"Melkkos" A Traditional South African Dish

Well hello, stranger...

Some of you may know that I was born and raised in South Africa. I have family that has moved to the USA, UK and Australia, and they miss traditional South African dishes. A braai in South Africa and a BBQ in the USA are two different things. I've had a few friends over the years that were exchange students and they would always point out that we have weird dishes. Maybe it's normal for me since I grew up with it? Nevertheless, I think food should be shared and enjoyed by everyone.

I decided to make "melkkos" over the weekend. Melkkos is a traditional South African dish and is loved by many. Most South Africans will tell you stories about "melkkos" from their childhood. It has a similar taste to milk tart but is a lot sweeter. My father says it's a pudding/ dessert, while I on the other hand disagree. I will eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The warm weather will also never stop me from enjoying food. It was the first time that I attempted to make it on my own since my mother would usually take over from me at step one. It was very easy and so worth it!

Come along and maybe attempt to make it yourselves!

Ingredients

• 2 litres of milk
• 1 cup of sugar
• 2 cups of cake wheat flour
• 1 cinnamon stick or 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 1 tsp of salt

What do you do?

1 - Start by adding your 2 litres of milk into a large pot along with the cinnamon. You can mix the milk and the cinnamon and allow it to heat up.

2 - Once the milk is warm (not boiling, just warm), add the butter. Allow the milk mix to boil for a few minutes. Just make sure the pot does not overflow.

3 - I mixed my flour, sugar and salt in a separate bowl. This way I have control over how much I add to the milk each time.

4 - Start adding the flour mix to the milk. Add the flour in sections, that way you can mix it in properly.

5 - Once I've added half of the flour mix, I let it cook for 2 minutes while constantly mixing it. I only do this to avoid any uncooked lumps from forming.

6 - When you get to the last bit of the flour mixture, you will need to awaken the dragon inside you. The mixture gets thick quickly and can easily drain all your energy. Or you can just ask someone with bigger biceps for assistance.

7 - If you want, you can leave the lumps. I know a few people who prefer it since it's chewy.

8 - I on the other hand prefer it smooth like porridge. So I
vigorously mix for a few minutes.

9 - Once happy with the consistency, leave the melkkos to cook for around 5-10 minutes. It needs to start bubbling. A running joke between me and my hubby "It's speaking to you". By the time the "melkkos" is speaking to you, you switch off the stove. I like to leave to pot on the warm stove while getting bowls. This way it stays nice and warm.

10 - For serving, you can pour a mix of ground cinnamon and sugar over it. It is sweet so be cautious with the amount of sugar you add.

If you have never tried "melkkos" before, please feel free to enjoy one of our country's beloved treats. If you have heard about it before, tell us where you're from and how you learned about it. I hope someone will attempt the recipe and enjoy the sweetness with us all the way here in South Africa.