Mbewa
Malawi's mouse-on-a-stick
Think of it as: Like beef jerky, if jerky had a tail
Roadside kebab. Look closer. Yes, mice.
What does it taste like?
Very salty and gamey, a bit like dried meat.
SweetSpicySourSaltyFunkSmellTextureCrunchy, tiny bones
What is it?
Field mice are boiled with salt, singed to remove the fur and skewered whole to dry. Kids sell the sticks along Malawi's main highways. You eat them bones and all.
How locals eat it
Bought by the stick from roadside sellers and nibbled as a snack.
Watch it
EnglishTap to play (YouTube)Where is it from?
🇲🇼Malawi
CapitalLilongwe
Populationabout 22.8 millionestimate (unverified)
IndustriesAgriculture (tobacco, tea), Fishing
Famous peopleWilliam KamkwambaSelf-taught inventor who built a windmill to power his village
HelloMoni (Chichewa)
CurrencyMalawian kwacha
And JapanJapan's overseas volunteer program (JOCV) has worked in Malawi for decades.
Fun factLake Malawi covers about a fifth of the country and holds hundreds of colorful cichlid species.
The flag🇲🇼 Black for the people, red for the blood of independence, green for nature; the rising sun for hope in Africa.
From Tokyoabout 12,330 kmstraight line, Tokyo to Lilongwe
Getting there20+ hours with connectionsrough guide
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeDry season, May to October. Also tryNsimaChambo (lake fish)
✈ Check cheap flights Best timeDry season, May to October. Also tryNsimaChambo (lake fish)
🇲🇼 Sounds & life in Malawi
MoniHello（Moni (Chichewa)）
Latin
Latin
Right now…
AnthemMulungu dalitsa Malaŵi
SportFootball World HeritageLake Malawi National Park and more FestivalLake of Stars (music festival on the lakeshore)
SportFootball World HeritageLake Malawi National Park and more FestivalLake of Stars (music festival on the lakeshore)
Ingredients
- 10 field mice
- Salt
- Water
- 2 wooden skewers
Can't find it? Not available, and please don't catch your own.
How to make it (one way)
- Catch field mice in the fields
- Gut them and boil in salty water
- Singe off the fur over a fire
- Thread them onto skewers
- Dry them by the fire until crisp
⚠️ Wild rodents can carry disease. Do not try this at home.