Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Botswana

Cattle country: pounded seswaa beef with sorghum porridge, wild mopane worms, samp and beans, and thick sour milk. That is the short version of what Botswana cooks. Look for Seswaa (beef boiled until falling apart, pounded and salted; national dish), Mopane worms (dried mopane caterpillars eaten crisp or stewed) and Khadi (country brew of wild grewia berries fermented with sugar, sharp and cloudy). Beef boiled with salt and pounded in a wooden mortar until it shreds; men cook it at weddings and funerals, and it is Botswana’s national dish. This atlas has 24 Botswana dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

24 dishes.

BogobeBogobesorghum porridge, often soured as ting, eaten morning and nightBogobe jwa lerotseBogobe jwa lerotseSorghum porridge cooked with lerotse melon until sweet and orangeBojalwaBojalwahomebrewed sorghum beer for village gatheringsChibukuChibukuOpaque commercial sorghum beer sold by the carton, shaken before pouringDikgobeDikgobesamp or whole corn boiled together with beansDinawaDinawaCowpeas boiled soft and served with their leaves as relishDiphaphathaDiphaphathagriddled flat muffin-like breads, split and butteredGemereGemerehomemade ginger beer served at celebrationsKhadiKhadiCountry brew of wild grewia berries fermented with sugar, sharp and cloudyMadilaMadilathick soured milk, drunk alone or with bogobeMagwinyaMagwinyagolden fat cakes, deep-fried dough sold everywhereMogwanaMogwanaSmall sweet wild berries eaten by the handful or brewed into khadiMopane wormsMopane wormsdried mopane caterpillars eaten crisp or stewedMoramaMoramaLarge Kalahari bean roasted like a nut, rich and oilyMorogoMorogowild spinach greens stewed with onion and tomatoMosukujaneMosukujaneAromatic wild bush tea steeped from dried lemon-scented leavesMotlopi coffeeMotlopi coffeeRoasted shepherd's tree root brewed as a bitter coffee substituteMotogoMotogoLoose soft sorghum or maize porridge served with sugar and milkSegwapaSegwapaStrips of beef or game salted, spiced and air-dried in the desert windSerobeSerobefinely chopped tripe and offal, festive delicacySeswaaSeswaabeef boiled until falling apart, pounded and salted; national dishSt Louis LagerSt Louis LagerBotswana's standard pale lager, drunk cold at every braaiTingTingSour fermented sorghum porridge, tangy and thick, eaten hot with milkTswiiTswiiWater lily tubers boiled with beans or maize into a soft mash

  • Seswaa

    Beef boiled until falling apart, pounded and salted; national dish. Ready in 15 min prep and 3 hr 30 min…

  • Bogobe

    Sorghum porridge, often soured as ting, eaten morning and night. Ready in 5 min prep and 50 min cooking. 6…

  • Bogobe jwa lerotse

    Sorghum porridge cooked with lerotse melon until sweet and orange. Ready in 20 min prep and 1 hr 20 min…

  • Bojalwa

    Homebrewed sorghum beer for village gatherings. A wine & spirit recipe from Botswana.

  • Diphaphatha

    Griddled flat muffin-like breads, split and buttered. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking. About 10 breads. A…

  • Dinawa

    Cowpeas boiled soft and served with their leaves as relish. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 1 hour 30 minutes…

  • Dikgobe

    Samp or whole corn boiled together with beans. Ready in 15 min prep and 2 hr 30 min cooking. 8…

  • Gemere

    Homemade ginger beer served at celebrations. Ready in 30 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking. About 4 litres. A drink…

  • Magwinya

    Golden fat cakes, deep-fried dough sold everywhere. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking. About 20 cakes. A…

  • Madila

    Thick soured milk, drunk alone or with bogobe. 10 min to prepare. Makes about 800 ml. A cheese & dairy…