Corn Pap: Health Benefits and Easy Preparation Methods

Corn pap, popularly known as akamu, ogi or eko, pap, is a fermented cereal pudding typically made from maize.

Countries like Canada, the US, UK, etc. are currently in the fall season and Nigeria is at present in the rainy season.

It’s best to serve this meal during this period because of how warm it makes you feel after drinking it.

Pap is very easy to make, delicious, and healthy. I like adding little sugar/honey (optional) before pouring milk on it and the taste is heavenly!

You can eat it with akara or with moi moi or with bread. It all depends on whatever suits you.

How Is Pap Made? – How to Prepare Corn Pap

Three Easy Steps:

1. Traditionally, the grain is firstly soaked in water for up to three days before wet-milling and sieving to remove husks.
2. Secondly, after you are through with sieving, you then, allow it to settle for some hours, you will notice that the water will be at the top while the fresh pap will settle at the bottom of the bowl.
3. Lastly, pour out the akamu water which will leave you with your fresh raw pap. That’s how pap is made.

Akamu/Corn Pap Water Uses

• The fermented water from soaked milled corn is nutritious and has a lot of use traditionally. In the Yoruba language, it is called omidun which literally translates to “sweet water”.
• This raw fermented corn is a nutritious meal which is a good source of carbohydrate, folic acid, B vitamins (pantothenic acid – B5, niacin -B3, riboflavin and thiamine – B1), vitamins A and C, chromium, zinc, potassium, selenium, phosphorous, magnesium and many others.

Health Benefits of Corn pap

• It lessens the risk of blood pressure -because of its high potassium and zero potassium content.
• A good replacement for lost blood fluid – because of its high water content
• Very easy to digest

100% natural – corn pap retains more nutrients because it does not go through the long manufacturing process.

• A good source of energy.
• Intensifies breast milk for nursing mothers – Pap has high water content and assists in supplying the daily requirement of water.
• Hence, it is used by nursing mothers to help the easy flow of breast milk (lactation) after delivery.
• Akamu is good for babies and toddlers – Pap is one of the healthy Nigerian foods for toddlers. It is a common weaning meal introduced to babies in Nigeria.
• Aside from it is easy to prepare, highly economical, and easy to digest, it also very nutritional to the growing child.
• Brown pap (ogi baba) is the best form of pap for babies. This brown pap is made up of millet and guinea corn which provides some proteins, vitamins, and minerals that is very vital for a baby’s growth and general improvement.
• Akamu and Ulcer – Can akamu cure ulcer? There is no scientific evidence to back this claim. Always seek medical help/doctor if you have any terminal disease.
• Above all, for guys who did not know, pap helps to thicken the male “fluid”, so it is good to be used regularly by men with watery “fluid”.