Mealie Pap: Namibia's (vegetarian) all-rounder 

The traditional Namibian Traditional Namibian cuisine is characterized by the country's resources. The soil is relatively dry and therefore not particularly suitable for growing fruit and vegetables. On the other hand, the land is well suited and offers plenty of space for livestock farming, which is why most dishes are meaty. But the vegetarians among us can rest assured that there are also some meat-free delicacies alongside the meaty dishes.

We want to offer you a real all-rounder from Namibia which is also ideal for vegetarians in many of its variations: The Mealie Pap. 

The Mealie Pap

Strictly speaking, mealie pap is a simple corn porridge. Similar dishes can be found in many different cultures and regions of the world. In Italy it is known as polenta, in Romania it is called Mămăliga. On the African continent, there are different versions depending on the region: In East Africa, the porridge is called Uji and is much more fluid than the one widely used in South Africa and Namibia. Mealie Pap.

Preparation - basic recipe

The preparation of the Mealie Pap is very simple, the list of ingredients is short: you need Water and corn flourin a ratio of 4:2, plus a good pinch of salt. Bring the water to the boil briefly, then add the salt and corn flour and cook everything together to a paste, stirring constantly.

In Namibia, mealie pap is traditionally eaten with the hands, just like many other dishes. For this purpose, the pap is formed into small balls and given a hollow so that the balls can be filled with a variety of side dishes. Of course, dirty hands are not welcome, so to prevent this, a bucket of water and towels are always provided for eating in Namibia.

It's understandable that pure corn porridge doesn't sound too tempting. But for this reason, it only forms the Basic ingredientThe flavor magic happens in combination with spices and side dishes. 

Mealie Pap with Chakalaka

Chakalaka is a Stewwhich usually consists of tomatoes, peppers, carrots and onions. Similar to meali pap, chakalaka is also prepared differently in different regions of Africa. Depending on the country, other ingredients such as cabbage, beans and chilli are part of the traditional dish in addition to the vegetables already mentioned. 

The sun-ripened vegetables and the intense spices, such as fine dried chillis and red pepper, are ultimately the reason for the delicious taste. Chakalaka is enjoyed as Filling of the spherical Mealie Paps. So the corn porridge no longer tastes monotonous.

Mealie Pap with cheese

Another variation of the pop gets its flavor mainly from the cheese. Cream cheese and grated cheese are usually used for this. This melts during the cooking process and makes the porridge stickier than the standard version with just water. As a result, the balls are particularly easy to roll. To give the balls a certain something extra, they can be fried or even deep-fried, depending on your mood.  

The cheesy, sticky balls are often served as a side dish with meat or fish dishes. If you are interested in this side of Namibian cuisine, be sure to check out these 7 delicious dishes over. 

Breakfast paper

For the breakfast version of African maize porridge, the recipe and the list of ingredients are extended by a few lines. In addition to the water, the maize flour is cooked in a milk version and sugar is used instead of salt. Optionally, a knob of butter can be cooked into the porridge. The result is a sweet, creamy breakfast porridge, comparable to porridge. It can be served with honey, syrup or fruit to enhance the sweetness.

All-rounder: something for everyone

As you can see, Mealie Pap is incredibly versatile and can be enjoyed at any time of day or night. The initially unspectacular-looking porridge is a real all-rounder and the wide variety of possible combinations means there is something for every taste, regardless of whether you prefer sweet, fruity or spicy. And, a particular highlight is that the basic recipe is so simple and can always develop special flavor variations with just a few slight modifications. 

Only three of the countless Mealie Pap variants are listed here, if you want to try out the variety for yourself, the Namibia Round Trip from Triplegend. 

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