, he urged them to try the street food, an adventure on its own. And for the vegetarians, the street food tours- consider that too: “Myself, I’m a pescatarian, so I understand that and most of our food is organic; it has always been that way,” he added.