{{Short description|Coarse maize flour, mainly used in Africa}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Use South African English|date=October 2017}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2017}} {{Infobox food |name = Mielie meal |image = Meilie Meal.jpg |image_size = 250px |caption = Mielie meal paste served with syrup<br/>as a breakfast dish |alternate_name = Maize meal/Bota |country = Southern Africa |region = |national_cuisine = |creator = <!-- or | creators = --> |year = |mintime = |maxtime = |type = Flour; staple food |course = Any, often breakfast |served = |main_ingredient = Maize |minor_ingredient = |variations = |serving_size = 100 g |calories = |protein = |fat = |carbohydrate = |glycemic_index = |similar_dish = Cornmeal |other = }} '''Mielie meal''', also known as '''mealie meal''' or '''maize meal''', is a relatively coarse flour (much coarser than cornflour or cornstarch) made from maize<ref name="Sellick 2010 p. 330"/> (also called mealies) in Southern Africa. It was originally brought to Africa from the Americas by the Portuguese.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Welcome to Amaize|url=https://www.amaize.co.za/index.php|access-date=2021-04-22|website=amaize.co.za|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422172520/https://www.amaize.co.za/index.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Its etymology is uncertain, and may be from the Portuguese ''milho'', or the Afrikaans ''mielie'', from obsolete Dutch ''milie'' ("millet, maize"). It is also known by various other indigenous language names depending on the locality or country.
It is a food that was originally eaten by the Voortrekkers during The Great Trek,{{citation needed|date=July 2018}} but has become the staple diet of most Southern African countries. Because of its ability to be stored without refrigeration, it is cheap and abundant in all shops and markets. It is a staple food in South Africa,<ref name="Mwakikagile 2008 p. 186" /> Namibia, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and many other parts of Southern Africa, traditionally made into uphuthu, unga (nshima), sour-milk porridge, pap, munkoyo, and also umqombothi and chibwantu (types of beer).
==Pap and phutu== {{main|Ugali#South Africa}} The raw ingredient of mielie meal is added to boiling water, the ratio of which produces either porridge<ref name="Mwakikagile 2008 p. 186"/> or the firmer pap/nshima/sadza/boswa. When making porridge, milk is sometimes used to produce a creamier dish. The porridge usually has a thick texture and is commonly eaten for breakfast in southern Africa.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}} The firmer pap is eaten with meat and gravy dishes as well as vegetable relishes. It is similar to Italian polenta except that, like grits in the Southern United States, it is usually made of a white rather than a yellow maize variety.
== Nutrition == Mealie meal contains carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber.<ref>{{Cite web |last=|title=White Star Super Maize Meal|url=https://whitestar.africa/products/white-star-super-maize-meal/|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250717000942/https://whitestar.africa/products/white-star-super-maize-meal/|archive-date=17 July 2025|access-date=14 February 2026|website=White Star|language=}}</ref>
==See also== {{portal|Food}} *Cornmeal *Fufu *Grits *Polenta *Sadza *Samp *Ugali *List of maize dishes
==References== <references> <ref name="Sellick 2010 p. 330">{{cite book | last=Sellick | first=W. | title=The Imperial African Cookery Book: Recipes from English-speaking Africa | publisher=Jeppestown Press | year=2010 | isbn=978-0-9553936-8-6 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=seX5e48GbpoC&pg=PA330 | page=330}}</ref> <ref name="Mwakikagile 2008 p. 186">{{cite book | last=Mwakikagile | first=G. | title=South Africa and Its People | publisher=New Africa Press | year=2008 | isbn=978-0-9814258-3-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7kn7S2O2vRMC&pg=PA186 | page=186}}</ref> </references>
{{South African cuisine}} {{corn}}
Category:South African cuisine Category:Namibian cuisine Category:Botswana cuisine Category:Zimbabwean cuisine Category:Mozambican cuisine Category:Zambian cuisine Category:Malawian cuisine Category:Staple foods Category:Maize products Category:Flour