Fish Out of Water: Surprising Places to Spot Seafood in Dar es Salaam

In Tanzania, fish is always on the menu.

Tanzania is bordered by Lake Victoria to the west, a freshwater lake teeming with Nile Perch and tilapia, and the Indian Ocean to the east, full of red snapper, tuna, and lobster. Living in Dar es Salaam was my first time living on the Indian Ocean, and I took full advantage of the seafood.

My friend “Baba Samaki” (Father Fish) would cycle fish from the market to my door, bringing red snapper and squid in his bike basket. I learned how to clean octopus. I experimented with spice mixes for the perfect Zanzibar fish curry. During COVID, when everyone else was stocking up on toilet paper, I was freezing king fish steaks to last for months.

I soon learned that Dar es Salaam serves up fishy surprises in the most unexpected places.

Beyond the fish on my plate, as a naturally curious person, I found delight in the small ways that I spotted fish in Dar es Salaam culture. I’ve put together a fun scavenger hunt for people traveling in Dar es Salaam to help you experience Tanzanian seafood in a new way. Enjoy!

During your Tanzania travel, see how many of these fun fishy thing you can spot!

Stop 1: “Flying” fish at the Dar es Salaam airport

If you are taking domestic flights within Tanzania, try to get a good view of the luggage carousels for any arriving flights. You will see red and green buckets coming out before the suitcases; each of them plastic-wrapped tightly. These are the famous fish buckets, full of more than a dozen freshly caught fish from Lake Victoria.

On the way to the Mwanza or Bukoba airport, travelers pick up a bucket of fresh Lake Victoria tilapia packed on ice; have it wrapped at the airport; and pay a small airline check-in fee. Your family would never forgive you if you came from a trip in Western Tanzania empty handed!

Stop 2: Deep sea dwellers at the downtown Dar es Salaam fish market

If you visit the Dar es Salaam fish market downtown (Soko la Samaki la Mzizima), you are guaranteed to find the usual suspects: tuna, kingfish, red snapper, squid, prawns, etc. But if you go to the fish market early, you never know what other fish you’ll find in the market.

Keep any eye out for the unexpected sea creatures from the deep ocean. On my visits I have found two types of shark and eagle rays. One thing you won’t find in the Dar es Salaam fish market, luckily, is sea turtle. Groups such as Sea Sense are working hard to ensure that these beautiful animals are protected from the fishing trade.

Stop 3: Fish navigating the Dar es Salaam traffic

Rush hour traffic in Dar es Salaam is notorious, so it’s likely you will hit traffic at some point during your stay. Instead of scrolling on your phone, look out the car window for fish. Watch the bajajis (tuktuks) and bodas (motorbikes) as they pass you; not all are carrying people!

Fishermen hire local transport to bring fish from boat to markets, and restaurants hire local transport to carry fish from the market to the restaurant. I will never forget the time my car was passed by a bajaji with massive tuna stacked floor to ceiling inside, their fins sticking out the open doors.

Stop 4: Fish simmering at the local Tanzanian breakfast spot

Ask your taxi driver to take you to a local place for breakfast that serves soup (supu.) Most places offer several types of soup with different meats, such as chicken (“kuku”) and offals (utumbo). Order your soup with a side of chapati or roasted plantain (ndizi.) 

Keep an eye out for octopus soup on the menu (supu ya pweza). It’s not only delicious, but it is also not-so-secret local knowledge that this soup is good for libido.

Stop 5: Fish swimming on someone’s head

By far the most entertaining way to spot fish in Dar es Salaam is on the head of one very talented man. He carries a rectangular glass fish tank full of small tropical fish, on his head, while walking in the crazy traffic of Dar es Salaam in the mid-day heat.

I have spotted him several times at the Morocco lights, at the intersection of Bagamoyo Road and Mwai Kibaki Road. He isn’t there all the time, so when I spotted him it always brought a delighted smile to my face.

If you are traveling in Tanzania, a visit to Dar es Salaam is highly recommended for the food and culture.

While most travelers flock to the ocean view restaurants in Masaki, lesser known Dar es Salaam restaurant areas include the outdoor nyama choma grills in Kinondoni, the Indian restaurants downtown along Kisutu Street, and the “street food” served up on Coco Beach in Oyster Bay.

Tanzania Travel Tips:

Here are some Swahili seafood words for your next trip to Tanzania:

• Fish – Samaki
• Tuna – Jodari
• Octopus – Pweza
• Squid – Ngisi
• Oysters or clams – Chaza
• Prawns – Kamba
• Lobster – Kambamti

Karibu chakula, you are welcome to eat and enjoy!

Curious to know more about what to eat and drink in Tanzania? Check out our Jiranileo Tanzania destination page for a downloadable guide to eating in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. Happy travels!