00:00More Zimbabweans are embracing traditional foods as interest in healthy eating grows.
00:06In Bulawayo, local restaurants are drawing customers with dishes such as sogam and millet zaza
00:11and village red chicken seen as healthy alternatives to processed foods.
00:17I grew up cooking for my brothers and they always preferred food prepared without oil, simply boiled.
00:24That's how my cooking style began.
00:26When I opened this kitchen, I stayed true to those traditions.
00:31We only serve traditional dishes using village-raised chickens
00:35and preparing ingredients like meat, ox head, strip and okra, the way they have been cooked for generations.
00:45Food scientist Dr. Mako Simalangu says the trend has grown significantly in recent years
00:51as concerns grow over health effects of highly processed diets.
00:57You would name there were less than 10 of the indigenous restaurants.
01:02Then over the years, I think within Bulawayo, we've got about 30 which are the vibrant restaurants which are there.
01:12And we've done research on pinpointing them.
01:17And they've actually done a lot in terms of developing the industry.
01:23You look at inkukumakai, the indigenous chicken.
01:27There's actually a shortage of it.
01:29Restaurants can't get hold of it.
01:31Restaurant owners say growing interest cuts across generations, attracting young people, professionals, religious communities and health conscious consumers.
01:43We see actually there's a market that actually we have.
01:46There are doctors, there are elderly, there are young people who are raised in a certain way to understand.
01:55You know, even religious people, they've come to understand some of these traditional meals,
02:00how important it is to take care of themselves, to be aware of themselves.
02:04We are living in a world whereby there is low obesity and there are different diseases.
02:08So some of the people now, they come to understand that prevention is better than cure.
02:13Why not focus on eating healthy?
02:14With this trend, traditional cuisine is becoming a growing part of Zimbabwe's modern food culture.
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