Food

While Zambia offers several meat dishes, the local specialities are bream from the Zambezi, Kafue and Luapula rivers, and Nile perch, lake salmon and other freshwater fish. Only eat well-cooked meat and fish, preferably served hot.

Zambia celebrates is culinary history every year on 24 February with a harvest festival called N’Cwala when twelve local chiefs from the Eastern Province travel with their finest dancers to the village of Mutenguleni where each group dances before the Paramount chief Ngoni and offers him the first produce of the season.

The Paramount chief watches and takes part in the dancing. He drinks the blood of a cow as a symbol of the first harvest food and as a blessing for his people to start harvesting and eating.

Drink

Mosi and Rhino Lager, Special Dark Lager, Ndola Supreme and imported beers (mostly from South Africa) and assorted soft drinks are available everywhere. Spirits are also available. The wines are mostly from South Africa.

Water

Water used for drinking or making ice should be boiled or sterilised.