Samp and Ulusu: The comforting flavour of home and heritage

When I think of home, I think of the slow simmer of samp (umgqusho) and ulusu filling the air. A dish that carries the weight of memory, tradition, and identity; a humble meal that tells the story of AmaXhosa.

For those who may not know, samp is crushed, dried maize kernels, and ulusu is tripe, the lining of an animal’s stomach, often cow or sheep.

On paper, it may seem simple, but in practice, it is a dish that requires patience, care, and time. Samp must first be soaked in water, sometimes overnight, to soften it before the long hours of cooking begin.

Tripe, too, demands slow, steady cooking to tenderise it, filling the house with an earthy aroma that signals a meal is on its way. The gentle bubbling of the pot, the occasional lift of the lid to check on progress, the way the steam curls and carries warmth, all of these are part of the ritual, part of the anticipation.

Back in the day, my grandmother would cook samp on a paraffin heater. It was her way of killing many birds with one stone: the dish could simmer for hours without wasting electricity, and at the same time, the heater kept the house warm on chilly days. The clink of her wooden spoon against the enamel pot, the soft rhythm of stirring, the occasional whiff of spices, these small acts of wisdom remind me that our heritage is not only about recipes, but also about the resourcefulness of our people.

Elders prepared this dish with steady hands, showing that food is not only for the body, but also for the soul. Each bite connects us to those before us and keeps their lessons alive. The warmth of the dish lingers, the flavours echoing in memory, as if every mouthful carries a conversation from the past.

KwaXhosa, samp, and ulusu are more than food. It is served at family gatherings, traditional ceremonies, and moments of remembrance. To sit down to a plate of samp and ulusu, nomhluzi (gravy), is to sit in community, to share stories, to laugh, and to honour the principle of ubuntu. I am because we are!

As young adults, living in our own homes and often far away, samp and ulusu becomes the meal we look forward to most when visiting our parents. It is that one dish that is a must-have, the one we purely indulge in. With each spoon, it carries the assurance that we are truly home. My Heritage!