1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

How Zimbabwe's indigenous foods inspire plant-based cooking

06:02

This browser does not support the video element.

Tawanda Mupatsi | Julia Mielke
July 22, 2026

A Zimbabwean chef says veganism isn't a Western import but a return to Africa's food traditions. Can re-visiting the past help feed a greener future?

What ifveganism in Africa were less about adopting a new lifestyle and more about rediscovering an old one?

In Zimbabwe, where meat is widely eaten, vegan chef Nicola Kagoro believes traditional African food systems could help reduce environmental risks — unlike cattle farming, which has a high greenhouse gas footprint.

Using indigenous grains, affordable local ingredients and community cooking, she's showing that eating less meat is a viable option for everyone.

Tawanda Mupatsi A TV reporter and author based in Zimbabwe, Tawanda enjoys working on environmental stories.
Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW

More stories from DW