Late bloomer! I finally know how to make pap

Confession time! At the big and adult age of 32, I have never successfully made pap. My recent attempts at making pap have flopped, dismally. My pap turned into soft porridge because I added too little maize meal to a pot with too much water. Or I added too much maize meal to too little water, and the pap was too thick and stodgy as hell. 

Wait… there are more disasters. In the above-mentioned scenario of adding too little maize meal, I’d add more while the pot was boiling. This is a big mistake as adding more maize meal to a boiling pot can infest your pap with lumps.

So, the pap-making exercise can easily go awry. And because of this, I have never been a fan of pap and avoided it at every chance. 

Growing up in Soweto, pap was served almost every day in our home because it was filling and a cheap source of fibre. Having too much of a good thing eventually makes it unpleasant.

Embarrassing

Being in my early thirties and not knowing how to make pap is a bit embarrassing. For this, I can blame my parents and their gentle parenting approach. As the last born and a laatlammetjie, I was spoiled — I’ve never been tasked with cooking or cleaning duties. My siblings, on the other hand, had it tough as they were required to assist with housekeeping duties during their formative years, and probably while still teething. As an adult, I am now paying dearly for being pampered, as my culinary skills are shocking.

I’m a millennial; my cohort is all about convenience and shelling out money to avoid any heavy lifting. When the craving for pap and the taste of home hits me, I often buy ready-made pap at the deli counters of grocery stores. I know there is no scientific rationale or objectivity here, but store-made pap tastes bland — like everything mass-produced it is devoid of any care or soul. Whereas, pap, or any other dish made at home, tastes so much better. 

Having said that, I challenged myself this week to make pap. I predicted an outcome of failure considering my previous failed attempts. 

I was dead wrong! My pap came out perfectly, with the right thick consistency. Maybe the fear of being trashed by the Daily Maverick community for a pap pap (see what I did there) jolted me to perfect the staple dish of so many South African homes. 

There are different gradations of pap; there is the braai version that I successfully made, which is thick (especially when cooled down), and putu (or phuthu), which is also known in the Afrikaans community as krummelpap (it has a crumbly and grainy texture). 

No exact measurements

Ray posing with his culinary creation. (Photos: Ray Mahlaka)

Pap in progress. (Photos: Ray Mahlaka)