After trying the cooked meat with papa, I was surprised by how flavorful it was. The aroma of the meal wafted through the air, and filled our neighborhood with a delicious scent that let everybody know a braai was taking place. The grilled pork was smokey, savory and a little bit sweet. It was tender and juicy against my tastebuds. The papa had a stiff, dough-like texture and softened the rich flavors of the pork perfectly. I had never tasted a flavor like it before, but I instantly fell in love with it. I felt extremely lucky to be enjoying such a special meal alongside my host family.
In Lesotho, it is common for people to slaughter their own animals for feasts or other special occasions. This particular time, there was a pig slaughtered for our braai. Typically men will slaughter the animals and then women will help prepare them. But braai is unique because men do the preparation themselves. My host dad sliced the meat into thin slabs, then thoroughly rubbed a spice blend onto both sides. After coating the meat in spices, he placed it on the grill and waited for the pieces to roast. In the meantime, my host mother prepared the papa inside. She boiled a pot of water and began slowly adding in the powdered maize meal. While adding in the maize meal, she stirred it around with a wooden stick called a lesokoana. It started to get thicker and thicker until it was the perfect consistency — somewhere between a dense porridge and clay. Finally, once the papa was finished and the meat was fully cooked through, we put them onto two separate plates and enjoyed them the traditional way — with our hands!
