Snack · "African Polony"

Chikanda

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Zambia's favorite snack loaf is made from wild orchid tubers — demand has grown so intense that several orchid species are now at risk in the wild.

Chikanda is a firm, savory loaf made by boiling ground wild orchid tubers with pounded groundnuts and chili until the mixture sets into a dense, spongy cake — hence its nickname, 'African polony.' Sliced and sold at markets, eaten on its own or alongside nshima.

Why it's made this way: Originally a Bemba specialty from Zambia's Northern Province, chikanda spread nationwide as a portable, meat-free protein source that could be prepared ahead and sold in ready-to-eat slices.