Nshima, Groundnuts and Good Company: A Love Letter to Zambian Food

Living in Lusaka, I am reminded every day that Zambians take food seriously. Not in a fussy way – in a warm, generous, “come and eat” way. A pot on the fire, a big plate of nshima in the middle of the table, a relish that has been simmering slowly, and people gathered around it. In Zambia, food is never really just food – it is how we look after each other.

When I started Forkwise, I wanted a place where gluten-free cooking felt joyful instead of limiting. So it makes me very happy to share more African recipes on the site – and to start right here at home, with the food of Zambia.

Nshima: the heart of the meal

You cannot talk about Zambian food without starting with nshima. It is made from mealie meal – finely ground white maize – cooked with water and stirred hard with a wooden stick until it becomes thick, smooth and firm. It is served in soft mounds and eaten with the right hand: you pinch off a piece, roll it into a ball, press a little dip into it with your thumb, and use it to scoop up the relish.

For many families, a meal without nshima simply does not feel like a full meal. In some parts of the country, nshima is also made from cassava, which gives it a different texture and taste.

The best part for anyone avoiding gluten? Maize is naturally gluten-free. Nshima is just mealie meal and water.

The relishes: where the flavour lives

Nshima is the comfort; the relish – ndiwo in Nyanja – is where the flavour lives. A Zambian meal is usually nshima with one or two relishes, and the choice is wonderful:

Kapenta – small dried fish from our lakes, fried until crisp and finished with tomato and onion.
Bream – whole fish from our rivers and lakes, fried or grilled and served with a fresh tomato relish.
Chibwabwa – young pumpkin leaves, carefully peeled of their stringy skins and cooked with tomato, onion and pounded groundnuts.
Delele – okra cooked until soft and silky. You either love that slipperiness or you learn to.
Impwa – small bitter aubergines (garden eggs) with a gentle bitterness, cooked down with tomato.
Village chicken – free-range chicken simmered slowly until tender, in its own rich tomato gravy.
Beans, rape and other greens for every day.

Most of these are made with a handful of simple ingredients: onion, tomato, salt, a little oil, and patience.

Groundnuts make everything better

If maize is the backbone of Zambian cooking, groundnuts are its soul. They are roasted and salted as a snack, eaten with boiled sweet potatoes, and pounded into a fine powder that turns greens into something creamy and comforting. Ifisashi – greens cooked in groundnut sauce – is a classic, and it happens to be naturally free from gluten, dairy and eggs.

Then there is chikanda, sometimes called “African polony”. It is made from the tubers of wild orchids, pounded with groundnuts and chilli, and cooked until firm enough to slice. It is a true Zambian speciality. Because the orchids are gathered from the wild, I think of it as something to enjoy and to treat with respect.

In Zambia, food is never really just food – it is how we look after each other.
— Tijana

Seasons and special things

Part of the joy of Zambian food is how it follows the seasons. When the rains come, wild mushrooms appear in the markets and along the roadsides, and they make a beautiful, simple relish. (Please only cook wild mushrooms that have been identified by someone who really knows them.)

Sweet potatoes, cassava, pumpkins and fresh maize all have their moments, too. And then there is munkoyo – a lightly fermented drink made from maize porridge and the roots of the munkoyo plant. The roots turn thick porridge into a thin, sweet-sour drink. It is refreshing, it is traditional, and it is made without any wheat at all.

Eating together

What I find most special is not one single dish – it is the way Zambians eat. Food is shared. Hands are washed before the meal. There is usually enough for whoever turns up, and nobody leaves hungry. Big occasions mean big pots, and cooking is often a team effort.

That sense of sharing is exactly what I want for anyone who eats gluten-free. Too often, people with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance feel left out at the table. Zambian food reminds me that a meal can be completely safe and completely generous at the same time.

The gluten-free angle: what to watch for

Many Zambian staples are naturally gluten-free: maize, cassava, groundnuts, sweet potatoes, beans, fresh fish, chicken, pumpkin leaves, okra and other greens. That is a wonderful starting point. But a few things can sneak gluten in:

Stock cubes and soup powders. These are very common in Zambian kitchens, and many contain wheat. Use water and good ingredients, or choose a stock cube that is clearly labelled gluten-free.
Ready-made seasonings and curry powders. Some contain wheat flour. Single spices are safer.
Mealie meal and other flours. Maize is gluten-free, but a mill may also handle wheat. Read the pack, and avoid any that warn they may contain wheat.
Fritters and baked treats. Vitumbuwa and many snacks sold with tea are usually made with wheat flour. There is a rice flour version on Forkwise instead.
Bread with tea. Delicious, but not for us – sweet potatoes, groundnuts or porridge make a great gluten-free breakfast.
Shared oil and pans. When food is fried in the same oil as wheat fritters, it is no longer safe for coeliacs.

Cook along with me

I have added new Zambian recipes to Forkwise: nshima, kapenta, chibwabwa with groundnuts, delele, impwa, village chicken stew, wild mushroom relish, munkoyo, roasted groundnuts, sweet potatoes with groundnuts, peanut butter porridge and a gluten-free version of vitumbuwa. There are also dishes from many other African countries – jollof, egusi, misir wat with 100% teff injera, matapa, chakalaka and more.

Every recipe is gluten-free by ingredient. Make a big pot, call your people, and eat together. That is the Zambian way – and I think it is the best way.

Tijana