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Papa

(Pap-Pap, Papa Porridge)

Papa is a Basotho staple food, a stiff porridge made from maize or corn. Maize meal is cooked with water in a large pot, usually over a wood fire. It looks mushy and soft during the cooking process, but once it's cooled down, it becomes stiff and solid.


Due to the fact that papa has almost no nutritional value, if the conditions allow it, the dish is served with greens, beans, or (less likely) with meat. Once served (every day in Lesotho!), papa is traditionally eaten with the fingers.