To make bogobe, grain flour is stirred into boiling water until it becomes thick and smooth — a bit like very thick mashed potato. The cook has to stir constantly with a long wooden spoon to stop lumps forming. Some families add fermented sorghum to give it a slightly tangy taste. The result is a thick, pale yellow or beige porridge that can be moulded into a smooth mound on the plate.
Bogobe is eaten with a variety of accompaniments — seswaa (slow-cooked meat), morogo (wild spinach), stewed vegetables or beans. To eat it traditionally, you scoop a small ball of bogobe in your fingers, press a dent in it with your thumb, and use it like a spoon to scoop up the meat or vegetables. This way, there is no need for cutlery at all.
Sorghum is an important crop in Botswana because it is very tough — it can grow in dry, hot conditions where other grains would fail. The Kalahari heat and low rainfall makes growing food challenging, so sorghum's ability to survive tough conditions has made it a staple crop for many generations.
There are different varieties of bogobe. Bogobe jwa lerotse is made with wild cucumber and has a slightly sweet, fresh taste. Bogobe jwa ting is a fermented version with a sour taste — it is packed with natural probiotics, which are good for digestion. Children across Botswana grow up eating bogobe every day, so it is deeply woven into memory and identity.