Anastasia Smith
In landlocked Southern Africa, where the sprawling Kalahari and Okavango Delta characterise, wildlife-rich topography isn’t only what awaits you in Botswana. Treat yourself to an exploration of the nation’s authentic local cuisine, indulging in mouth-watering traditional delicacies galore.
Seswaa, loswao or chotlho — one of Botswana’s few unofficial national dishes is a traditional beef or goat meat dish, which at times is even cooked using lamb, although beef is almost always the popular choice. While regarded as a meat dish, it is anything but like your average meat dish; the meat used in Seswaa are leftover cuts or tough cuts such as legs, neck and back instead of ordinary bone-free meat. As flavourful as it is, the local classic is not a frequent dish in Botswana and is served only on special occasions due to its extensive preparation process, which includes slow-cooking the meat in salt water in traditional, three-legged pots over an open fire and then pounding the cooked-meat with large wooden pestles — an activity that certainly calls for brawny muscularity.
A simple yet delectable combination of wheat flour, yeast, and salt, Botswana’s most popular flatbread is an authentic delicacy that many travellers to the Southern African nation look forward to. The prepared dough is rolled into sizable flattened balls and cooked in a frying pan without the addition of water, giving you soft, golden-brownish Phaphatha. The dumpling-like flatbread is better known as an accompaniment to main dishes, although it is also consumed as a breakfast dish and a snack.
A local favourite among Batswana and travellers to the Southern African nation alike, Serobe is a cow, sheep and goat offal dish of Botswana cuisine, where lungs and intestines of the same are cooked until tender. Serobe is served at all cafes, eateries and restaurants in Gaborone, including the likes offered by properties such as Avani Gaborone Resort & Casino.
Botswana sure wouldn’t pass up on a bowl of Dikgobe, but it’s not only Botswana that are fans of the dish; the scrumptious dish of peas, beans, and samp is also a much-loved staple in neighbouring South Africa and Lesotho. The ingredients are cooked in a little over a blob of oil, seasoned with salt and served with the comforting consistency of a porridge. Although Dikgobe is also known as a main dish, it is often enjoyed as an accompaniment to meat dishes, especially for lunch.
For those foodies craving something authentically Botswana, Mmasekuku is as authentic as it gets. Solid textured and uniformly shaped, the local classic is also a treat for the eyes as it is for the taste buds. The preparation of the traditional bread involves baking the dough over burning firewood — a cooking process that is as traditional as the dish itself is. Mmasekuku is commonly consumed as a side dish for thick stews and various locally enjoyed dips.
