Food of Namibia
Namibian cooking blends traditional foods like mahangu (pearl millet) porridge with German-influenced baked goods and plenty of game meat. Braai culture is strong, and biltong, kapana and oshifima are everyday staples. Hearty, meat-centered meals are shared outdoors.
Oshifima
A traditional dish of Namibia made with pearl millet, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Staples
- pearl millet
- beef
- game
- maize
- beans
Signature flavors
- salt
- chili
- onion
- tomato
Main dishes
A traditional dish of Namibia made with pearl millet, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: pearl milletGrilled meat sold at street markets.
Key ingredients: beef, salt
A traditional dish of Namibia made with lamb, vegetables, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: lamb, vegetables
A traditional dish of Namibia made with beef, boerewors, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beef, boereworsFull guide →A traditional dish of Namibia made with oryx, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: oryx
A traditional dish of Namibia made with mopane, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: mopaneBreakfast
A traditional breakfast dish of Namibia made with pearl millet, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: pearl milletStreet food
A traditional street snack of Namibia made with beef, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beef
A traditional street snack of Namibia made with beef, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: beefFull guide →Desserts and sweets
A traditional sweet treat of Namibia made with apple, pastry, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: apple, pastryFull guide →
A traditional sweet treat of Namibia made with flour, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: flourFull guide →Drinks
A traditional drink of Namibia made with rooibos, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: rooibosA traditional drink of Namibia made with millet, enjoyed at home and from local vendors.
Key ingredients: milletFruits and produce
Marula is a well-loved fruit or crop in Namibia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: marula
Devil's claw is a well-loved fruit or crop in Namibia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: devil's clawMelon is a well-loved fruit or crop in Namibia, eaten fresh or used in juices, snacks and home cooking.
Key ingredients: melonDish guides from Namibia
More cuisines of Southern Africa
Descriptions written by Intercontinental Chef. Dishes are listed as commonly eaten today; many are shared across neighbouring countries.
- Ugali & Sukuma Wiki: Paresh Jai from Nairobi, Kenya, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Beef Potjie Kos: EKK Events, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Barbecue barbecook: No machine-readable author provided. Bree~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
- Colophospermum mopane 50D 0486: SAplants, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Sliced Biltong: Delia du Plessis, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Strudel: che, CC BY-SA 2.5 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Malva Pudding: Jon Mountjoy, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- Harpagophytum 5: The original uploader was Henri pidoux at French Wikipedia., Attribution (Wikimedia Commons)
