Botswana  is a land of bizarre but tasty food. Below is my list of MUST try food that will definitely leave you asking, do people actually eat that?

1. Phane (Mopane Worms)

Yes you read that right, we love our worms in Botswana — well, mopane worms to be exact. These are pretty, brightly colored caterpillars with little spikes on  their back that feed mainly on the leaves of the mopane tree. They are a  staple source of protein and nutrients for many rural communities in Southern Africa. The caterpillars are hand-picked by mostly women and children straight from the trees. They are  harvested some weeks into the rainy season, just before going into pupation and ultimately turn into the large Emperor moth. 

Once collected, somebody gets the “wonderful” job of squeezing the gut out of the caterpillars–YUM–before they are sun dried, which preserves them until the next harvest. When harvested they are pinched at the tail end, squeezed like a tube of toothpaste and quickly flicked to remove the gut contents before being boiled in salted water then deep fried.

These are a delicacy in Botswana and a scary thought for many Westerners’ taste buds. Nutritionally, they contain upwards of five times the amount of iron than beef and according to the Food & Agricultural Organisation (FAO) are also a great source of potassium, calcium, zinc and copper.drying them in the sun for storage. The dried worms then make their way around the country where they are cooked with water and salt to re-hydrate them. 

Ok, enough about science! Here is how you can serve them. I often prefer to stew the worms by adding some tomatoes and onions like the picture above. But when I am one the go, I boil them in salted water and sundry to eat as a snack. I find that the worms taste varies depending how you prepare them ranging from tea leaves to chicken and dried fish.

2. Menoto (chicken feet)

I know what you’re thinking, is it even sanitary to be eating feet? YES! Nicknamed “runaways” by many locals. Menoto are chicken feet  that are usually boiled, fried or stewed for eating. They are a local favorite, usually served as an appetizer or with corn meal (paletshe). In Botswana, they are usually sold cooked at the corner store  (semausu) or uncooked at all supermarkets and butcheries. Best thing is that they are super easy to make and affordable too at about $1.98/lbs from Walmart. My Ultimate Menoto with an Old Bay Twist recipe is definitely one you should give a try.

3. Mogodu (tripe)

Mogodu is a derivative of tripe and are intestines usually of a mammal such as a cow, sheep or goat. Before you frown and shake your head at the idea of tripe I’d have you know that tripe is eaten on every continent and by nearly every culture.If you haven’t had it as a dish on its own, then I would happily bet you that you’ve eaten it without realizing it in your sausages, processed meat and burgers. 

Growing up in Botswana you grow accustomed to animals being slaughtered for rituals and gatherings. So to me, seeing internal organs of animals isn’t anything hectic — but I do recognize that to my American counterparts, this may be a gory concept. Luckily tripe is often sold in butcheries cleaned or bleached. I personally prefer it not overly clean, as it has a much meatier taste. Most supermarkets in the US such as Walmart sell it bleached, and I think for a first time tripe trier, bleached would be the best way to go.

Those are my top 3 bizarre food from Botswana. Hopefully I did not scare you away. Now it’s your turn. What bizarre food have you tried? Have you tasted any of the food mentioned above? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

See you in my next post!

-M