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Lesotho

Lesotho map

Lesotho's cuisine reflects its mountainous terrain and pastoral traditions, built around maize, sorghum, and dairy from sheep and cattle herding. Simple, hearty dishes dominate everyday cooking in this landlocked kingdom.

Papa, a firm maize porridge, serves as the staple accompaniment to most Basotho meals, typically paired with a vegetable or meat relish called moroho. Sour porridge and fermented grain drinks also hold cultural significance.

Breakfast
Lesheleshele (Soft Maize Porridge)
5 minutes · 3 servings
Breakfast
Motoho (Fermented Sorghum Porridge)
15 minutes active (plus 24–36 hours fermenting) · 5 servings
Salads
Cabbage Slaai (Shredded Cabbage Salad)
15 minutes · 1 servings
Salads
Tamati le Anyanese Salad (Tomato & Onion Salad)
10 minutes · 1 servings
Soups
Seroto Soup (Wild Nightshade Greens Soup)
15 minutes · 4 servings
Soups
Serobe (Basotho Offal Soup-Stew)
20 minutes · 9 servings
Appetizers
Diphaphatha tsa Ditapole (Sweet Potato Fritters)
15 minutes · 4 servings
Appetizers
Ditloo tse Halikiloeng (Roasted Dried Peas)
10 minutes plus overnight soaking · 2 servings
Lunches
Dinawa tse Pshatlehileng (Mashed Sugar Bean Stew)
10 minutes plus overnight soaking · 4 servings
Lunches
Papa le Moroho (Maize Pap with Wild Greens)
15 minutes · 5 servings
Holidays & Special Occasions
Ting (Ceremonial Fermented Sorghum Porridge)
15 minutes active (plus 48–72 hours fermenting) · 6 servings
Holidays & Special Occasions
Nama e Halikiloeng (Feast-Day Roasted Mutton)
15 minutes plus 1 hour to overnight marinating · 8 servings
Street Food
Sekhooa (Roasted Maize Cobs)
5 minutes · 1 servings
Street Food
Makoenya (Basotho Fat Cakes)
20 minutes plus about 1 hour rising and resting · 3 servings
Drinks
Peach Cordial
15 minutes
Drinks
Joala (Traditional Sorghum Beer)
20 minutes active
Breads
Basotho Brown Bread
20 minutes plus about 1 hour 15 minutes rising · 9 servings
Breads
Diphaphatha (Basotho Griddle Bread)
20 minutes plus 45–60 minutes rising · 8 servings
Desserts
Bohobe ba Mabele (Sweet Sorghum Pudding)
5 minutes · 8 servings
Desserts
Litapole (Stewed Dried Peaches)
5 minutes plus 1–2 hours soaking (optional) · 7 servings
Sides
Poone le Dinawa (Samp and Beans)
10 minutes plus overnight soaking · 11 servings
Sides
Papa (Stiff Maize Porridge)
5 minutes · 8 servings
Mains
Lesotho Highlands Trout, Pan-Fried
10 minutes · 1 servings
Mains
Nyekoe (Wheat, Samp and Bean Stew)
15 minutes plus overnight soaking · 6 servings