Zanzibar—The “Spice Island”
BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN KENYA
TWENTY-TWO miles [Thirty-five kilometers] off the coast of east-central Africa lies the island Zanzibar. Surrounded by the warm blue waters of the Indian Ocean, lined with white beaches and adorned with undulating hills and palm trees that sway in the trade winds, Zanzibar is truly a picturesque island. While relatively small—53 miles [85 km] at its greatest length and 24 miles [39 km] wide—it has played a large role in Africa’s history.
For centuries Persians, Arabs, Indians, Portuguese, British, Asians, North Americans, and, of course, mainland Africans have visited Zanzibar. The main attraction then was the lucrative slave trade. It was also where traders and explorers obtained supplies. Indeed, most of the European explorers of Africa in the 19th century passed through this isle! Little wonder that it came to be called the Gateway to Africa.
Cloves and Their Uses
The Sultan of Oman, Sayid Said, left his homeland on the Persian Gulf and settled in Zanzibar during the first half of the 1800’s. As the ruler of this isle, he made the Arab plantation owners stop growing coconuts and instead plant a far more profitable crop: cloves. By the end of his life, clove profits were exceeded only by the slave and ivory trade. So when the slave trade was abolished, Zanzibar became known as the Spice Island. Today it is the world’s chief source of cloves.
Cloves are actually the dried flower buds of a tropical evergreen. The scientific name of the tree is Eugenia caryophyllata. In Zanzibar, the average tree is about 30 feet [9 m] tall. The flower buds are generally harvested when they are reddish-brown in color and are about a half inch [1.3 cm] in size. A healthy tree can produce up to about 75 pounds [34 kg] of the buds. After being harvested they are laid out to dry in the hot tropical sun.
Because of their fragrant odor and sharp taste, cloves are primarily used in cooking. The taste of meat and vegetable dishes is often enhanced with cloves. Or you can lightly crush four or five buds, add them to boiling water, and make a spicy tea! And on a cold winter day, red wine can be turned into a refreshing beverage by heating it and adding a few cloves. Some use cloves to freshen up their bathroom by inserting about 20 cloves into an orange and hanging it up for about a week. Dentists have used the oil of cloves as a local anesthetic to relieve tooth pain. Clove is also used in mouthwashes and perfumes. Little wonder that this tiny island is famous for its spice crop!
The People
The real “spice” of Zanzibar is the local people. The moment you set foot on the island, you are warmly greeted by the Zanzibaris. They seem quite relaxed and take time for one another. While engaged in conversation, they may repeatedly shake hands, maybe three or four times in a span of ten minutes. This is the way they spontaneously react to anything said that is humorous.
If you visit one of their homes, you will be treated to their well-known hospitality. A visitor must always be given the very best. If he arrives unexpectedly during mealtime, there is no question about it: He must join in and eat to satisfaction. Such hospitality is reminiscent of Bible times.—Compare Genesis 18:1-8.
The Zanzibaris are also colorful and exotic in appearance. The women wear the buibui—a capelike gown covering them from head to ankles—when out in public. Interestingly, this may cover a Western-style dress. As for the men, they are seen dressed in a kanzu, a white or pastel-colored robe. They wear the kofia, a braided cap.
Walking through the historic section of the city of Zanzibar called Stone Town, a person feels as though he has been transported back in time. The maze of streets and alleys has no sidewalks. The doors of the numerous shops open right onto the street! Then there are many street vendors, such as the ones who sell Kahawa, a sweet Arabic coffee, spiced with ginger.
However, neither words nor photographs adequately describe the beauty of Zanzibar. Its reputation as a “spice island” is well deserved in more ways than one.
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ZANZIBAR
[Picture Credit Line on page 17]
Africa and border map: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck