Baku Kitchen! An independent reference of traditional food

Lesotho

Mountain kingdom staples: papa maize porridge, wild greens, slow-boiled grains, fat cakes and communal sorghum beer. That is the short version of what Lesotho cooks. Look for Papa (stiff maize porridge, the Basotho staple with moroho), Moroho (wild or garden greens braised with onion) and Likhobe (slow-boiled sorghum, beans and wheat berries, mountain sustenance). Stiff maize porridge eaten at nearly every meal; maize replaced sorghum in Lesotho during the nineteenth century as trade with the Cape grew. This atlas has 23 Lesotho dishes catalogued below, from everyday cooking to food kept for festivals and special occasions.

23 dishes.

Bohobe ba SesothoBohobe ba SesothoDense pot-baked bread with a hard crust, cut thick and butteredChakalakaChakalakaSpicy relish of grated carrot, beans, onion and curry powderDinawaDinawaCowpeas boiled soft and served with their leaves as relishGemereGemerehomemade ginger beer served at celebrationsHoposeHoposeHome-brewed beer of maize meal, bread yeast and sugar, drunk youngJoalaJoalahomebrewed sorghum beer announced by a white flag at the doorKatse troutKatse troutRainbow trout raised in cold dam water, grilled or smokedLeshelesheleLeshelesheleThin sorghum porridge cooked loose and drunk warm from a bowlLikhobeLikhobeslow-boiled sorghum, beans and wheat berries, mountain sustenanceLipabiLipabiroasted maize ground with sugar, traveler's provisionLiphaphathaLiphaphathagriddle-cooked flat cakes, everyday breadMafiMafiThick soured milk poured over papa or drunk cold from a cupMakoenyaMakoenyaBasotho fat cakes, fried dough sold at taxi ranksMaluti LagerMaluti LagerLesotho's own pale lager, poured at every bar and gatheringMokopuMokopuPumpkin boiled soft and mashed with a little sugar or saltMorohoMorohowild or garden greens braised with onionMotohoMotohotangy fermented sorghum porridge, sipped warmNyekoeNyekoehearty pot of peas or beans cooked with grainPapaPapastiff maize porridge, the Basotho staple with morohoPapa le mafiPapa le mafiStiff maize porridge eaten with thick soured milkPoonePooneGreen maize cobs roasted over coals at the roadside in late summerSerobeSerobefinely chopped tripe and offal, festive delicacyThepeThepeWild amaranth leaves boiled and cooked with onion as moroho

  • Bohobe ba Sesotho

    Dense pot-baked bread with a hard crust, cut thick and buttered. Ready in 25 minutes prep and 1 hour cooking.…

  • Chakalaka

    Spicy relish of grated carrot, beans, onion and curry powder. Ready in 20 min prep and 30 min cooking. 8…

  • Dinawa

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

  • Gemere

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

  • Hopose

    Home-brewed beer of maize meal, bread yeast and sugar, drunk young. A wine & spirit recipe from Lesotho.

  • Joala

    Homebrewed sorghum beer announced by a white flag at the door. A wine & spirit recipe from Lesotho.

  • Katse trout

    Rainbow trout raised in cold dam water, grilled or smoked. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 20 minutes cooking. Serves…

  • Lesheleshele

    Thin sorghum porridge cooked loose and drunk warm from a bowl. Ready in 5 minutes prep and 25 minutes cooking.…

  • Likhobe

    Slow-boiled sorghum, beans and wheat berries, mountain sustenance. Ready in 20 minutes prep and 3 hours cooking. Serves 8. A…

  • Liphaphatha

    Griddle-cooked flat cakes, everyday bread. Ready in 15 minutes prep and 25 minutes cooking. About 8 cakes. A bread &…