Mozambican cuisine is the cooking of Mozambique, on the southeastern coast of Africa, shaped by Portuguese colonial influence layered onto indigenous African cooking traditions.
Seafood and coconut are central, given the country's long coastline; coconut milk enriches sauces and stews, while fresh fish, shrimp, and crab are staples. Piri-piri, a hot sauce of African bird's-eye chilies, garlic, lemon, and herbs, is used to marinate meat and seafood and to season stews and rice dishes. Turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and paprika, along with fresh cilantro, parsley, and basil, round out the spicing.
Signature dishes include matapa (cassava leaves stewed with peanuts and coconut milk), prawns Mozambique (shrimp in a spicy tomato-piri-piri sauce), frango à Zambeziana (grilled chicken marinated in piri-piri and lemon), and xima, a cornmeal porridge similar to polenta served alongside stews and grilled meats. Portuguese influence also shows in desserts such as pastéis de nata.