🇧🇼 Botswanan Cuisine

Segwapa

Dried Beef Strips

Prep Time 3 days (drying)

Servings 8

Difficulty Easy

Thin strips of beef salted and air-dried in the hot Botswanan sun until hard and chewy — a traditional method of preserving meat without refrigeration.

Ingredients

1kg lean beef (silverside or topside)
3 tbsp coarse salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

Instructions

1 Cut beef into thin strips along the grain, about 1cm thick.
2 Rub strips generously with salt, pepper, and coriander.
3 Hang strips on a drying rack or line in a well-ventilated, sunny spot.
4 Dry for 2-3 days until firm and dry but not brittle.
5 Store in a cool, dry place. Eat as-is or rehydrate in stews.

Did You Know?

Segwapa was essential travel food for Batswana cattle herders — lightweight, long-lasting, and packed with protein for journeys across the Kalahari.