What Is Samp? The South African Maize Dish Explained
Samp is dried, crushed maize, the base of the South African dish samp and beans. Here is what it is and where to buy it.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Samp is dried maize, or corn, that has been stamped and crushed into coarse pieces with the hull removed, and it is a staple of South African cooking. Cooked slowly in plenty of water until soft and tender, it has a comforting, chewy texture and a mild, nutty taste. Its most famous use is in samp and beans, known in Xhosa as umngqusho, where samp is cooked together with sugar beans into a hearty, filling dish that is a beloved comfort food and a favourite of Nelson Mandela. In the UK samp is sold by South African and African food shops.
What to remember
- Samp is dried maize crushed into coarse pieces with the hull removed.
- It is cooked slowly in water until soft, with a chewy texture and mild, nutty taste.
- Its most famous use is samp and beans, known in Xhosa as umngqusho.
- It is a hearty, comforting South African staple, famously loved by Nelson Mandela.
- Samp is sold by South African and African food shops in the UK.
For South Africans in Britain, especially Xhosa families, samp and beans is a deep taste of home. It is the pot of umngqusho simmering on the stove, the hearty, comforting bowl that says home and family and enough to go round, the dish that fed generations and that Mandela himself loved. Cooking samp and beans far from home brings back family kitchens and the warmth of a filling, nourishing meal, the comfort of home in every chewy, creamy spoonful.
There is real heritage in it too, in a staple so tied to South African, and especially Xhosa, home cooking and to the country's history. It reflects the way humble maize and beans become a beloved, nourishing meal through slow cooking and care, and to make and share samp and beans is to keep that heritage alive. Cooking umngqusho for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to this comforting classic, is an act of welcome and home. That hearty, comforting taste of home is the quiet gift of samp.
What Samp Actually Is
Samp is one of South Africa's most comforting staple foods, made from dried maize, or corn. To make samp, dried maize kernels are pounded or stamped and crushed so that the outer hull is removed and the kernels break into coarse pieces, smaller than whole corn but much larger than mealie meal. This gives samp its characteristic chunky texture. It is then cooked slowly in plenty of water, often for a long time or soaked first, until the pieces swell and become soft and tender, with a pleasant chew and a mild, nutty, corn flavour.
On its own, cooked samp is a mild, satisfying starch, a bit like a chunky, chewy version of other maize staples, and it serves as a comforting base for hearty dishes. It has long been a staple among many South African communities, valued for being filling, affordable and nourishing. Samp belongs to the world of South African food we cover in our guide to South African food, part of the country's rich tradition of maize-based staples alongside pap and sadza.
Samp and Beans and Umngqusho
The most famous and beloved use of samp is in samp and beans, a hearty dish where samp is cooked together with beans, most classically sugar beans, into a thick, comforting, one-pot meal. Known in Xhosa as umngqusho, this dish is a cornerstone of South African home cooking, especially in Xhosa cuisine, and it is famously said to have been a favourite of Nelson Mandela, which has made it known around the world.
To make it, the samp and beans are cooked slowly together until both are soft and the dish is thick and creamy, and it is seasoned and enriched in many ways: with onions, chilli, stock, butter or oil, and sometimes potatoes, tomato or meat, so that a humble base becomes a flavourful, satisfying meal. The combination of chewy samp and soft beans is filling and comforting, the definition of home cooking. Samp and beans can be a meal on its own or a side to meat and stews, and it reflects the resourceful, nourishing spirit of South African cooking. This is general food information rather than dietary advice.
How Samp Is Cooked and Enjoyed
Cooking samp is an exercise in patience. Because the dried, crushed maize is hard, it is usually rinsed and often soaked, then simmered in plenty of water for a long time, sometimes a couple of hours or more, until the pieces are soft and tender, with more water added as needed. A pressure cooker can speed this up. When cooking samp and beans together, the beans are cooked alongside until they too are soft and the dish is thick. The slow cook is what gives the comforting, tender result.
Samp is enjoyed as a hearty, everyday food and a comforting staple, whether as plain samp alongside a stew or, most lovingly, as samp and beans. It is filling and satisfying, the kind of dish that feeds a family well and warms you up. For anyone exploring South African food, samp and beans is a wonderful, comforting introduction, and it rewards the time it takes to cook. Served hot and well seasoned, samp is South African comfort food at its most honest.
Where to Buy Samp in the UK
Buying samp in Britain is possible through South African and African food shops, which stock it for the community. It is sold as dried samp, sometimes on its own and sometimes as a samp and beans mix with the sugar beans included, ready to cook together. Because it is a dried staple, it keeps well, so a bag lasts and is good value. Some larger world foods sections and online South African suppliers carry it too.
If you want to make samp or samp and beans, a South African or African food shop can point you to good dried samp, or a samp and beans mix, and the sugar beans to go with it. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, some of which stock South African staples. With dried samp, some beans, seasoning and a slow, patient cook, you can bring this comforting South African classic to your own table.
Frequently asked questions
What is samp?
Samp is dried maize, or corn, that has been stamped and crushed into coarse pieces with the hull removed, and it is a staple of South African cooking. Cooked slowly in water until soft and tender, it has a chewy texture and a mild, nutty taste. Its most famous use is in samp and beans, known in Xhosa as umngqusho.
What is samp and beans?
Samp and beans is a hearty South African dish where samp is cooked together with beans, classically sugar beans, into a thick, comforting one-pot meal, seasoned with onion, chilli, stock and often other additions. Known in Xhosa as umngqusho, it is a cornerstone of South African home cooking and famously a favourite of Nelson Mandela.
What is umngqusho?
Umngqusho is the Xhosa name for samp and beans, the beloved South African dish of samp cooked with sugar beans until soft, thick and comforting. It is especially central to Xhosa cuisine and is famously said to have been a favourite of Nelson Mandela, which has helped make it known well beyond South Africa.
How do you cook samp?
Because the dried, crushed maize is hard, samp is usually rinsed and often soaked, then simmered in plenty of water for a long time, sometimes a couple of hours, until the pieces are soft and tender, with more water added as needed. A pressure cooker can speed this up. For samp and beans, the beans are cooked alongside until soft and the dish is thick.
Where can I buy samp in the UK?
Samp is sold by South African and African food shops as dried samp, sometimes on its own and sometimes as a samp and beans mix with the sugar beans included. Because it is a dried staple it keeps well and is good value. Some world foods sections and South African suppliers carry it too, and a shop can point you to good samp and beans. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.