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Pap, a traditional porridge made from mielie-meal (ground maize or other grain), is a staple food of the Bantu inhabitants of South Africa (the Afrikaans word "pap" is taken from Dutch and simply means "porridge" or "gruel"). Many traditional South African dishes include pap, such as smooth maize meal porridge (also called slap pap), and crumbly "phutu" (pronounced "poo-too") pap. Such dishes are enjoyed primarily by the indigenous black population and the Afrikaner population, rather than those of English or South Asian descent^{[citation needed]}.

A variety of savouries are used to accompany pap, made from green vegetables, and flavoured with chilli. Afrikaners in the northern parts of the country eat it as a breakfast staple, with milk and sugar, but also serve it with meat and tomato-stew (usually tomato and onion) at other meals. In the Cape-provinces it is almost exclusively seen as a breakfast food. Since mielie-meal is inexpensive, poor people can afford to combine it with vegetables and be sure of one good meal a day. It can be served hot or, after it has cooled, it can be fried, giving it a different texture. Phutu porridge is sometimes enjoyed with chakalaka as a side dish with braais.

Pap is also called ugali in eastern and southern Africa; sadza in Zimbabwe; nsima in Zambia and Malawi and banku in West Africa.

In Nigeria, it is called Akamu amongst the Igbos and ogi amongst the Yorubas with a consistency similar to American pudding. Ogi/Akamu in Nigeria is generally accompanied with "moin-moin", a tasty bean cake. A similar dish is polenta, from northern Italy. In the USA a very similar dish is known as Grits. The primary difference between the US and the South African dishes is that in the US the maize (or corn) used is a yellow kernel maize, whereas in South Africa maize is especially grown for human consumption with white kernels, allowing the whole kernel to be used for the maize meal.

Popular dishes made with pap are Isidudu and Umngqusho.

• Celtnet Recipes: Pap

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