Pap is one of Namibia's traditional dishes par excellence, and a true all-rounder at that. The cereal porridge – pap is Afrikaans for porridge or gruel – is made from Mahangu or maize and served in every Namibian household at every conceivable time of day. Mahangu, or pearl millet, is mainly grown in northern Namibia. Traditionally, the grain is threshed by hand, ground into flour with blunt tools and separated from dirt with the help of the wind. If the pap is prepared with mahangu, it has a greyish colour.

Mielie pap on the other hand is made from maize flour and is white. Even though the appearance and taste differ depending on the grain, the way of preparing the pap is the same. The important things here are the right ratio of water and flour, timing and especially perseverance when stirring the pap. But don't worry, you can also slowly get accustomed to the traditional way of cooking pap. Supermarkets sell instant pap that you only have to mix with water or milk in order to enjoy a nice meal. Usually, pap is served with meat and sauce. But there are also sweet versions that are refined with condensed milk, for example. No matter which variation sounds best to you: You should definitely try pap whilst travelling through Namibia!

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Voice-Artist: Sylvie Sij Hashimwe

Written by: Alé Hahn

An Exploradio Audioguide Namibia Production