Umngqusho | |
Course | samp with sugar beans, butter, onions, potatoes, chili peppers |
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Place of origin | South Africa |
Umngqusho is a South African dish based on samp and sugar beans, usually served with hard body chicken which is called umleqwa in isiXhosa. This dish is a staple meal for most South African families, referred to as isitambu by the Zulu people and umngqusho by the Xhosa people.
Umngqusho is pronounced as “oom-nqoo-shoh”, for this word, you have to press your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your teeth, to get the sound, the ‘q’ does not sound like a ‘k’ as it does in English.[1]
Soak the samp and sugar beans overnight in cold water. Drain and place in a heavy-based saucepan with 1 litre of water. Boil until soft and season with salt and pepper.[2]
Some of South Africa’s chefs usually add onion, garlic and spices to enhance the taste.[3] The Xhosa version, served with butter or fat, was apparently Nelson Mandela's favourite dish.[4]