Mountain Cuisine

When you live and cook in the highlands of Lesotho, mountain cuisine isn’t something you read about. You learn it from the people who have cooked it their whole lives. Since joining the Makhangoa Community Camp as the resident Little Chef, Micro Chef, Micro Rumbla… take your pick… I’ve been determined to share the real food stories from the village. This week started with one goal: learn how to make pap properly.

Always Time for a Cuppa

I asked Mamohlophehi, one of the village elders, if she would show me how to do it the right way. She agreed immediately, and before I knew it we were sitting on her stoop waiting for the pot to boil, mountains in the background and smoke drifting across the rooftops.

I’d brought over the shortbread gifted to us by guest John Smithers, and she approached it with the same curiosity I had for her pap. Two pieces straight away, no dunking, just thoughtful chewing and a nod of approval. That cup of tea set the tone. Warm, unhurried, and full of small details you don’t want to miss.

Lifestyle, Carbs and Salt

I quickly realised that pap isn’t just boiling water and adding maize meal. The stirring alone qualifies as an upper-body workout. After the second stir, the whole pot transformed into something thick, warm, and comforting.

We plated it with salted spinach freshly picked from the garden. After a morning of walking through the village and chasing fish with the guides, it was exactly what I needed. Here you are always going up or down, so a plate of carbs and salt makes complete sense.

We ate with our hands, as is the norm, sitting on the stoop overlooking the valley. We talked about food, Scotland, village life, and how I somehow ended up living in the Kingdom in the Sky without being married yet, which caused some raised eyebrows and plenty of laughs.

Why Pap Belongs in Mountain Cuisine

Pap is a vehicle for anything. Sweet, savoury, breakfast, lunch, dinner. It fills you, warms you, and brings people together. That’s why it’s the perfect first chapter of Makhangoa Munchies. If you’ve been to camp, you know the food is as much a part of the experience as the fishing. If you haven’t, this is your way in.

Now, if you want to try pap at home, here’s the simplest and most reliable version, straight from Mamohlophehi.

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Pap: A Simple Lesotho Staple

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups maize meal
• Pinch of salt
• Extra hot water on hand

Method

1. Bring the water to a boil with a pinch of salt.

2. Sprinkle in half the maize meal while stirring briskly with a wooden spoon.

3. Reduce heat and cover for 10 minutes.

4. Add the remaining maize meal and stir with commitment. This step separates the tourists from the locals.

5. Cover again and cook on low for 20 minutes.

6. One final stir to bring it all together. Adjust with hot water if you want it softer.

7. Serve with your hands if you feel confident, or with a spoon if you’re still easing in.

Try it with sautéed spinach, a stew, a fried egg, or even a bit of honey. You’ll understand why it belongs in the highlands.

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Written by Hannah
Resident Little Chef at Makhangoa Community Camp