Top 5 Most Popular Foods in Lesotho - Mouth-watering blend of exotic flavours, await in land-locked South Africa

A bowl of flavourful Butha-buthe in beautiful Butha-buthe, the traditional soup takes its name from the eponymous camptown in Lesotho, although the dish’s association with the town isn’t exactly apparent. What for sure apparent is Butha-buthe’s intricate and refreshing flavour, which is bound to leave you drooling for more. Tangerine and spinach are the primary ingredients, where spinach along with split peas, onions, rice flour, turmeric, and coriander are added to the tangerine-based broth. A bowl of Butha-buthe is never complete without the topping of a dollop of yoghurt, which makes the perfect traditional presentation of the dish. It is not only a delightfully scrumptious treat but the ingredients of the soup also make it a good dose of healthy nutrients.

A staple in Lesotho, Papa comes to life in households across the country almost every single day. The maize or corn-based porridge is cooked in a large pot, usually over a wood fire, sticking to traditional culinary practices. Various types of greens, beans, and even meat are also served with the dish as Papa lacks in nutritional value. Join the locals and embrace the local way of enjoying Papa — eating with your fingers or rather hands.

One of the many traditional African dishes with its roots right here in the heart of Lesotho, Nyekoe is a traditional stew of Lesotho cuisine. Ingredients required for the dish are a mere few — beans, sorghum, pumpkin, oil, salt, and pepper. Beans are the primary ingredient, which is left to soak overnight and cooked with sorghum. The cooked beans are subjected to the addition of diced pumpkin, oil, and seasonings. Once the combination is cooked and ready in the pot, slightly mash the Nyekoe to get the consistency to your liking. The 100% vegetarian stew is served both hot and cold and is a popular choice come the winter.

Without a doubt, one of the most unusual dishes of African cuisine, Basotho Burger is anything but a burger despite it being called a burger. It could be best described as a meat dish, which combines chicken, curry powder, salt, pepper, peanut oil, and cayenne pepper. The meat is oiled, seasoned, and spiced, then ground and formed into small patties, leaving many wondering why the dish earned the name Basotho “burger” in the first place.

A traditional Lesotho dessert to your traditional Lesotho meal, Makoenva is a deep-fried sugary dessert that loosely takes the shape of a cinnamon roll. The favoured local delicacy could be found at around every corner, from street side stalls to cafes and Maseru restaurants offered by properties such as Avani Lesotho Hotel & Casino.