Zanzibar: Spices, slaves and the spirit of independence - Street Food
Ойын-сауық
The Indian Ocean is one of the world's oldest and largest free trade zones. For centuries, trade and migration have marked the history of the many communities living along its shores.
But the name of one place on the coast of Africa has long captured people's imagination: Zanzibar, also know as the spice island.
For centuries, merchants of of all colours and creeds came to the island off the Tanzanian mainland on wooden vessels - and each of them left their own mark on the island.
As a result, Zanzibar has one of the richest and most diverse food cultures in East Africa encompassing influences from Arabia, India and Europe.
Street food is a term often interpreted literally as food served on the streets, but in Zanzibar the real roads are the ocean, dhows are the link between sea and the land, and the presence of seafood is everywhere on the menus.
The island's wealth was largely founded on the spice trade.
Zanzibar's original settlers were Bantu-speaking Africans. But Arabs, especially Omanis, had a huge influence. They set up trading companies in Zanzibar in the 17th century, ending 200 years of Portuguese dominance on the island.
In 1832, the Sultan of Oman moved his capital from Muscat to Zanzibar, which had become a major slave-trading centre.
He encouraged the commercial farming of cloves, so when the slave trade was abolished in 1873, the spice trade continued to flourish - giving Zanzibar wealth and prestige as well as its legendary name, the spice island.
As anti-colonialism spread across Africa, Zanzibar gained independence in 1963. The following Zanzibari revolution, which aimed to give power back to Africans, became one of the bloodiest chapters in the island's history.
"Most of the Omani people were killed, more than 14,000 people were killed, tortured, cut into pieces, murdered, butchered," says Nassor Mazrui, a businessman.
Professor Abdul Sherif from the Zanzibar Ocean Research Institute explains that Arabs were targeted in particular because "they were the big land owners in the 19th century, who also owned slaves, so the ideology of slavery was revived to serve in the politcal struggle of the 1960's.... If something like that would happen now, we would call it ethnic cleansing."
The island's Indian community also suffered during the unrest.The aftermath of the revolution saw an exodus of the Asiatic community, but the trading port lost not only its traders, its whole identity was under threat too.
In 1964, after the bloody revolution, Zanzibar hastily entered a union with Tanzania. The union was designed to prevent the spread of chaos in the region, but for many in Zanzibar, this was the beginning of Zanzibar's decline as one of the most prestigious trading ports in East Africa.
In the last four decades, Zanzibar's spice trade has gone into sharp decline. Today, the spice island, once the world's largest clove producer, is more of a tourist resort.
Its cultural heritage has given Zanzibar a rich and varied cuisine, and it continues to inspire the islanders in their struggle for greater autonomy and a new identity.
Al Jazeera visits the island to discover its turbulent history, its culinary heritage and the changes taking place.
Editor's note: This film was first broadcast on Al Jazeera English in 2008.
Пікірлер: 167
thank you Aljazeera, I love this programme as it allowed me to view places I never heard of before!!! Zansibar is now on my list of places to visit..
@adnanidarous3117
5 жыл бұрын
you are welcome
Later day occupier and slave trader is complaining and crying out when his victims descendants claim back what was ruthlessly snatched from them
I'm adding Zanzibar to my bucket list. The food, the people, and the culture is amazing!!
My grandfather leeft my mom and my aunt alots of lands in Zanzibar Nice to know my heritage
I was there for the music festival Sauti Za Busara which was wonderful. Very privileged to stay with local people in an out of the way village, the house had no running water but there was a personal fumigator for really good quality incense to waft up your djellabah as you stood over it- literally perfume (per fume - by smoke).
Looks perfect, I wish I was on that deck.
The journalist did not do her homework before she came here. Who is she reporting for? Aljazeera I say u let me down on this one.
Al Jazeera trying to insinuate Zanzibar is an Arabic island, chill, Said Seyyid conquered the Island in the forth Island and colonialization is over.
How are the Indians and the Arabs are saying about exploitation of the Bantus? It is true that there is mismanagement in Africa. I would like to see Indians and Arabs come up with a different economic model which associates their black counterparts. It is not enough for them to be saying "You cannot teach ..."
The irony in this video. An indian man claiming that his ancestors were robbed off of 'THEIR' possessions and yet they're doing that or worse to African students today in India. #AfricaForAfricans
@unguja64
6 жыл бұрын
Quraysh, you need to pull your head out of the sand (no pun intended!), and read the actual facts of how indians treat Afrikan university students who have (mistakenly) tried studying there.
@somaliunion4164
5 жыл бұрын
Hakuna Matata yet they naming after thier african ocean. Calling indian ocean
@melanitex1089
5 жыл бұрын
+Hakuna Matala Exactly.....
@melanitex1089
5 жыл бұрын
@JimboParadox Yes that's true (about Ugandans throwing out Indians before their was even a presence of Africans in India) however they were thrown out because of how they treated the Natives.
Funny they don't mention a local African,,,, a Tanzanian, a Kenyan, Ugandan, Eastern Congolese, Somalian, Zambian,,,, at all who in any case was there before them
@frankgallagher7362
6 жыл бұрын
How are Somalis, Congolese and Ugandans locals when they live several miles away? The Somalis were in fact part of the slave trade.
@thestealth2448
6 жыл бұрын
Frank Gallagher I also heard Somalis participated in the slave trade
@paulmuthoni7689
4 жыл бұрын
@@thestealth2448 you should understand difference btw somalis and somalia
@JesseAkabwogi
4 жыл бұрын
No body understand what ur saying....but I got u
@waliali2101
Жыл бұрын
@@thestealth2448 where did u hear that stop the hate bruh how come people in Somalia weren’t sold but your country man was sold. Look in the mirror you are the problem because ya sold ya own community now u want put that blame on other people. For your information Somalis are nomadic n u need another human being to heard your camel.
Zanzibar seems has some similarities in term of culture with Malaysia/Indonesia.
Cheaply made and re-edited report on Zanzibar. Also very angled in its approach, without even touching on the history and sentiments of the union loyalists. Extremely shallow reporting, that in no way whatsoever delves into explaining matters concerning the rifts among Zanzibaris on both sides of the divide, but instead leaves viewers believing its up to simple ethnicity/race... Sad Al Jazeera made this film feel so wasted as well as being so biased and mainstream in its report on beautiful, unique and historical Zanzibar :(
@parisz
5 жыл бұрын
Totally agree!!!
@KEMET1971
5 жыл бұрын
The reporter is Indian ... that night explain some of it.
@wnalikka
5 жыл бұрын
Minority Arabs and Indians trying to hang on to shameful past instead reinventing themselves for instance. What is gone is gone with the wind. Yes hogwash. Total waste of my time. Lousy journalism too !
@Sunshine99283
2 жыл бұрын
@@wnalikka arabs.. persians.. and indians are the ones who established and made the glory of zanzibar. they gave it even its name. so calm down.. jun*lem*nkies
@berabingol3231
Жыл бұрын
@@wnalikka its gone, yes, and the way a nasty Ugandan communist made it go away is nowadays called genocide. Funny, how Africans always try to shame the world about enslavement and/or persecution of Africans and make the world not forget it but when Africans do it themselves they want it to left in the past. Calm yourself down Zanzibar is only known because of Indians, Arabs and Persians.
beautiful island Zanzibar
Nice place 👍👍
How sultan from 🇴🇲 Oman Arabs gave this man land in Africa
@aiyammshoka1096
3 жыл бұрын
In 1698, Zanzibar became part of the overseas holdings of Oman after Saif bin Sultan, the Imam of Oman, defeated the Portuguese in Mombasa, in what is now Kenya. In 1832 or 1840, Omani ruler Said bin Sultan moved his court from Muscat to Stone Town on the island of Unguja (that is, Zanzibar Island).
This video is not about food at all.
I'm going to Zanzibar next year! Can someone give me more information about the boat that they're on at the end of the video?? Please!!!
@abdimohamed1499
7 жыл бұрын
where are u from
@ariannabrooks8667
7 жыл бұрын
Atang-Wabone Malik wonderful. Thank you so much!!!!!
@ariannabrooks8667
7 жыл бұрын
Abdi Mohamed California
@andreamoscoso4065
5 жыл бұрын
Visit Stone Town ❤
@ninamartin1084
Жыл бұрын
Best place to go out on a dhow trip is from one of the villages like Nungwe. Watch out for acid attacks from fundamentalist muslim extremists in Stone Town - make sure you are adequately dressed when in town, no shorts or sleeveless tshirts. There had also been an attack on the Catholic church there a short time before I went.
Home sweet home!
This is a perfect example of how not to practice video journalism. I am truly disappointed in Al Jazeera for publishing this.
@Sunshine99283
2 жыл бұрын
ki*s the priest's bu**..
we are one and we must blove each others, tanzania zanzibar only one big love, sports has no color or religion , you come ton our country but u know nothing at all
How are they being deprived of something in a country that not theirs?
asking an arab how he got that plantation land. lol.
@katherinasainte9621
7 жыл бұрын
lol. his ancestors stole it. shhhh!
@MrBajiyo
7 жыл бұрын
+Bantu Force What's your beef with Somalia?
@ahmedfarazbhatti2070
6 жыл бұрын
what about the lands that europeans stole and are continuing to steal
@thestealth2448
6 жыл бұрын
Hakuna Matata he’s a troll (most likely Ethiopian). He’s probably not even a Bantu
@paulebai3010
6 жыл бұрын
+kazi rahman it was ruled forst by africans this is africa ok
That food looks delicious at 13:06
I'm from zanzibar I'm 10 and I live in England
@medicaldoll5506
6 жыл бұрын
Buthaynah McQueen That's really neat. How old were you when you left Zanzibar?
@concentratecorner1744
6 жыл бұрын
medical doll 12
@dadasim2749
3 жыл бұрын
You are Welcome back
i wish i had a taste.
Interesting how the Zanzibaris complain - they can go and live on the mainland, in Dar Es Salaam which offers a much greater range of opportunities for business, education etc. whereas mainland Tanzanians are barred from living and working on Zanzibar unless they have a special permit like a visa. So many things missed in this little video - like the babies with loads of eye makeup and red cord amulets, the very dodgy Italian hoteliers/gay pornographers who refuse access to entire sections of public beaches to local people, the wandering herds of beach cows..... and no I'm not talking about the northern european tourists.
Wonderful country zanzibar
The guy said it was ethnic cleansing. ethnic cleansing or slave master cleansing? The guy who had the surprise gift, the surprise was he still had slaves. He didn't nor brought the gifts for the lady some people did and he took the credit.
@unguja64
6 жыл бұрын
Quraysh - good luck with that line of reasoning!
@noorsur1
5 жыл бұрын
They are working with him didn’t slave them. He doesn’t force them to work with him. He pays money to work with him. He bought the land. Let me till you something there are many Zanzibari work in oman and many of them wish to work in oman.
@melanitex1089
4 жыл бұрын
@JimboParadox It was a freedom struggle the Arabs shouldn't have enslaved Africans and created an apartheid system. Once they were exterminated the slavery stopped and there was no longer an Apartheid system.
Zanzibar was never omani capital .it's Swahili land not Arabia .huku Ni kwetu uswahilini si uarabuni
The Siddis are Shirazi too, people call the Siddis Zanji that is dark skin South East Asians=dark skin Elamites. The Parthians came to Zanzibar and Tanzania.
In Portugal, bulls are not killed in the end of the bull race, that happens in Spain, not Portugal. Bull race is bad as it is, dont make it worst.
@XasanGuled-jt2we
2 жыл бұрын
Bull means,what plus were moors black
"We were your slave owners." "But sympathetic slave owners?" "Of course!" *Al Jazeeran AK-47's intensify*
It’s a beautiful thing to see people who are very optimistic about their own future
Whats the name of that song
@juhalo9667
5 жыл бұрын
Taarabu asilia
@Omarsi2000
4 жыл бұрын
Nisafirishe kwa huba (Traveling with love)
Omg. This lines up with what I was just told from an Indian who's family lived here for quite a while. Generations and generations. They owned a business and three story house and fled during the revolution except for him and his brother to run the business. He was saying how the arabs were selling slaves (not white men) and that many Indians were persecuted along with civilians during the revolution. It was really interesting! Led me here lol.
well made and presented Documentary...........thanks
Home sweet home
how she saying the dalla dalla = bus, is the only source of transport , theres taxis , bikes you can pay to get on the back to travel cmon you just choice the cheapest and uncomfortable option but is all for the experience lol hahaha
@zakdhabalia8280
Жыл бұрын
she said public transport..ie provided by the authorities giving concessions
Isnt boko boko also harees?
video nzuri sana
It is africa not middle east OR Asian!!!! If you let them into your country that is what happen!!!!there is more manupulation of arabisation movement underlining the so call independance!!! kenya and tanzania leaders must be very careful and wake up!! the golf countries can finance unstability in this regions!!!
@2luvlearning
6 жыл бұрын
Still Africa, still Africans...
@unguja64
6 жыл бұрын
Quraysh, how can you "found" a land and people who are already there? - You are afflicted with grand delusions. Christopher Columbus must be a real hero to you!
@noorsur1
5 жыл бұрын
Tino ricky zagor arab builds Zanzibar it’s was nothing before arab. Omani expelled the Portuguese from your land. Your identity is arab your language, songs, clothes, food everything. Look arab left your island and living better live than yours. You wish to live like them.
@josamenezammbuji1768
4 жыл бұрын
@@noorsur1 you Arab manipulators, this land is ours not yours, you may have built it but it's ours, you are causing instability among Tanzanians so you can rule Zanzibarians like you want, let me tell you, we will ramp you up in the streets with machetes if you continue poisoning us to divide
@noorsur1
4 жыл бұрын
josam eneza mmbuji lol you made laugh, you lost everything and we won, your people want to come to oman for working with us, if we think like you we have to return all Zanzibars from oman to your country, omani built your country, look what happened to your island after arab left it! Oman invested your land while you living there without working your brain, we thank Allah we live in a peaceful country. Don’t worry will not come to your land but and ask your people to stop traveling to oman.
i love kocha she is my sister, she is the best from zanzibar
Spice islands
JAMBO ZANZIBAR HAKUNA MATATA KARIBU SANA ASANTE SANA MZURI SANA POA SANA NAKUPENDA SANA
Zanzibar couldnt enter into a union with Tanzania. Zanzibar and Tanganyika through a union formed TANZANIA. And to be clear, we arent very happy with the union here on the mainland either.
@josamenezammbuji1768
4 жыл бұрын
we should split up, and let them rule them selves, and see how that prophecy of Mwl JK Nyerere comes to life, Zanzibar will suffer to their knees, most of them demand freedom but they don't know what will happen after that freedom, Zanzibar is fragile without us
@josamenezammbuji1768
4 жыл бұрын
@Saracen Tk 😂😂😂😂😂 the Arabs wants their country back
@kareemtheeb1478
4 жыл бұрын
@@josamenezammbuji1768 😂😂😂 You speak thier language becouse you have no history. Only swahilis have history in your brithish made up country.
@josamenezammbuji1768
4 жыл бұрын
@@kareemtheeb1478 shut it you moran
well I was expecting a documentary about food , not a foolish reporter that work for government and spread hate!
We considered union as a colonial in our zanbar irland we fight for our free
Nonsense report. If its about food let be that first of all.
Ah nothing going on
very sad, you meet wrong people
@josamenezammbuji1768
4 жыл бұрын
Exactly
duh, banana wrong, coconut cassava wrong, very shame, im so sad
Birthplace of Freddie Mercury....
all i see are natives taking back their land from those whom have tortured, butchered and enslaved them (although there methods are extreme)
@rashidabdallah4014
7 жыл бұрын
Who are natives? And where were they from? If u really know history, u are talking bullshit. All slaves in Zanzibar were brought by big African tribes. Arabs, Indians, Persians were just buying them from their fellow africans. Many family even african families owned slave not only Arabs.
@MrBajiyo
7 жыл бұрын
+Bantu Force What example?
@2luvlearning
6 жыл бұрын
Quraysh القرشي delusional
@sunshine-if6jl
6 жыл бұрын
Bantu Force Somalis ain't Slaves.
matata za urojo na mishikakii bokobokooo tumeharibu
@yahissalvation6635
5 жыл бұрын
ya
Zanzibar The black coast
this woman's voice is unbearable! i feel like i'm watching a bbc gsce language guide from 1992. the tone and intonation. so stiff. and overly formal. and un na tu ral. this is YT. people want realness. not this old school journalism by numbers newscaster fakeness...
everthing here is fake
That's funny
Zanzibar is a Nation Now we don't need u nioun with Tanganyika we need our country...Freer Zanzibar
@josamenezammbuji1768
4 жыл бұрын
even we Tanganyikans don't need you, you ISIS puppets
Zanzibar must be free from Tanzania
You would know who those dislikers are. Just read the comments below and there are seven of them. Seven who dislike this video.
aibuuu
drawing not from zanzibar, food not from zanzibar nothing from zanzibar
People will always complain. Do they think they will be in better if they were independent. Africa will never allow any more independent states.
@mwigaadam9076
2 жыл бұрын
Is not true this because Zanzibar got into union it self while it was republic and it had it's chair in united nations so nothing is new if the Zanzibar will remain in it's status
why should international institution not take place to help Zanzibar to rule themselves instaedy of interviewing them and leaves them hopeless
Independence Can Make it "African Singapore "
aibuu aqibuuu
Zanzibar can be Africa's Singapore, if given independence.
@johnnaiman
5 жыл бұрын
Independence so your people can take over...
@melanitex1089
5 жыл бұрын
@JimboParadox Zanzibar is in black hands right now and isn't Haiti but nice try though.
@landz2228
5 жыл бұрын
@@melanitex1089 most africansdont know that arabs practise segregationism, where is the malema of the sahel?
@melanitex1089
5 жыл бұрын
@@landz2228 Exactly, I can't stand Arabs and Indians.....
@kasN-ud9vd
4 жыл бұрын
You sound more like the great son of Tippu tip the slave trader.
she is rude
Zanzibarians please lets stop this stupidity and lets fight together against poverty, dont try to beg other people to do work for you....
beautiful island Zanzibar