Ska Moteane’s Mission to Revive Lesotho’s Traditional Cuisine
Over the past few decades, the global rise of ultra-processed and fast foods has had a devastating impact on health and sustainability, especially in developing regions like Africa. In the small mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, however, one chef is leading the charge to revive the country’s nutritious traditional cuisine and combat the encroachment of the agro-industrial food complex.
Ska Moteane is a passionate advocate for “slow food” and the preservation of Lesotho’s culinary heritage. After returning home from working in South Africa, she realized that the recipes for the simple yet nourishing dishes she grew up with were in danger of being lost. Moteane embarked on a journey across the country, meticulously documenting traditional cooking methods and compiling them into her award-winning 2012 cookbook, Cuisine of the Mountain Kingdom: Cooking in Lesotho.
“What’s unique about our cooking scene in Lesotho is that we really don’t have any complicated things that would require, say, lots and lots of spices,” Moteane explains. “That’s what we’ve always been like, using clean, clean, clean flavors.” Dishes like Likhets’o, made with just pumpkin and water, or Nyekoe, which combines sugar beans and wholegrain sorghum, exemplify the minimalist yet flavorful essence of Basotho cuisine.
However, in the face of globalization and the aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods, Moteane recognizes that she is fighting a Goliath-sized battle to preserve this culinary heritage. “I see my role as a chef as being to say let’s these nutritious crops onto our plate, but we have a big problem because the big corporations have so much money for adverts on TV and the internet to promote this poison,” she says.
Through educational campaigns, both online and in-person, Moteane tirelessly works to raise awareness about the health and environmental dangers of highly processed foods, while championing the virtues of traditional Basotho dishes. She collaborates with organizations like Slow Food International to showcase Lesotho’s cuisine at events like the Terra Madre festival in Italy, introducing global audiences to the simplicity and nourishment of her country’s food culture.
The Dual Burden of Malnutrition in Africa
Moteane’s fight against the agro-industrial food system is set against the backdrop of a concerning trend sweeping across Africa: the “double burden” of malnutrition. On one hand, the continent is still grappling with issues of undernutrition and food insecurity. On the other, it is simultaneously experiencing a surge in overweight, obesity, and associated non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension.
According to the World Health Organization, the number of overweight children in Africa nearly doubled between 1991 and 2016, from 5.4 million to 10.3 million. This rapid rise has been attributed to a variety of factors, including urbanization, lifestyle changes, and the increasing prevalence of ultra-processed and fast foods.
“People will tell you healthy food is boring, that it doesn’t taste good, that it’s more expensive,” Moteane laments. “But I tell them to think about what it’s doing to their health in the long-term. We are really getting sick because of all the chemicals we’re ingesting, and healthy foods are no more expensive especially if you think about the thousands you’ll spend going to the doctor in the long run.”
Indeed, recent studies have drawn direct links between diets high in ultra-processed foods and a global rise in cancer among under-50s. The health consequences of this shift in dietary patterns are particularly concerning in Africa, where healthcare systems are often overburdened and underfunded.
Reclaiming Food Sovereignty in the Face of Globalization
Moteane’s crusade to revive traditional Basotho cuisine is not just about preserving culinary heritage – it’s also about reclaiming food sovereignty in the face of globalization and the encroachment of the agro-industrial complex.
Across Africa, the expansion of industrialized food systems has led to a surge in the importation of processed and fast foods, often at the expense of local, sustainable food production. This trend has been driven by a combination of trade liberalization policies and the aggressive marketing tactics of multinational food corporations.
“The big corporations have so much money for adverts on TV and the internet to promote this poison,” Moteane laments. “We are fighting a giant, but it doesn’t mean we’ll stop.”
In contrast to this globalized, industrialized model, Moteane and other food activists in Lesotho are advocating for a shift towards agroecological farming methods and localized food systems. This approach, they argue, is not only better for the environment and climate, but also empowers farmers and communities to take control of their own food production.
“If you talk to these people individually outside the office, they agree 100% with what we are saying, but once in office it’s a different story,” Moteane says, referring to her government’s agricultural policies, which she believes are too heavily influenced by the interests of agribusiness and agrochemical multinationals.
The global food system, which accounts for around one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions, is a major contributor to the climate crisis. In Lesotho, the effects of this crisis are already being felt, with unpredictable weather patterns disrupting traditional growing seasons and crop yields.
“We’re not sure if winter is still winter,” Moteane says. “We’re not sure anymore what we can get in what season. Sometimes we do not get any rain. We need to start working on adapting to the current climate while unlearning all the bad habits that are destroying our planet.”
Celebrating the Simplicity and Nourishment of Basotho Cuisine
For Ska Moteane, the solution to the intersecting crises of health, climate, and food sovereignty lies in the wisdom that has always been contained in Lesotho’s traditional cuisine: simplicity.
“Sometimes we tend to go after the things that other nations are doing, thinking our own is not good enough,” she says. “What Lesotho can teach the rest of the world is what you have in your own space is enough. It is good. Appreciate it.”
Through her work, Moteane is not only preserving the recipes and cooking methods that have sustained the Basotho people for generations, but also championing the inherent nutritional value and environmental sustainability of these traditional food ways. By highlighting the beauty in the minimalism of Lesotho’s cuisine, she hopes to inspire a shift in mindset and inspire people to embrace the nourishment that can be found in simple, locally-sourced ingredients.
“That’s what we’ve always been like, using clean, clean, clean flavors,” Moteane says. “Simple is beautiful. Simple can nourish. Simple is already more than enough.”
As the battle against the agro-industrial food system rages on, Ska Moteane remains steadfast in her mission to reclaim Lesotho’s culinary heritage and empower her community to rediscover the health and vitality that can be found in the country’s traditional dishes. It is a David-and-Goliath struggle, but one that she is determined to win, for the sake of her people and the planet.
