That is the beautiful Gugu in my kitchen, and that is the awesome pap, specifically stiff pap. Pap is a staple of their diet, made from corn meal. The traditional Zulu food is corn based. Just plain pap is a porridge form of the corn meal that they often eat at breakfast, and can combine with jam or honey, fruit, whatever. Stiff pap is a thickened version, with cream and butter added, as well as any desired seasoning and/or accompaniment, like sweet corn in the one we made (hence the yellow dots). Gugu says she often uses garlic flavored butter, or adds mushrooms or whatever is lying around the fridge, and this seasoning Aromat, which is apparently just straight MSG. Stiff pap is often the starch to the meat of dinner, but depending on budget, may be the only thing for dinner. It's super filling, definitely has the calories, but pretty much zero nutrition. It's nice when you can add fresh vegetables like we did, but again, that's a budget issue.
The example of pap lends itself to a larger discussion of the concept of food and eating in South Africa. I can't tell you the grief I get here about my cooking and my eating habits, so I've had more than a few discussions about these topics. Things I get crap about:
- Lunch is a hot meal, like dinner. That I usually bring a cold lunch causes concern. They believe that's why I'm so skinny. Well, they might be partially true... A peanut butter and jelly sandwich is usually acceptable enough to not get any direct comments, but if I try and just do peanut butter with crackers and/or apples, they think that is ridiculous. Those are snacks. Pretty much anything with crackers is a snack, no matter how many you eat. I've tried to explain that crackers are just another form of bread, but they are not having it. In the last week or so I have brought in a couple leftovers that I warmed up and they got sooo excited! "Oh! Jessica actually cooked! She is eating a hot lunch! Everybody look! It's amazing!" Seriously guys? I tell you that I cook every night. Hilarious.
- Pasta is not cooking, in any form. When I first told them I cook, they were very impressed. Then they asked me what I cook. I said, "Oh you know, spaghetti...". "Ooooh, that doesn't count." I'm sorry, what? Spaghetti doesn't count? When I tried to explain that it wasn't just pasta, but a meat sauce as well that actually resembles a lot of their dishes, nope, not having it. Doesn't count.
- Sidenote: When I actually brought in spaghetti for lunch one day, and they actually saw and smelled the products of my labor, they were very impressed, mouths watering. Ha. So there.
- Meat should be part of every meal. The idea that I don't eat meat at every meal astounds them. Also their other major issue with my lunch usually. While in some cultures meat is considered a luxury, it is still rural enough here that they keep their own livestock, including goats, chickens and cows, so meat remains a staple. The way they explain it to me is that they eat what's at their fingertips, so what they can provide for themselves, the animals they keep, the vegetables and fruit in their gardens, and what they can afford in the store, so cheap bulk products, like corn meal (and cheap, filling junk food). The vegetables and fruit have the potential to round out their nutrition, but due to drought conditions here and the changing culture (more pressure to make money through employment, working long hours, less time for the labor to keep a garden), these become limited, leaving meat and corn meal, meat and pap, pretty much the standard diet here. And then there are those that aren't even able to afford meat, which leaves straight pap, which does the job, fills the belly, and that's it.
This leads to the other major difference we talk about: the end goal of eating in our cultures. The end and only goal for them: get full. Yes, we are also striving for this, but we are also (or at least try to be) conscious of other objectives of eating, such as health and nutrition. Like they think it's so hilarious that I think about more than just ending up full when I plan a meal, like it being balanced. I'm such a silly goose!
I'm trying to create an open exchange of recipes and cooking lessons, and while they are more than willing to provide on their end ("We will teach you how to ACTUALLY cook"), they are less open to accepting in return. They are pretty settled that they don't like American food and what I have to offer. But, I am obviously expected to try all of their food and enjoy it. Really fair guys. I guess I was the one that chose to move halfway across the world and stick myself in the middle of their business. When in Rome... I have to give credit to Gugu who is always willing to at least take a bite, and usually enjoys it. And Tony ate my food despite confessing that is was "different than what I'm used to" and ended up enjoying it. Though Tony is a boy and will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him. That remains true in any culture.
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