What Is Pap? The South African Maize Porridge Explained
Mielie pap is South African maize-meal porridge, a national staple eaten stiff, crumbly or soft. Here is what it is and how it is served.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Pap, also spelt mieliepap or mielie pap, is South African porridge made from ground maize meal, and it is one of the country's best loved everyday staples. It is cooked to different textures: stiff pap, called stywe pap, eaten with braai meat and a tomato and onion sauce or chakalaka; dry and crumbly pap, known as phutu or krummelpap; and soft, runny slap pap eaten for breakfast. Filling, affordable and endlessly adaptable, it appears on tables across South Africa every single day. In the UK the maize meal to make it is sold by African food shops, which you can find near you on African Stores.
What to remember
- Pap, or mieliepap, is South African porridge made from ground maize meal.
- Stywe pap is stiff and firm, eaten with braai meat and a tomato and onion sauce or chakalaka.
- Phutu or krummelpap is the dry, crumbly version.
- Slap pap is soft and runny, usually eaten for breakfast.
- It is a filling, affordable national staple and central to everyday eating.
Few things say home to a South African quite like a pot of pap on the stove. It is the smell of a Sunday braai in the garden, the side that never fails to appear next to grilled meat, the warm bowl that started so many childhood mornings. Simple as it is, pap carries the memory of family gathered round a fire and plates passed hand to hand.
There is real belonging in it too. Pap crosses every community in South Africa, a shared staple that turns up at the humblest weeknight supper and the biggest celebration alike. To cook it in Britain, stirring the maize meal until it thickens just so, is to keep that everyday comfort close. Serving stywe pap with a good sauce, or a bowl of soft slap pap at breakfast, is one of the simplest ways to bring a genuine taste of home to the table far from the country it belongs to.
What Mielie Pap Actually Is
Pap is a porridge made from maize meal, finely ground white maize, cooked with water and a little salt until it swells and thickens. The name comes from Afrikaans, where pap simply means porridge, and it is often written as mieliepap or mielie pap, mielie being the South African word for maize. It is a plain, honest food, mild and slightly nutty in taste, and its whole character comes from how firmly it is cooked and what it is served with.
What makes pap so central is its versatility. The very same maize meal becomes three quite different things depending on the amount of water used and how long it is cooked. It is filling and inexpensive, which has made it a true national staple, eaten daily in homes across South Africa regardless of background. For many households it is the base that the rest of the meal is built around, the one thing that is almost always in the cupboard and almost always on the plate.
It is worth being clear that this is a different dish from Nigerian pap, also called ogi or akamu, which is a smooth fermented cereal pudding; the two share a name but are not the same food. South African pap is savoury, cooked fresh and served firm or soft as a staple, whereas ogi is soured and set to a soft, custard-like texture. South African pap sits proudly among the staples of South African food, a plate that feels incomplete without it.
The Different Kinds of Pap
The best known form is stywe pap, meaning stiff pap. It is cooked firm enough to hold its shape and can even be cut into slices or shaped by hand, which makes it the classic partner to braai meat, scooped up with a rich tomato and onion sauce or with chakalaka, the spiced vegetable relish. Then there is phutu, also called krummelpap, cooked drier still so that it breaks into loose, dry crumbs rather than a smooth mass; it is a favourite alongside grilled meat and stews and has a lovely light, grainy texture that many people love for the way it soaks up sauce without turning heavy.
At the other end is slap pap, meaning soft or loose pap. This is thinner and runnier, closer to a breakfast porridge, and is often eaten in the morning with a little milk, butter or sugar. The difference between the three really is just water and time: more water and gentler cooking give softer pap, less water and longer stirring give a firmer, drier result. One bag of maize meal, then, can give you a firm side for dinner, a crumbly bowl to soak up gravy, or a soft, warming breakfast, and most South African cooks make all three without a second thought.
How Pap Is Served and Enjoyed
Pap is at its most iconic at a braai, the South African barbecue. Here stywe pap is the natural companion to grilled meats such as boerewors and steak, served with a tomato and onion gravy known as sous, or with chakalaka spooned alongside. The mildness of the pap balances the smoke and spice of the meat perfectly, which is why the two are so rarely apart.
Beyond the braai, pap is everyday food. Soft slap pap starts many mornings, while stiff and crumbly pap turn up at lunch and supper next to stews, greens and sauces throughout the week. Because it is so plain in itself, it carries whatever it is served with, soaking up a rich gravy, cooling a spicy relish or simply filling out a modest plate of meat and vegetables. It is filling, gentle on the budget and comforting in the way only a good staple can be, which is exactly why it holds such an ordinary, essential place at the South African table.
Where to Buy Mielie Pap in the UK
Pap is easy to make at home, and the one thing you really need is maize meal, often sold as mielie meal or maize meal, which African food shops in Britain stock for their South African and wider African customers. A fine white maize meal is what gives pap its proper texture, and from a single bag you can make stiff, crumbly or soft versions as you like. It keeps well in the cupboard and cooks with nothing more than water and salt, so it is one of the simplest and most economical dishes to keep in your repertoire. To go the full South African way, pick up the makings of a tomato and onion sauce, or a jar or tin of chakalaka, to serve alongside. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you to see what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
What is mielie pap?
Mielie pap, also spelt mieliepap or just pap, is South African porridge made from ground white maize meal cooked with water and salt. It is a national staple eaten every day and can be cooked stiff, crumbly or soft. Stiff stywe pap is served with braai meat and sauce, while soft slap pap is eaten for breakfast.
What is the difference between stywe pap, phutu and slap pap?
They are all made from the same maize meal but cooked to different textures. Stywe pap is stiff and holds its shape, eaten with braai meat, a tomato and onion sauce or chakalaka. Phutu, also called krummelpap, is dry and crumbly. Slap pap is soft and runny and is usually eaten as a breakfast porridge.
Is South African pap the same as Nigerian pap?
No, they share a name but are different dishes. South African pap is a maize porridge eaten stiff, crumbly or soft as a savoury staple. Nigerian pap, also called ogi or akamu, is a smooth fermented cereal pudding. If you want the South African kind, look for maize meal or mielie meal.
What do you eat with pap?
Stiff pap is the classic side at a braai, served with grilled meats such as boerewors and steak alongside a tomato and onion sauce or chakalaka. Crumbly phutu suits stews and grilled meat, soaking up the sauces. Soft slap pap is eaten for breakfast, often with a little milk, butter or sugar.
Where can I buy mielie pap in the UK?
Pap is made at home from maize meal, sometimes labelled mielie meal or maize meal, which African food shops stock for their South African and African customers. A fine white maize meal gives the best texture, and you can add chakalaka or a tomato and onion sauce to serve. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you that stocks the maize meal.