To make seswaa, large pieces of beef (or sometimes goat) are placed in a big black pot called a kgamba with water and salt. The pot is put over an open fire or slow stove and left to cook for several hours — sometimes most of the day. The long cooking time fills the whole home with a rich, savoury smell. When the meat is ready, the bones are removed and the meat is pounded with a wooden pestle until it shreds into soft, stringy pieces.
Seswaa is almost always served with bogobe, the thick sorghum or maize porridge that is the staple food of Botswana. The soft shredded meat and the thick porridge are eaten together, and the combination is warming and filling. Morogo — a dish of cooked wild leafy greens — is often served alongside to add freshness and vitamins.
What makes seswaa special is not just the flavour — it is the effort and time that goes into making it. In Botswana, preparing seswaa for a large group is traditionally a job shared by several people. Men often tend the fire and do the pounding, while women prepare the porridge and sides. Sharing the cooking is part of sharing the meal.
If you visit Botswana for a special occasion, you will almost certainly be served seswaa. It is a dish that says 'you are welcome here' and 'this is a special day'. Many Batswana (people from Botswana) who live abroad say that seswaa is the taste that makes them feel most at home.