Zim’s changing palates
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A scene from the Bon Marché food festival held last weekend in Chisipite. Picture: Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe

Lifestyle Editor
Zimbabweans are rapidly changing their tastes in food and drink, those in the industry of catering say. While the traditional dishes remain popular, variations are creeping in and many people want them as part of a varied menu, rather than exclusively.Chips and chicken or fish or sausages as well as pizza have become everyday fare for multitudes of city dwellers who used to subsist solely on sadza.

But it is the burger in all its guises that seems to have become the most popular food in town. Everywhere you go, there are always queues at the burger stands. Most connoisseurs would not touch the stuff sold in most outlets for various reasons.

Most of them are not made from proper meat patties, but a mixture of soy and meat rejects including a whole lot of fat. In some places the burgers are served dry without the addition of sauces and the extras that make all the difference.

“I recall the Wimpy burger from all those years back when I was in school. So I would never eat the junk that I see people lining up for. But there are a few outlets with wonderful juicy burgers. You just have to be prepared to pay more,” said Jeriphanos Mutangi of Zimre Park.

A chef with one of the most popular fast food outlets said the secret to getting the perfect burger lies in being loyal to a trusted place:

“You need to know that the patties are really what they say. The burger must be done slowly and left juicy and tender. There is a proper way of sealing the juices inside then getting the pattie done. Few people can do it right. Then, of course, you need to have your bun toasted for that crispy and crunchy bite. Even a plain burger with no additions can taste fabulous when done right,” he boasted.

Chinese, Indian and Western dishes are gaining ground.

Just as the food tastes are changing so are the drinking trends. Wine has become popular among all demographic groups and is no longer an elitist drink. This is evidenced by its stocking by even the most mainstream supermarkets and bottle stores.

The brand manager of a wine importer says that the market is booming.

“We have noted that Zimbabweans love the sweet wines. I think it is easier to migrate from sweet drinks to sweet wines. But as the palate ‘matures’ then they start going to drier wines and looking for the other things,” she said.

She also said that there are no longer any income delineated zones when it comes to wine buying among the people.

We wonder what the next craze to be imported into the country will be.

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