Himba Food & Diet: What the Himba Eat in Namibia

The Himba people live in northern Namibia. Today, there are about 50,000 Himba. They still live as their ancestors did many years ago. Even though the world is changing, the Himba continue to follow their culture and beliefs.

The Himba are semi-nomadic. This means they move from place to place sometimes, but they also have homes. They live in family villages called homesteads.

In the center of each village, there is a special fire used to remember their ancestors.

Next to this fire is a place for keeping their cattle. Around this area are small family houses made from wood and grass, covered with mud and animal dung. The special fire burns all the time.

At night, a small fire is kept in the Chief’s hut so it can be used to light the fire again in the morning.

The Himba eat simple foods. Their main foods are sour milk and maize porridge, called oruhere ruomaere. They also eat meat from their cattle, goats, and sheep, but not every day.

They may eat meat once every two weeks. They collect wild plants, honey, and eggs from chickens. They also grow maize and millet, which they use to make porridge.

Another food they eat is mopani worms. These worms are dried and then cooked by boiling or frying with salt, which gives them extra protein to stay healthy.

Cattle are very important to the Himba. Cattle give them milk and meat and are a sign of wealth. They sour the milk to keep it fresh for longer. Sometimes, they dry the meat in the sun to save it for later.

Because the Himba move often and live in a dry area, they mostly eat milk and porridge, while meat is eaten only sometimes.