What Is Mkate wa Kumimina? The Zanzibari Rice and Coconut Cake Explained
Mkate wa kumimina is a soft, spongy Zanzibari cake of fermented ground rice and coconut milk, sweetened and scented with cardamom. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Mkate wa kumimina is a Zanzibari rice cake, sometimes called Zanzibar rice bread, made from a fermented ground rice batter enriched with coconut milk, sugar and cardamom. The name tells you how it is made, because kumimina means to pour, and the loose batter is poured into a tin and baked or steamed into a soft, spongy cake. It is naturally gluten free, as it is built on rice rather than wheat, and it is eaten as a tea time treat or a gentle breakfast across the Swahili coast. In the UK the rice flour, coconut milk and cardamom you need to make it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Mkate wa kumimina is a Zanzibari rice and coconut cake, soft and spongy in texture.
- The name means poured bread, from kumimina, to pour, because the batter is poured into a tin.
- It is made from fermented ground rice with coconut milk, sugar and cardamom.
- It is naturally gluten free, since it is rice based rather than wheat based.
- It is distinct from vitumbua, the small fried rice pancakes, and from mkate wa ufuta, a sesame bread.
A warm slice of mkate wa kumimina, faintly sweet and scented with cardamom, is one of those quiet Zanzibari comforts that belongs to unhurried mornings and slow afternoons with tea. It is the cake a grandmother makes and sets on the table to be shared, the smell of coconut and spice filling a kitchen while the household gathers. There is nothing showy about it, and that is exactly its charm.
Cakes like this carry a whole way of life in their softness. The patient soaking and fermenting of the rice, the pouring of the batter, the wait for it to set into something tender and spongy, all of it speaks of care rather than hurry. For Tanzanians and Zanzibaris in Britain, baking mkate wa kumimina far from Stone Town is a way of keeping that gentle rhythm alive, and offering a wedge of it to a guest is a simple, generous welcome.
What Mkate wa Kumimina Actually Is
Mkate wa kumimina is a much loved Zanzibari cake made from rice rather than wheat flour, which gives it a texture quite unlike a Western sponge. The batter is built from ground rice that has been soaked and left to ferment, then loosened with coconut milk and sweetened, with cardamom added for its warm, fragrant note. Once the batter is ready it is poured into a round tin and cooked until it sets into a soft, spongy cake with a lightly golden surface. The name captures the method exactly, since mkate means bread and kumimina means to pour, so it is quite literally the poured bread.
Because it leans on rice and coconut, mkate wa kumimina sits firmly within the Swahili coast tradition of coconut rich cooking, alongside the wider world of Tanzanian food. It is gentle and mildly sweet rather than rich, which makes it as suitable for a morning as it is for tea, and it is often described as a rice bread precisely because it straddles the line between a bread and a cake.
How Mkate wa Kumimina Differs from Vitumbua and Mkate wa Ufuta
It is easy to confuse the coast's various rice treats, but mkate wa kumimina has its own clear identity. The most useful comparison is with vitumbua, the small, individual rice pancakes fried in a special rounded pan until crisp outside and soft inside. Both use rice and coconut, but vitumbua are little fried cakes, while mkate wa kumimina is a single large cake, poured into a tin and baked or steamed rather than fried, so the result is soft all through with no crisp fried edge.
The other dish worth setting it apart from is mkate wa ufuta, the Zanzibari sesame bread. That one is a sesame topped bread, often risen with yeast, whereas mkate wa kumimina is defined by its poured, fermented rice and coconut batter and carries no sesame crust. So while all three belong to the same coastal tea table, mkate wa kumimina is the poured rice and coconut cake, vitumbua are the fried rice pancakes, and mkate wa ufuta is the sesame bread.
How Mkate wa Kumimina Is Made and Served
Making mkate wa kumimina begins with rice that is soaked and then ground into a smooth batter, which is left to ferment so it develops a gentle lift and a slight tang. Coconut milk, sugar and ground cardamom are stirred in until the batter is loose enough to pour, and then it goes into a greased round tin. The cake is baked in an oven or steamed until it is set, spongy and lightly coloured on top, after which it is cooled a little and cut into wedges. The fermenting and the coconut milk together are what give the finished cake its characteristic soft, springy crumb.
It is usually served plain, as a tea time treat or a light breakfast, and it needs nothing more than a cup of spiced tea alongside. On the allergen front, the one ingredient to note is coconut, which is central to the recipe, while the cake is otherwise naturally gluten free because it is made from rice rather than wheat, a welcome quality for anyone avoiding gluten. As with any traditional recipe, treat that as general guidance and check the ingredients if you are cooking for someone with an allergy.
Where to Buy Mkate wa Kumimina Ingredients in the UK
Mkate wa kumimina is a homemade cake, and its ingredients are simple to gather in Britain from African food shops. The essentials are rice or rice flour, tinned or fresh coconut milk, sugar and cardamom, all of which shops serving East African and Swahili coast customers tend to keep in stock. None of it is hard to find, so this is an approachable cake to try baking at home once you have the rice and coconut milk ready. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is mkate wa kumimina?
Mkate wa kumimina is a Zanzibari rice cake, sometimes called Zanzibar rice bread, made from a fermented ground rice batter enriched with coconut milk, sugar and cardamom. The name means poured bread, from kumimina, to pour, because the loose batter is poured into a tin and baked or steamed into a soft, spongy cake. It is naturally gluten free and is eaten as a tea time treat or a gentle breakfast on the Swahili coast.
What does mkate wa kumimina taste like?
Mkate wa kumimina is mildly sweet and fragrant, with the richness of coconut milk and the warm, slightly floral note of cardamom running through it. The fermented rice batter gives it a soft, spongy, springy crumb rather than a dense or crisp texture. It is gentle rather than rich, which is why it suits both breakfast and tea time.
How is mkate wa kumimina different from vitumbua?
Both are Swahili coast treats made from rice and coconut, but they are quite different in form. Vitumbua are small, individual pancakes fried in a special rounded pan until crisp outside and soft inside, while mkate wa kumimina is a single large cake, poured into a tin and baked or steamed rather than fried, so it is soft all the way through.
How is mkate wa kumimina made?
Rice is soaked and ground into a smooth batter, which is left to ferment for a gentle lift, then loosened with coconut milk and sweetened with sugar and cardamom. The batter is poured into a greased round tin and baked or steamed until it is set, spongy and lightly golden, then cooled a little and cut into wedges. The fermenting and the coconut milk give the cake its soft, springy crumb.
Where can I buy mkate wa kumimina ingredients in the UK?
Mkate wa kumimina is made at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: rice or rice flour, coconut milk, sugar and cardamom. Shops serving East African and Swahili coast customers usually keep all of these in stock. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.