Thanks to large deposits of diamonds, Botswana is no longer the massively poor country it once was. Since the 1980’s it’s been one of the leading producers of gem diamonds in the world. Although there is still an unfortunate amount of poverty, the country itself is now one of the wealthiest in Africa.

Neither Sam nor I are particularly impressed by bling. I’m most interested in the country’s adventurous cuisine. And Sam, of course, would love to see some of Botswana’s other large attractions: elephants. Together that would make one heck of a trip.

THE PLACE AND ITS CUISINE

Botswana is a landlocked country situated in the center of Southern Africa. It’s right above the country of South Africa and sandwiched between Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Many people travel to Botswana for the safaris and to get a view of some beautiful animals. Thankfully elephant and lion are not on the menu, but other meats, like lamb, goat, oxtail, and even mopane worms (a caterpillar) find their way onto plates.

Porridges of cornmeal, sorghum, or millet are part of most meals, along with peas or beans. Fruits and vegetables are also very common often mixed into stews or porridges.

And many meat dishes are either barbecued or cooked in a large three legged pot. I really need to invest in a three legged pot!!

Other traditional dishes that we need to try one day include:

Vetkoek – a fried bread known as “fat cake”, similar to Caribbean johnnycakes

Matemekwane – a very popular fried dumpling sometimes stuffed with meat or vegetables

Dikgobe – a porridge of peas, beans and samp (dried and processed corn kernels)

Bogobe Jwa Lerotse – another porridge made of the lerotse melon (similar to a watermelon, but less sweet) and thickened with sorghum and sour milk

SETSWANA FOOD IN NEW YORK

The food of Botswana is another one that is very difficult to locate in New York. There are a few South African restaurants (like Kaia), but none specializing in Setswana food. There are festivals and events from time to time that feature homecooks sharing this cuisine. And I urge you to seek out one of those when possible.

But until then, you might just have to do as we do and make it yourself.

THE VIDEO

How has my four year old become so strong? Maybe it’s from making all of these cooking videos. He’s done mixing, stretching, peeling, and now add pounding to that list of skills.

What normally takes a group of grown men (pounding the cooked beef), Sam manages to do all by himself.

He also inadvertently makes some pretty hilarious puns about the cornmeal mixture called pap (pronounced “pop”). Better than any Dad joke I could possibly come up with.

THE DISHES

From my research, it seems these three dishes are almost always served together on special occasions. And I think it provides a well-balanced meal. You’ve got protein, starch, and vegetables.

We’ll start with Seswaa, which is often considered the country’s National Dish. It seems to most often be made from beef, but lamb or goat are also common.

it doesn’t get more simple than this. The meat is boiled slowly in salted water with onions. That’s about it. Sometimes bay leaves or black pepper are added, but anything more extravagant than that is considered sacrilege.

Despite its simplicity, it is usually an all day affair leading up to a special occasion like a wedding or funeral. And it would be prepared over an open fire in a three legged pot called a potije. This is traditionally done by men and after the meat is cooked, they would remove it from the fire and pound it with wooden pestles until it’s shredded and mashed.

We toned down the technique a bit for our home kitchen. But we ended up with a nice plate of shredded tender beef.

The Seswaa is usually served on some pap. Pap goes by many names across Botswana and Africa. Sometimes called phaletshe or mieliepap or ugali. In the same world as the funje we made from Angola, it’s a mixture of white cornmeal and water. It’s cooked until stiffened into a porridge and can be used as a vessel to soak up the juices and flavors from a sauce, or in this case the cooking liquid of the Seswaa.

And for a little color and vitamins, a portion of cooked greens and tomatoes is usually served with the main course. We are using the name morogo for our dish, but technically we made baby spinach.

Morogo itself is a Setswana word that refers to a number of different leafy greens, like cowpea, amaranth, or spider flower. It’s also usually mixed with pumpkin leaves and has a bitter flavor. I’ve seen morogo referred to as wild African spinach. So I thought since the morogo was difficult to find, baby spinach would be a close substitute. It’s simply sautéed with tomatoes and onions.

THE RECIPES

Inspired by Mama Boi’s Kitchen

HOW WE SCREWED IT UP

The country known for soccer, rainforests, beaches, and Carnival is one of the biggest we’ve encountered on our adventure so far. And it’s food is just as big and bold – get ready for us to tackle the giant country of Brazil….