Urojo

If there’s one dish that perfectly captures Swahili culture, it is urojo. Also referred to as “Zanzibar street mix” or just “Zanzibar mix,” this beautiful stew combines color, texture, and complexity—and is served steaming hot, street-side.

The starches of boiled potatoes and Indian-influenced items such as bhajias (deep-fried potatoes or fritters) and sev (crispy chickpea flour noodles) swim in a slowly simmering stock of turmeric, mango, flour, and family secrets. Vendors pile protein on top in the form of medium-boiled eggs, and mishkaki, the East African staple of grilled mutton or beef. Then come the final flourishes of kachumbari (tomato, onion, and cucumber salad), a chiffonade of basil and lettuce, and a dollop of pili pili (hot pepper) sauce.

Unsure where to start? Stone Town, a historic neighborhood located on the island of Unguja within the Zanzibar Archipelago, is a perfect launching point for urojo adventures. Informally known as “Zanzibar,” Unguja has long served as a melting pot from which Swahili culture (and urojo) is ladled out to the rest of East Africa. Over the years, Bantu, Arab, Indian, Portuguese, and British influences have collided and filtered through the winding alleyways of Stone Town until a collective cultural identity was formed. The endlessly simmering urojo stock reflects this blending of parts into a new, delicious whole.

Perhaps the most profound things about this dish are the places in which it is served: unpretentious, seaside establishments that are filled with tourists and Zanzibari alike. As you slurp away with sheer delight, it’s hard not to think that the warm sea breeze is what makes street-side urojo taste just that much better.