Marula Fruit Brings Everyone Together Zimbabwe is one of the countries in Southern Africa with the highest density of marula trees. Wherever it grows, it is venerated and preserved by local people for the abundance and reliable harvest of its edible fruits. In many areas people believe that ancestral spirits reside under marula trees and …
Beauty Chatsure, Bambara Nut Grower Beauty Muza Chatsure is a farmer from Bromley who grows a wide range of legumes including cowpeas, Bambara nuts and sugar beans. Beauty says legumes do well in her area and give her enough food throughout the year to feed herself and her family of nine. She usually plants half …
Turning Wild Melons Into Tidy Profits Blessing Huzori is a farmer from Mutoko who grows wild melons to feed her cows and pigs. Sometimes she uses the melon pulp to make delicious nhopi with peanut butter or the seeds to make a traditional relish eaten with maize. People in Blessing’s community have also used the …
Hacha, The Giving Tree In Mutoko district, people of all ages look forward to the mobola plum (hacha) season every year. And no-one more than Agnes Zinhu, Agnes Machona and Janet Zirugo, three ladies who turn these delectable fruits into sweet treats for family, friends and strangers alike. Agnes, a young mum of two, has …
The Chinyama Family’s Amaranth Project The Chinyamas have always enjoyed growing millet and sorghum but last year they were introduced to something new. “We have always eaten mowa leaves (Amaranthus hybridus) as a vegetable but now we are growing amaranth grain” says Mr Chinyama. In the field Mr Chinyama noted that the amaranth grain crop …
The Kopjes’ Treasure Vongai Magwiridze is a farmer from hot, dry Chivi district where declining rainfall is threatening livelihoods in the community. Although agricultural crops struggle under changing climatic conditions, many indigenous plants, well adapted to dry conditions, continue to thrive. The tough resurrection bush is one of these. It grows in pockets of shallow …
An Ancient Tree In The Modern World The ancient and whimsical baobab! It is amazing how this strange tree that thrives in arid areas on poor soils can provide such an incredible variety of uses. Used in Africa for thousands of years for its fruit, leaves, fibre and medicine, baobab has achieved international acclaim for …
Following Her Bliss Sarah Lilford grew up on a farm in Guruve, where food and family was very much part of daily life. After she left school, Sarah completed a short cooking course and travelled the world cooking and eating and learning from many different cuisines. When Sarah returned to Zimbabwe, she started a catering …
Discovering Delicious Traditions Charlene Chisvo always had a deep love for food and cooking growing up. She found herself doing the odd catering and baking job to make some extra cash but her interest in traditional ingredients was piqued after she manned a food stall at the 2015 Good Food Festival and was inspired by …
Thriving On What’s Local Dana Lister owns the Zimbabwean company Thrive, which specialises in fermented health drinks. “I was always into healthy eating – fermented food and drinks and traditional ingredients,” says Dana. “And I have always believed in going back to what our grandmothers used to eat. I started making fermented drinks and my …
Blending Tradition With A Twist Peta Searle is the owner of Petalilli Organics, a herbal tea company based in Harare, Zimbabwe. Peta first started using indigenous herbs in 2016, when she developed Petalilli Organics’s loose leaf herbal tea range. “I wanted to create fruity, funky blends using primarily indigenous herbs to support local communities and …
Childhood Memories Churned Into Memorable Flavours Rose Shumba Huru is one of the chief ice cream makers at Gelato Crema, an innovative Zimbabwean company specialising in Italian style iced confections made from fresh, organic, local ingredients. The company began experimenting with unusual ingredients in 2014, after getting inspired by their experience at the Good Food …
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We transform neglected and underutilised indigenous plants into viable commercial “crops” that generate benefits for rural people and their environment.