Over the centuries, Zanzibar’s
cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and many other spices brought the
sultans of Oman across the Indian Ocean by dhow on the seasonal trade
winds.
For a few US dollars, a half or full-day Spice Tour introduces you
to most of Zanzibar's spices and fruits, (depending on the season)
and if you are lucky, a few historical sites too - such as the old
slave market or a ruined sultan’s palace.
Most tours are by dala-dala (pick-up trucks converted into buses)
and include yummy lunches of seafood or Zanzibar curry, coconut milk,
and plenty of fresh fruit. The exotic spices and fruits are grown
in the plantations just outside of Stone Town and there’s ample
opportunity to dazzle the senses as you taste and smell them and guess
what they are.
The guides give detailed descriptions of what the various plants are
used for, though not all of them are for food. The leaves of the neem
tree were once used as a cure for malaria and indigestion, the iodine
tree produces a deep red sap used to fight infection, while the foaming
berries of the unimaginatively named soap berry tree were used for
centuries as an alternative to soap.
Other spices include nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, tamarind, menthol and
cloves. The island was once the world's leading producer of cloves
(3/4 of the total world supply) and the clove industry was the
foundation of the golden age of Zanzibar.
The henna tree produces a dye from its crushed leaves used by women
to elaborately decorate their hands and feet in delicate patterns.
On the tour you’ll have the opportunity to have a body part
painted, but by quick drying Indian ink, as henna takes all day to
dry.
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