FOOD & DINING IN BOTSWANA

Restaurants and bars can be found in main towns, often within hotels. Millet and sorghum porridge constitutes much of the cuisine. Beef and goat are very popular meats. Most lodges and safari camps also have restaurants and licensed bars, although food is generally basic outside major hotels and restaurants. The standard of food in lodges and camps is generally very good. There is local beer and no real restrictions on alcohol.

Partake of the local cuisine that is unique to Southern Africa, including Pap – a traditional stiff porridge made from maize meal and eaten with beef served with Chakalaka, which is a spicy African relish made with tomato, onion, beans and curry.

Try the Vetkoek ("fat cake" ), a traditional Afrikaaner pastry. These are large dough balls, similar to doughnuts, deep- fried in cooking oil. They can then either be filled with cooked mince meat, Chakalake or spread with jam or syrup. Finally there are the mopane worms – a caterpillar eaten all over Africa, where ever it exists - dried or fried.
Then there is Samp – made from dehulled, dried corn kernels to make a cornmeal mush which is mixed with beans and served with beef, poultry or lamb.
Seswaa is a dish unique to Botswana and consists of salted mashed up meat.