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Kundai Marunya and Talent Gore
Traditional food, dressing and artefacts are taking centre stage at the ongoing Zimbabwe Food and Culture Festival in the Harare Gardens. Officially opened by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa yesterday, the festival is a true celebration of Zimbabwean traditional cultures.

The event could not have been timed better as it ends today, on Africa Day, when we celebrate our heritage and cultures as a continent.

Walking into Harare Gardens, one is welcomed by a cocktail of mouth-watering aromas and eye-catching displays of traditional foods.

Various food stalls set by well-known restaurants, tertiary institutions such as Chinhoyi University of Technology, and hotels such as Holiday Inn, Orange Groove Motel and Rainbow Tourism Group are showcasing culinary expertise in traditional foods.
The less-known service providers in the food industry including Gogo Vee’s restaurant are also among the top contenders of awards for best food, with a tasty menu that includes sorghum and rapoko sadza, “road runner” chickens, and guinea fowl meat among other delicacies.

Appetisers on the menus include roasted nuts and wild berries while refreshment such as “maheu” and baobab drinks are a hit with many.

All Zimbabwe’s provinces are also present to display different foods, crops and artefacts that come from their catchment areas.
The provinces are battling it out with heart-touching displays.

They are complementing other, exhibiting groups and individuals whose artifacts are aiding in showing off the beauty of Zimbabwe, the richness of its culture and heritage.

Artist Fungai Muchineripi, who is exhibiting wood carvings of animals and human figures, said the festival is a great way of showcasing the country’s rich creative talent.

“Many urbanites have been moving away from our tradition mostly because of socialisation in the technology age and, because they are not really in touch with their roots, many have abandoned their rural homes.

“This festival brings to them, in an urban centre, a glimpse of the beauty they are losing out on in neglecting their heritage,” she said.

Designers in clothing and jewellery are also shining with different pieces that celebrate being African.
In clothing, most popular designs are in java. Some have creatively fused contemporary clothing such as t-shirts, shorts and hoodies, adding a piece of the cloth, which many identify with African wear.

To spice up the festival are various traditional dance groups, showing just how well-knit and rich Zimbabwe’s societies are.
Jerusarema, Katekwe, Chamusasure and Mbakumba were among numerous other dances that were being showcased yesterday.

Traditional dance groups representing the many distinct cultures found in the country showcased their dances, each featuring unique choreography.

It was nice to see people enjoying traditional dances and seeing these traditions being kept alive especially when we live in a time when technology is eroding our heritage.

The festival was a blend of pride and open-mindedness for attendees celebrating their roots.
For those exhibiting food, each stand had from about six different dishes and on offer were rich traditional foods that included rice with peanut butter (mupunga), tsunga, sadza made from millet and rapoko (sadza rezviyo nemapfunde), nhopi.

At one corner of the park, there are women who are grinding groundnuts to come out with peanut butter and some are stamping rapoko and millet.

All this was so beautiful that some of the people who were not exhibiting anything at the park were actually asking to have a feel of how to grind peanut butter.

Food lovers were seen at most stands buying their traditional foods and some were even having their braai packs being taken care of.

The festival will end today with different displays and performances.