In the video, Smith chops Swiss chard, sautéing it with onions and garlic before adding beef bouillon and salt. In a nod to South African tradition, she uses Swiss chard to recreate morogo — a term for indigenous edible leafy greens used in various South African dishes.
Morogo, which includes greens such as amaranth, spider plant, cowpea and okra, is a beloved foraged food in South Africa, often found growing along roadsides after rain. It’s these earthy, wholesome ingredients that bring authentic South African flavours to Smith’s kitchen, even in Germany.
Smith’s tomato chutney is another highlight of the video. She explains her love for the dish’s kick, adding diced jalapeños to the grated tomatoes with sautéed garlic and onion. The rich, spicy chutney pairs perfectly with the pap — a staple dish made of maize meal that’s typically served with a variety of sauces or stews.
Speaking of pap, Smith described the process of making the dish, calling it an arm workout. “I understand everyone has a different way of making this, but this is my way, whisking my maize meal so there’s no clumps. Then it turns into an arm workout because I keep folding it and folding it, adding more depending on what I want my consistency to be,” she said.
Smith has become a sensation on TikTok, gaining popularity for her down to earth, “from scratch” approach to cooking. Whether it's making her own bread, creating homemade cheese for grilled sandwiches or preparing her children’s cereal from scratch, her soft-spoken delivery and detailed meal preparations have garnered her a huge following.
Just a month before Smith’s viral video, South African singer Tyla also made waves in the culinary world by showcasing her own pap and wors (sausage) skills in a British Vogue feature. Tyla made history as the first South African to grace the cover of the iconic magazine. The Water singer mentioned in the feature she always carries a bag of maize meal in her Givenchy purse. This sparked a debate on social media, with fans comparing Tyla’s pap and wors to Smith’s comforting pap and chutney.
Last year Smith also trended after shutting down claims that she was stealing content creation ideas from South African chef and influencer Onezwa Mbola.
TimesLIVE
'This was everything I wanted': Nara Smith makes a South African staple
Image: Nara Smith
In one of her latest TikTok posts, Nara Smith, a content creator known for her "from scratch" cooking videos, has made a South African favourite.
Smith said she was bringing her childhood memories to life while whipping up a plate of creamy pap with tomato chutney and morogo — a combination that is pure South African comfort on a plate.
Smith, who was born in Bloemfontein but moved to Germany, reminisces about the simplicity of her mother’s cooking.
“Growing up, my mom would make one South African dish over and over again. It would be pap with tomato chutney and some kind of dark leafy vegetable or whatever she could find while living in Germany,” she said.
“Lately I've been missing my mom a lot and craving her cooking,” said Smith.
Her video, showing a step-by-step process as she prepares the dish, has gained more than 460,000 likes, 9,208 comments and 14,700 shares.
In the video, Smith chops Swiss chard, sautéing it with onions and garlic before adding beef bouillon and salt. In a nod to South African tradition, she uses Swiss chard to recreate morogo — a term for indigenous edible leafy greens used in various South African dishes.
Morogo, which includes greens such as amaranth, spider plant, cowpea and okra, is a beloved foraged food in South Africa, often found growing along roadsides after rain. It’s these earthy, wholesome ingredients that bring authentic South African flavours to Smith’s kitchen, even in Germany.
Smith’s tomato chutney is another highlight of the video. She explains her love for the dish’s kick, adding diced jalapeños to the grated tomatoes with sautéed garlic and onion. The rich, spicy chutney pairs perfectly with the pap — a staple dish made of maize meal that’s typically served with a variety of sauces or stews.
Speaking of pap, Smith described the process of making the dish, calling it an arm workout. “I understand everyone has a different way of making this, but this is my way, whisking my maize meal so there’s no clumps. Then it turns into an arm workout because I keep folding it and folding it, adding more depending on what I want my consistency to be,” she said.
Smith has become a sensation on TikTok, gaining popularity for her down to earth, “from scratch” approach to cooking. Whether it's making her own bread, creating homemade cheese for grilled sandwiches or preparing her children’s cereal from scratch, her soft-spoken delivery and detailed meal preparations have garnered her a huge following.
Just a month before Smith’s viral video, South African singer Tyla also made waves in the culinary world by showcasing her own pap and wors (sausage) skills in a British Vogue feature. Tyla made history as the first South African to grace the cover of the iconic magazine. The Water singer mentioned in the feature she always carries a bag of maize meal in her Givenchy purse. This sparked a debate on social media, with fans comparing Tyla’s pap and wors to Smith’s comforting pap and chutney.
Last year Smith also trended after shutting down claims that she was stealing content creation ideas from South African chef and influencer Onezwa Mbola.
TimesLIVE
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