Botswana offers a wide selection for the palate. The food found in the country is a combination of exotic dishes found only in Botswana and dishes that are commonly found in the entire region. This has added a certain level of uniqueness to Botswana food that travelers to this country can experience.
Staples
A major characteristic of the Botswana diet is that meat is very popular, with beef being the most widely eaten meat. Other meat sources include chickens, goats and fish. The people of Botswana usually eat sorghum, rice, maize and other cereals together with meat. Vegetables such as spinach, carrots, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and cabbage are also abundant and can be found in most markets. Fruits such as marula, watermelons and other types of melons are also usually found on the market.
Popular dishes
One of the most popular dishes in Botswana is the Chotlho, a meat dish usually cooked by men on special occasions. The meat is cooked in water and salt until it is tender and ready for eating. Serobe, on the other hand, is a dish cooked just like Chotlho but with the inside parts of a goat, sheep or cow. A popular way of cooking chicken is to cook it using an open fire, which is believed to bring out the best flavor of the meat.
Bagobe (porridge) is usually cooked and eaten together with these meat dishes. Usually, the porridge is prepared by immersing sorghum and maize in boiling water until a paste forms. When fermented milk is added to this porridge, the dish takes on a different flavor and can be eaten on its own.
Bread
Bread has become popular in recent years and it has become part of the usual diet in Botswana. Some of the most popular bread types are the matemekwane (dumplings), the diphaphatha (flat cakes) and the magwinya (fat cakes). The breads are made by either boiling the dough together with meat or by cooking it in hot oil.