Botswana

In Botswana, beans are roasted directly in hot sand.

The morama bean grows wild in the sandy regions of the Kalahari and is a traditional food in Botswana. Fresh beans can be boiled, while dried beans are commonly roasted and eaten as a nut-like snack.

Sand is heated in a pot over a wood fire. The beans are added and stirred through the hot sand until their shells darken and begin to crack. The sand is then sifted away and the golden-brown bean is removed from its hard shell. Roasting reduces the bitterness and gives it a distinctly nutty aroma and taste.