Galinha a Zambeziana

Zambezia grows coconuts on a scale that shaped the whole province, and galinha a Zambeziana is what the kitchen does with them: chicken flattened, marinated in coconut milk with lime, garlic, and piri-piri, and grilled over charcoal while being basted with the same mixture until the skin takes colour. It is richer and less fiery than the piri-piri chicken of the south, and the coconut is what distinguishes it. Rice or matapa is the usual accompaniment.

What you actually see

• The coconut marinade - milk, lime, garlic and chilli, both marinade and baste.
• The charcoal grill - the chicken cooked flat over coals and basted through.
• The accompaniments - rice or matapa, the cassava-leaf and coconut stew.
• The Zambezia coconut - the plantations the dish grew out of.

When to go

Year round; it is a restaurant staple across the province. Quelimane and the Zambezia coast are where it is made best. Ordering ahead helps in smaller places since it takes time.

Honest expectations

Quality varies enormously and the version served in tourist restaurants elsewhere is often a poor imitation. It takes forty minutes or more to cook properly, so it is not fast food. Heat levels vary and should be specified.

Nearby

Quelimane is the province's centre, and Zalala beach is nearby.