OK, Zambia...After just a few internet searches I've already learned a ton about the cuisine of Zambia and I'm beginning to formulate a plan. This link provides a very good starting point:
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Zambian_Cuisine#Cuisines_of_Zambia
Bottom-line: Zambia has one and only one national dish, a kind of corn meal porridge/spoon bread concoction called Nshima (fun fact: ground corn flour is known locally as mieli meal). Nshima is the cornerstone of every real meal for a Zambian, anything else is just a snack.
But for a truly complete meal the nshima must be served with one or more types of Ndiwo, loosely translated as "relish." Ndiwo can be a vegatable, meat, poultry or fish dish. The meats are cooked with tomato, onion, and a little oil. Ifisashi is a common vegetable dish, made with greens similar to collards or pumpkin leaves cooked with peanut powder.
This link has a great article about nshima and ndiwo: http://people.bridgewater.edu/~mtembo/menu/nshima/nshima.shtml
Also, here are two great pictures of Zambian-style meals:
And a link to another great picture: tp://www.drcary.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=328
So it seems pretty clear that my meal has to include the famous Nshima. I'm also going to do a meat dish, maybe goat if I feel daring, and the vegetable dish ifisashi. Here are the recipes I've found for nshima and ifisashi:
http://thezambian.com/zambia/w/cuisine/how-to-cook-nshima.aspx
http://recipes.wikia.com/wiki/Ifisashi
As a cook, the most challenging aspect for me is that Zambian cooking doesn't involve many spices or big flavors so the simple ingredients must be very well-prepared in order to shine.
One interesting factoid: Victoria Falls is in Zambia, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Next up: Botswana!!
Fun facts!
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