Papa

Papa is a stiff porridge of maize meal, cooked in water until it is firm enough to hold in the hand. It is the everyday staple of Lesotho, and it is rarely eaten on its own: it comes to the table as the starch beside a relish or stew. Similar stiff maize porridges are cooked across southern and eastern Africa, under names such as pap in South Africa and sadza in Zimbabwe, so papa belongs to a wider family of dishes.

What it really is

Maize meal is stirred into boiling water and cooked, with constant stirring, until the mixture thickens and sets into a dense, smooth mass. Salt is the only seasoning. The result is not a loose porridge to be spooned but a firm starch that is pulled off in portions. Nothing else goes into the pot, so plain papa contains no wheat, milk, egg or nuts. Its flavour is mild, which is why it is served next to a richer dish.

Papa is the starch, not the sauce. The relish or stew carries most of the flavour and most of the protein, and the two are usually eaten together from the same plate.

How it's served

• Hot, as a firm mound on a plate, with the relish or stew spooned alongside.
• Eaten by hand: a piece is pinched off, pressed into a small ball or scoop, and used to lift the relish.
• As the starch of a main meal, with the relish or stew counted as a separate item on the bill.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the dish as papa and state that it is made from maize meal, so guests know what they are eating.
• Name the relish or stew and its protein, such as beef, chicken, beans or vegetables, since that is the choice the guest makes.
• State the standard portion: how much papa comes with one relish or stew, and whether it is sold for one person or to share.
• Papa itself has no allergen on the list. Check the relish or stew for milk, egg, wheat, peanuts, nuts or fish, which are common in sauces, and flag each one.