It’s almost ironic that in a place pronounced ‘tofu’ one still has to be vigilant in finding vegan food. Luckily, the name isn’t too far off the mark, and it’s easy enough to find tasty vegan food in Tofo.
Restaurants
For such a small place, there is a impressive assortment of great eateries. While the more traditional places may be sparse on options, some of the restaurants have been vetted by my fly-by-night vegan consultant Anna Bel
Beach Baraca
This unassuming place has a secret–menu that is. You can get legit falafel here, but it isn’t advertised on the menu. It’s a Tofo take on the dish, with lettuce, tomato, tzatziki, onion, and falafel all wrapped up in a spinach wrap.
Like they say in California…It’s dank.
What U Want
A strange name and an eclectic menu is one way to sum this place up. It’s an Italian place that somehow manages to retain an authentic Tofo vibe. The Caipirinhas are pretty good here, albeit slow to make.
“I ordered the olives, a rocket salad and the veggie focaccia.” reports Anna Bel. She was pretty satisfied with her Vegan meal.
Billed as an Italian place, it of course has a lot of pasta options–great for the less health conscious vegan. I ordered the fresh pasta variant of Penne Arrabbiata and the pasta itself was pretty good. I didn’t find the sauce incredible, but pretty decent Italian food for the middle of nowhere.
They also have Tiramisu.
Tofo Scuba
I’m biased because I spend a lot of my time here, but I think the food is pretty good. The Feijoada (black bean stew) is a traditional dish, originating from Portugal but found around the world in former Portuguese colonies such as Mozambique.
The version here doesn’t contain meat, is pretty tasty, and one of the cheapest items on the menu at 150 Meticals. I’m not even vegan and I think this shit is bomb. It’s a great post-scuba snack.
The Market
It almost goes without saying that a hungry vegan should be able to find raw vegetables in the local market. But dig a little deeper and you’re bound to be offered some cheap ready-to-eat vegan food.
Coconut Bread
Coconut bread is a sweet bread made with coconut milk instead of cow milk. I haven’t had it, but my vegan correspondent Annabel tells me that ‘It’s great’.
Coconuts in general are a real treat here, and can be bought for 15-20 Metical. There’s two competing mamas selling fruit here, so you have a little room to negotiate. Veronica is my mama of choice.
Matapa
The ladies working under the produce tent will also have a few pots of something or another going, one of which is bound to be Matapa, a traditional porridge like dish made of cassava leaves, and then cooked with garlic, onion, and coconut milk.
As far as healthy vegan food in Tofo goes, this is a staple. You should be able to pay only 50 Metical for this dish when bought from the mama cooking up the food.
The Supermarket AKA Mr.Fresh
When in doubt, pack it out. The supermarket is small and doesn’t have much fresh food, but they offer a lot of dry goods here.
You can buy some decent peanut butter, bread, jam, and vegan friendly lollipops here for some snacks. Our poor vegan consultant had her peanut butter stolen from Fatima Backpackers Hostel, so be careful of those other peanut butter lovers!
For being in East Africa, the peanut butter is surprisingly good.
Vegan ‘food for thought’.
I hope this helps you find some vegan food in Tofo. If you’re into being vegan and that whole thing, you should check out veganfox.co where my punny friend Cole Fox posts recipes and other vegan things.
If you haven’t figured it out yet, I’m not vegan at all. But some of my friends are vegan, and I like my friends to be well fed. 
