When touring Zanzibar with ZTrans, you will learn about its rich history and culture and the many oppositions that were battled to gain or retain control of this beautiful island. The fact that it was a strategic point for a trade is only one of the reasons why it was so coveted. Visit the spice and fruit farms of Zanzibar and you will understand its true value. This island is a veritable treasure trove of spices that were worth more than currency, sometimes bartered traded. Even as your knowledgeable guide talks to you about the many uses of spices aside from being used as a food flavouring, you will understand that these spices have curative properties that were invaluable in the olden days, in the absence of modern medicine. The ancients also used them as colouring for fabrics and revered them in their religious rites. The time you spend in the spice plantations is a delightful experience that is no doubt enlightening but also introduces you to distinct species of fauna whose presence is necessary for the plants to flourish. For instance, as you view the vanilla plant, your guide will inform you that in the wild, monkeys pollinate it because its flowers are poisonous to many insects. You will also learn that the vanilla is a cousin of the orchid flower, and the gardeners of the farm pollinate these plants by hand and scatter coconut shells at their base to provide moisture and nutrition. You will also discover avocado trees and aloe vera plants; and an interesting fact. Mothers use the paste of the aloe vera to wean their babies off breast milk. You will also learn about natural cosmetics such as the lipstick plant that women use to lend an organic red colour to their lips. So you see, the ancients had cosmetics too. The seeds of this plant are pounded and used to dye fabrics too. The colouring made from the henna plant is another beauty product that is used to paint temporary tattoos on women’s hands and feet for celebrations like weddings, engagements, maulid, eid and more.
Zanzibar Spice Tour
As a coffee-lover, you will enjoy viewing the fresh coffee beans in their natural form. If you have tried the coastal kahawai coffee while travelling in East Africa, you now know of one of the locations where they are sourced from. During your tour, you can also discover the different colours of peppercorns. These vibrant colours indicate the various stages of maturity of the corns. But, be careful as you taste one, this one has kick sharper than any of the ones you have back home. And watch out for the leaves of the cayenne pepper plant. Those are quite potent too. At every turn in this spice Eden, you will encounter a new wonder. And the highlight of your spice excursion in Zanzibar is certainly the introduction to the emperor of spices, the clove. View them in their immature form and you will see a delicate spice with a light, fun aroma that is downright fascinating as is the knowledge that in the 1800s, the island produced 90% of the world’s cloves. Apart from flavouring food, they have a very impressive range of uses such as additives in tooth care products and bad breath neutralizers. But, of course, the ancients have known about that for centuries.
The empress of spices, cinnamon, is another member of the royalty you can meet when on your holiday in Zanzibar with ZTrans. This elegant spice is the bark of a tree that can be used entirely, from its leaves to seeds and roots. When cut, its bark curls itself into rolls as it dries, and possibly the most wondrous property it has is that it can cure a cold by simply sniffing on it. This spice can also cure digestive and breathing problems besides lending a lovely aroma to food.
Lemongrass is another familiar plant you will see on your spice tour of Zanzibar, along with the starfruit and its cousin, the carambola that is actually a vegetable rather than a fruit. In case you did not know, the cardamom tree grows pods both above and below the ground. What’s more, there are both male and female trees with only the females producing seed pods. As you get distracted by the sight of the avian life, your Ztrans guide will direct your attention to the ginger plant. Learn of its decongestant, blood circulatory and aphrodisiacal properties as you view another root that is similar in appearance, the turmeric. Not only does it lend that lovely yellow colour to curries and gravies but it acts as a healing agent. And can cure acne and yellow fever.
Discover a natural sun tanning lotion on your trip in Africa that can also remedy wounds. It is the miraculous iodine plant whose sap is applied on cuts and scratches to heal them quickly. The nutmeg is another spice that is favoured by Zanzibarians for its taste and a distinctive property that lends a party feeling to food thanks to its mildly hallucinogenic and aphrodisiac effects that favour romance. If you see vervet monkeys chattering excitedly, you will know they have found their favourite fruit, the shoki-shoki or rambutan that is very much like the lychee. Also, try many other succulent fruits whose taste will remain with you long after you return home from your beach vacation in Tanzania. Try organic papayas, jackfruit (fenesi), mangoes, pineapples, banana, watermelons, oranges with their green peel, custard apples, passion fruits, durians and many more. End your tour day with a demonstration of how coconuts are harvested by hand from the trees. Watching the technique of young men shimmying up the slim trees is a fascinating experience, culminating in the taste of sweet water and tender coconut flesh. Shop for unique products that are made of spices along with hats, purses and other items crafted out of palm fronds.
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