When holidaying in Mozambique, try out the culinary delights that the country has to offer. With its tropical climate and the Indian Ocean abundant with fish, delicious exotic meals are the order of the day. Many of these can be sampled whilst in Bilene.

Matapa is a common sauce in this country’s cooking. The sauce is made from cassava leaves or other greens, ground peanuts or coconut, and sometimes with shrimp. The staple food for many Mozambicans is ncima, a thick porridge made from maize or corn flour. Cassava and rice are also eaten as staple carbohydrates. All of these are served with sauces of vegetables, meat, beans, or fish. Now, who could resist a delicious dish of prawns served with matapa sauce alongside a serving of ncima? Chicken is also a favourite meat, served grilled or with seasonings and spices, most popularly with piri-piri – a spicy chilli sauce made with chilli, of course, garlic, and lemon juice. Is your mouth watering?

To satisfy a sweet tooth, delicious fruits abound. Holiday makers can buy buckets full of mangoes, avocados, papayas, and coconuts at roadside stops. And don’t forget the cashew nuts! Although no longer one of the world’s largest producers of cashews, you can find bags of them along roadside stops as well.

And speaking of roadside snacks, be sure to try a Prego roll. This is a simple dish of steak topped with piri-piri sauce. Try it with pao, readily found in markets, these are tasty white bread rolls, from Portuguese heritage, often baked in wood-fired ovens.

A number of successful national beer brands are enjoyed by Mozambicans, the brand: 2M is a firm favourite. Local brews (pombe) are also popular. These are made from maize, sugar cane, mangos, cassavas, and cashew fruits. Palm wine (sura) is also popular in southern areas. Tipo Tinto, is the country’s national rum, but do mix it with something, because it packs a powerful punch!