{
  "id": 3697147,
  "title": "Zanzibar flavours shape wellness dining at ENVI Paje",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/zanzibar-flavours-shape-wellness-dining-at-envi-paje",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-27T07:07:58.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/friday/food/zanzibar-flavours-shape-wellness-dining-at-envi-paje-1.500653850"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "At ENVI Paje, a luxury wellness lodge set on Paje Beach in Zanzibar, food plays a central role in the overall wellness experience. Executive Chef Karen De Villiers, whose skills range from savoury cooking to patisserie, leads the kitchen with a philosophy centered on satisfaction. Having grown up watching her grandmother bake intricate wedding cakes and tending to her father's vegetable garden, Karen brings a unique perspective to her cuisine. Her approach to cooking is deeply influenced by Zanzibar's abundant natural resources. Known as the 'Spice Island' and a blue zone, Zanzibar offers an abundance of sun-ripened tropical fruit, ocean-fresh seafood, and aromatic spices. Karen allows the island and its seasons to guide her culinary creations, ensuring a flexible menu that changes with the seasons. Sustainability is a key principle in the kitchen, with all ingredients sourced locally and nothing being wasted. Surplus ingredients are transformed into homemade preserves and jams, such as watermelon and lime preserve, passionfruit skin marmalade, and tomato chilli jam. Karen also goes the extra mile to source essential ingredients, like making her own gluten-free flour from cashew nuts, lentils, and chickpeas. Guests are encouraged to participate in various activities, such as bread making, pickling, seashell hunting, and essential oil making, allowing them to engage with the island's flavors and traditions. One of Karen's signature dishes is a daily muffin made with Zanzibar's nourishing local ingredients like baobab, moringa, and ashwagandha, providing a guilt-free treat that is genuinely good for you. Her signature dishes, such as the octopus salad and Mharage vegetable curry, embody her philosophy, offering a balance of refreshing and grounding flavors. General Manager Daniel Morariu emphasizes Karen's role in shaping ENVI Paje's identity, noting that her cooking is fresh, intentional, and full of heart, providing guests with a true taste of Zanzibar. ENVI Paje, a beachfront collection of private-pool villas, offers science-based wellness therapies alongside traditional spa treatments. Through Karen's wholesome, locally sourced cooking, wellness at ENVI Paje is woven into every experience, making the dining experience an integral part of the overall wellness journey.",
  "summary": "At ENVI Paje, the barefoot luxury and wellness lodge set on the powder-white sands of Paje Beach, food is part of the wellness - an expression of place, season and care. At the heart of the kitchen is Executive Chef Karen De Villiers, whose philosophy comes down to a single word: satisfied. Trained in both savoury cooking and patisserie - a rare, complete skillset rooted in a childhood spent…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}