Food and Drink
The main culinary centre in Lesotho is the capital Maseru, which boasts a fair selection of a la carte restaurants serving one or other international cuisine, be it Italian, Portuguese, Chinese or Indians, along with several fast food franchises from neighbouring South Africa.
In most other towns and tourist hubs, the closest thing to fine dining tends to be hotel and guesthouse restaurants. Most of these include a buffet breakfast in the room price and offer guests an optional set menu or limited buffet in the evening. Some have an a la carte lunch and dinner menu.
In most towns you will also find a few a few small eateries that cater to a local market and serve a few simple but tasty and inexpensive meals, for instance beef stew or fried chicken with a staple starch, and salad or vegetables on the side.
The main staple in Lesotho, as in much of southern Africa, is a stiff heavy maize porridge known as mealiepap, papa or phuthu. It is usually accompanied by a meat, bean or vegetable-based stew, and locals tend to eat it by hand rather than using a knife or fork. Other staples commonly served in restaurants include rice, boiled potatoes and potato chips.
Borotho is a traditional type of bread cooked over a fire in a cast iron pot in rural areas. A doughnut-like treat is Makoenya, a ball of deep-fried sweetened dough sold fresh by street vendors on urban streets and in bus stations.
Beef and to a lesser extent lamb are the main types of red meat. Although it is not marketed as free range, meat in Lesotho often derives from relatively free-roaming local livestock. Chicken is also popular in Lesotho. A must-try local speciality is trout, which is farmed extensively in the highlands, and is usually served as a whole grilled fish.
Beer, wine, spirits and the usual brand-name soft drinks are readily available. The most popular brand of beer is Maluti, a light-tasting medium-alcohol lager that is brewed in the country and can be bought in a variety of cans and bottle. A good selection of South African beers is also sold in most bars, restaurants and liquor stores.
Adventurous drinkers might want to dry the local millet or sorghum beer. Brewed in villages throughout the country, it has an opaque appearance, a rather gritty texture and sour taste, and tends be low in alcohol compared to bottled beers. A good place to try it is Malealea Lodge, where community tours include a visit to a local brewer.
Lesotho is not a wine-producing country, but most restaurants and bars stock a good selection of well-priced bottled reds and whites imported from neighbouring South Africa.
