What Is Mkate wa Ufuta? The Zanzibari Sesame Bread Explained
Mkate wa ufuta is a soft, lightly sweet Zanzibari bread crusted with sesame seeds and eaten with tea. Here is what it is and how it is made.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Mkate wa ufuta is a Zanzibari sesame bread whose name says exactly what it is, as mkate means bread and ufuta means sesame in Swahili. It is a soft, lightly sweet bread, usually made with rice flour and yeast and often enriched with coconut milk, baked in a round tin with sesame seeds crusting the top. The loaf is sliced into wedges and enjoyed with tea, at breakfast or as a gentle afternoon snack. In the UK the rice flour, sesame seeds, coconut milk and other ingredients to make it are sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Mkate wa ufuta is a lightly sweet Zanzibari bread crusted with sesame seeds.
- The name means sesame bread, from mkate (bread) and ufuta (sesame).
- It is usually a rice-flour and yeast bread, often enriched with coconut milk.
- It is baked in a round tin, cut into wedges and eaten with tea.
- Unlike mandazi it is a baked bread, not a fried dough.
Morning on the Swahili coast often begins with the smell of warm bread and spiced tea, and mkate wa ufuta belongs to that quiet, unhurried hour. It is the round loaf on the table when family gather, its top glinting with sesame seeds, cut into wedges to be dipped into a cup of tea. In Zanzibar it is as much a part of daily life as the sea air itself.
There is a soft comfort in bread like this, sweet enough to feel like a treat but plain enough to eat every day. For Tanzanians and Zanzibaris in Britain, baking a loaf of mkate wa ufuta fills the kitchen with a scent that carries straight back to Stone Town. To share a slice with tea is to offer someone a small, warm welcome in the way the coast always has.
What Mkate wa Ufuta Actually Is
Mkate wa ufuta is a traditional bread of Zanzibar and the wider Swahili coast, and its name is beautifully literal, since mkate is the Swahili word for bread and ufuta means sesame. It is a soft, lightly sweetened loaf, most often built on rice flour and raised with yeast, and it is frequently enriched with coconut milk, which gives the crumb a tender richness. The defining feature is the generous layer of sesame seeds pressed over the top, which toasts as the bread bakes into a fragrant, nutty crust.
Baked in a round tin and cut into wedges, mkate wa ufuta sits among the many gentle sweet breads and tea-time bakes of coastal Tanzania. It is an everyday comfort rather than a celebration centrepiece, the sort of bread kept in the kitchen for whenever a cup of tea is poured, and it is part of the broader world of Tanzanian food that ranges from street snacks to home baking.
How Mkate wa Ufuta Differs From Mandazi and Vitumbua
It is easy to lump the Swahili coast's tea-time treats together, but mkate wa ufuta stands apart in how it is cooked. Mandazi is a fried wheat dough, puffed and golden from the oil, while mkate wa ufuta is a proper baked bread, raised with yeast and cooked in a tin in the oven, finished with its signature sesame crust. The result is a sliceable loaf rather than a fried bun.
It is also different from vitumbua, the small rice and coconut pancakes fried in a special rounded pan. Vitumbua are individual, spongy little cakes, whereas mkate wa ufuta is one round loaf meant to be cut into wedges and shared. So while all three are beloved with tea, mkate wa ufuta is the baked, sesame-topped bread of the group.
How Mkate wa Ufuta Is Made and Served
Making mkate wa ufuta begins with a batter or soft dough, typically of rice flour and yeast, sweetened lightly and often loosened with coconut milk so the crumb bakes soft and moist. Some cooks use wheat flour or a blend, and a little cardamom is sometimes added for warmth. The mixture is left to rise, poured or pressed into a round tin, scattered generously with sesame seeds and baked until the loaf is set and the seeds are toasted and golden. It is then cooled a little and cut into wedges.
A gentle word on allergens is worth adding here. Mkate wa ufuta always contains sesame, and when coconut milk is used it contains coconut, both of which can be allergens for some people. Many versions are rice-flour based and so naturally wheat free, but recipes that use wheat flour will contain gluten, so it is worth checking how a particular loaf is made. Served simply with tea, it needs nothing more, though a little butter or honey is a pleasant addition.
Where to Buy Mkate wa Ufuta Ingredients in the UK
Mkate wa ufuta is very much a home bake, and its ingredients are easy to gather in Britain from African food shops. The essentials are rice flour, sesame seeds, yeast and sugar, along with tinned coconut milk if you want the richer, traditional crumb; shops serving East African and Swahili customers usually stock all of these. None of it is hard to find, which makes this bread a simple and rewarding thing to bake at home. You can find African food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is mkate wa ufuta?
Mkate wa ufuta is a Zanzibari sesame bread, its name meaning simply sesame bread, from mkate (bread) and ufuta (sesame). It is a soft, lightly sweet loaf, usually made with rice flour and yeast and often enriched with coconut milk, baked in a round tin with sesame seeds crusting the top. It is sliced into wedges and eaten with tea at breakfast or as a snack.
What does mkate wa ufuta taste like?
Mkate wa ufuta is soft and lightly sweet with a tender crumb, and when coconut milk is used it has a gentle richness. The layer of sesame seeds on top toasts as it bakes, giving a fragrant, nutty flavour and a little crunch. It is mild and comforting, which is why it pairs so naturally with a cup of tea.
How is mkate wa ufuta different from mandazi?
Mandazi is a fried wheat dough, puffed and golden from the oil, while mkate wa ufuta is a baked bread raised with yeast and cooked in a round tin, finished with a sesame crust. One is fried and one is baked, and mkate wa ufuta is sliced into wedges rather than eaten as separate fried buns. Both are enjoyed with tea on the Swahili coast.
How is mkate wa ufuta made?
A lightly sweetened batter or soft dough, usually of rice flour and yeast and often loosened with coconut milk, is left to rise, then poured or pressed into a round tin. It is scattered generously with sesame seeds and baked until the loaf is set and the seeds are toasted and golden. It is cooled a little, cut into wedges and served with tea.
Where can I buy mkate wa ufuta ingredients in the UK?
Mkate wa ufuta is baked at home, so African food shops are the place to buy the ingredients: rice flour, sesame seeds, yeast, sugar and tinned coconut milk for the richer traditional crumb. Shops serving East African and Swahili customers usually stock all of these. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks them.