Wild Harvest · Termite-Mound Mushroom
Omajowa (Termite-Mound Mushrooms)
Photo: Chtrede / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
These fist-to-football-sized mushrooms only sprout from the top of active termite mounds around Okahandja for a few weeks after the first summer rains, and a single cap can weigh over a kilogram.
Thick, meaty caps of Termitomyces schimperi are sliced into steaks and pan-fried or braaied in butter and garlic until golden; their dense, savoury texture is often compared to schnitzel or veal.
Why it's made this way: Named for the Herero word for these termite-symbiotic fungi, omajowa is a short-season delicacy sold roadside near Okahandja and snapped up by Windhoek restaurants the moment the rains bring them up.
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