Basotho Recipes
5 recipesLesotho is a mountainous kingdom surrounded entirely by South Africa, and its cold highland climate shapes a simple, filling kitchen built on maize and sorghum. The daily meal is papa, a stiff maize porridge, eaten by hand with moroho, cooked greens such as spinach, cabbage, squash leaves or wild nettles. Sorghum appears as motoho, a fermented porridge eaten warm for breakfast or chilled with sugar, and as nyekoe, sorghum cooked with beans. Whole maize kernels are boiled as likhobe or samp, and green maize is roasted over embers. Mutton, goat and chicken are the main meats, and cooks make good use of offal such as tripe. Bread comes in two forms: steamed leqebekoane and loaves baked in a pot over coals. Street snacks include fried dough balls called makoenya, and drinks range from khemere, a ginger drink, to traditional sorghum and maize beer. Shared habits with South Africa include grilled meat and sausage with relishes, and sauces are generally mild.
Staple ingredients
- maize meal
- sorghum
- spinach and wild greens
- beans
- mutton and chicken
- wheat flour
- ginger
- pumpkin and squash
Breakfast
Main Dishes
Breads
Snacks
Drinks
Common questions
What is Lesotho food known for?
Papa (stiff maize porridge) with moroho (cooked greens), fermented sorghum porridge (motoho), steamed bread (leqebekoane) and hearty meat dishes. The food is simple, filling and mild.
What is the national dish of Lesotho?
There is no official one, but papa with moroho is the everyday meal most Basotho would name, often with meat, eggs or tinned fish on the side.
Is Lesotho food spicy?
No. Sauces and stews are mild, seasoned mainly with salt and onion and sometimes curry powder, and chili is not central to the cooking.