I promised to blog my recipe for our Pumpkin, Carrot and Orange soup, so here we go. Soup might seem like a strange choice in a hot country, but actually a bowl of hot soup can be very refreshing. This one is so fresh and healthy because of the ingredients that it definitely perks you up for the rest of the day.

Pumpkin, Carrot and Orange Soup

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium sized pumpkin or squash

3 carrots

2 oranges

One onion

2 cloves garlic

Grated fresh ginger

Vegetable stock

Zanzibar is often known as the spice island. The exoticism of its name can only be matched by the transporting scent of fresh cloves, miles away from the Christmassy fustiness of their dried cousins. But if you come here to visit, what should you take home with you? Often pre-packaged spice mixes feature overground spices that are past their best - the humidity here means that things go soggy and lose their oomph quickly.