Spices of Zanzibar and Pemba
The Spice Islands of East Africa, long the world's leading source of cloves, with farms also growing nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and vanilla.
Traded and grown here
Best time: June to October, the cooler dry season, with the clove harvest at that time.
Zanzibar and Pemba lie off the coast of Tanzania. Omani rulers introduced clove cultivation in the early nineteenth century, using enslaved labour on plantations, and the islands became the world's main source of cloves. Spice tours on Unguja now show the crops.
Spices and trade
Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tree, hand-picked and dried in the sun. Pemba has the larger clove groves. Farms also grow nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, vanilla, turmeric, ginger and lemongrass.
The place and its people
Swahili cooking blends African, Arab, Indian and Persian influence, with pilau rice flavoured by cumin, cardamom, clove and cinnamon, and coconut-based curries. The clove trade was tied to slavery, a history that visitors can learn about in Stone Town.
Visiting
Spice farm tours are offered near Stone Town. Quality varies, so ask where products are grown.
A trail idea for Zanzibar and Pemba
- A spice farm Smell plants and taste fruit.
- Pemba clove groves See the main clove area.
- A pilau meal Eat a Swahili spiced rice.
- Jozani Forest Look for red colobus monkeys.
Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Zanzibar" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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