Namibian Delights Part I

Namibia is a very diverse country with a lot of cultural influences, these could be influences from one another or even from other cultures outside Namibia. Its cuisine is as diverse as the many cultural influences found here. In this two-part series post, we will explore some of Namibia's most popular dishes that show the country's culinary heritage.

1. Kapana: Namibia's Street Food Sensation

  

Kapana is a street food that is very popular here in Namibia, it is basically just grilled meat, usually beef, and it is served hot off the grill with salt or kapana spice(a BBQ spice) and spicy salsa mixed with vinegar and the same kapana spice as a side. These two are usually paired with porridge(pap) or mahangu porridge, or fatcakes(vetkoek), which is a deep-fried dough ball. 

Nowadays there are different variations of Kapana. Some are served with fries and a delicious homemade sauce. My neighbours started a kapana business and this is how they do it and I really like their sauces, they have two different types, one spicy ketchup-based sauce and another mayonnaise-based one that isn't spicy. If I'm not mistaken, they have now branched out to the UK but I just don't know where exactly. Theirs is called 'Cuzen's Kapana' and they're on Instagram as @Cuzens_Kapana. They also do most of the dishes that I'll be covering in this post.

2. Oshifima and Ombidi: A Staple Meal

'Oshifima' (Oh-shee-fee-ma) or 'Oshithima'(Oh-shee-tee-ma) is a traditional Namibian porridge made from mahangu (pearl millet) flour and water. It has a thick, smooth texture and is often served with 'ombidi' (Om-bee-dee), a Namibian spinach stew. Oshifima and ombidi are a staple meal in many Namibian households, providing a nutritious and filling meal that is both delicious and satisfying. I've never had oshifima and ombidi but would love to try it. 

Recipes

Vegan Physicist

Esther Kocht

Claudia Diana Nandumbu

3. Mielie Pap: A Versatile Dish

                

  

'Mielie pap' also known as just 'pap'(pup), or maize meal porridge, is another staple in Namibian cuisine. It is similar to oshifima but is made from maize meal instead of mahangu flour. Mielie pap can be served as a side dish to accompany stews and grilled meats, kapana, potjie(poy-key) or on its own with gravy.

Depending on how it is prepared, it can be enjoyed as a breakfast porridge with a dollop of butter and sugar, or syrup, berries, nuts, muesli, granola, fruits, eggs or anything you want really. I only knew that people would either add butter and sugar or berries, but after doing some research, I found a lot of weird combinations that I wasn't expecting especially the egg one. I would not be so quick to discredit these weird combinations though, since I am a food enthusiast, I would be excited to try them out. With that said, the way you enjoy breakfast porridge is completely up to you no matter how weird the combination.

Another way that breakfast porridge can be enjoyed is with sour milk or cultured milk. I have tried it with sour milk and I really enjoy the sweet and sour notes from the milk and sugar.  Depending on its preparation, it can be made thicker or runnier. This is also preference-based. If you ever make it for someone else or a large group of people,  a good rule of thumb is to keep it balanced, not too thick and not too runny.

4. Potjiekos: A Flavorful Stew

Potjiekos(poy-kee-kos) or just potjie(poy-kee) is a traditional stew that is cooked in a three legged cast-iron pot also called a potjiepot(poy-kee-pot)over an open fire.. It contains a variety of meats, offal(internal organs such as tripe, lungs, heart, intestines and so on), vegetables, and spices, slow-cooked to perfection. 

Beef or lamb is used but you could shake things up and make a chicken or seafood-based one. Potjiekos is a hearty and comforting meal that I especially enjoy when the weather is cold or when it is winter. It can also be enjoyed with 'oshifima' or 'mielie pap'. If you do not have access to a three-legged cast iron pot and cannot cook with fire, do not fret, just use your normal pots in the kitchen and you will be able to enjoy it too. Now it will be slightly different but you might not notice it.

My neighbours' Cuzen's Kapana don't only do Kapana. They also do potjiekos, pap and a few other options such as wings, chicken, lamb chops, pork chops, and many more. You would be killing three birds with one stone off this list if you went there. I will leave their menu below. 

These are just a few popular dishes from the vast array of dishes that Namibia has. As I always say, people have different ways of preparing these foods, so if you have one bad dish or a bad experience with one of the dishes, don't let it stop you from trying it again but it being prepared by someone else. 

Every dish has countless variations depending on the cook's background and region. So, if you encounter a dish that doesn't quite hit the spot, don't be discouraged! Give it another try from a different vendor or restaurant – you might discover a whole new world of flavour within the same dish.

Top 7 Potjie Recipes 

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