Morogo seeds

Morogo wa dinawa is a preserved product made from the dried leaves of the cowpea plant (Vigna unguiculata). Cowpea is cultivated throughout sub-Saharan Africa for its protein-rich seeds, and its leaves are also often consumed, or used as fodder for animals. The leaves have been used as a key ingredient in the cuisine of Botswana for many centuries.

Cowpea is an annual legume and, because it fixes nitrogen in the soil, is ideal for intercropping. It has compound leaves with three leaflets and can grow as a bush or a vine. The local varieties of cowpea used to make morogo wa dinawa are well-adapted to the marginal soils and erratic rainfall characteristic of much of Botswana, and will continue to produce leaves even under stressful conditions. Leaves are harvested from wild or spontaneous (as well as cultivated) plants between November and April, while still tender and fresh (4-6 weeks after germination).