🇹🇿 Tanzanian · Street Food
🍬 Tanzanian Peanut Brittle
Simsim na Karanga
Tanzanian Simsim na Karanga — peanuts and sesame seeds bound together in caramelised sugar into a hard, brittle candy. Sold in small squares at every market across Tanzania — the most universally eaten Tanzanian sweet.
Peanut and sesame brittle is Tanzania's most widely sold market sweet — the caramelised sugar binding of roasted peanuts and sesame seeds produces a candy that is simultaneously nutty, sweet, and satisfyingly crunchy. Sold in small squares wrapped in newspaper by vendors at every market.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy saucepan, Greased baking sheet or marble slab
- 1 cup raw groundnuts — roasted
- ½ cup sesame seeds — toasted
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden. Roast groundnuts until fragrant.
- Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook without stirring until the sugar reaches 150°C (hard crack stage) — deep amber.
- Working quickly, stir in roasted groundnuts, sesame, and salt.
- Pour immediately onto a greased surface.
- Spread thin with a greased spatula.
- Mark into squares while still warm. Break when cool.
Chef Tips
- The sugar must reach hard crack stage — a drop in cold water should snap, not bend.
- Work very fast once nuts go in — the sugar sets quickly.
- Never stir the sugar while it is cooking — causes crystallisation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Under-cooking sugar — soft brittle.
- Over-cooking sugar — bitter.
- Stirring the cooking sugar.
The Science
See TZA127 for candy sugar science. Hard crack stage (150—155°C) means virtually all water has evaporated from the sugar solution. At this temperature, the liquid sugar is supersaturated — when combined with the nuts and poured out, it crystallises into a rigid glass-like structure as it cools.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- Groundnuts add protein and healthy fats.
- Sesame adds calcium.
- Best as an occasional treat.
Cultural Note
Peanut and sesame brittle is Tanzania's most democratic sweet — bought by every Tanzanian, at every market, made by every confectioner in exactly the same way. It is the sweet that crosses every social boundary in the country.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Airtight container 3 weeks.
Reheating: Not applicable.
Serve with: As a standalone sweet, With chai