"Please Leave It Alone": SA Outrage as Mzansi Woman Swaps Bread for Pap in Unique Burger Recipe

• A South African woman shared a creative recipe for a "pap burger" where she used pap as a substitute for traditional burger buns, sparking mixed reactions online
• The lady's innovative dish involved shaping cooked pap into discs, frying them until crispy, and using them to hold a beef patty, cheese, lettuce, and other toppings
• The video generated a range of responses, with some praising the local twist on a classic favourite and others expressing scepticism or amusement at the unconventional use of pap

Bathong! The famous dish, pap, has been going through a lot in Mzansi, sparking massive traction and mixed reactions online.

A South African woman has caught the attention of food lovers online after sharing her creative “pap burger” recipe in a video. She revealed that it was her first attempt at making the dish, and the results left viewers curious to try it out, while others were fed up.

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Woman shows off her pap burger recipe

In the clip, the woman began by preparing well-cooked pap, adding butter, a pinch of salt, and a bit of sugar for extra flavour. Once the pap reached the right consistency, she removed it from the pot and placed it on a cutting board. Using her hands and a mug, she shaped the pap into thick, round discs resembling burger buns.

She explained in the video, which she shared on Facebook under the handle Happy Ness, and added how her idea was to replace traditional burger buns or bread with pap, giving the dish a proudly South African twist. After shaping the “pap buns,” Happy Ness fried them in a pan with oil until they developed a crispy golden-brown crust. She mentioned that allowing the pap to cool after frying helped it keep its shape.

Happy Ness then assembled her burger, layering slices of cheese, lettuce, juicy beef patties, onions, and tomato slices between the crispy pap discs. For an extra kick, she suggested adding mustard sauce or any condiment of choice.

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The video that was posted on 7 August 2025 sparked mixed reactions online, with some praising her for putting a local spin on a classic fast-food favourite, while others were unsure about swapping bread for pap.

"Pap and cheese? Pap cooked with salt and sugar qala ukuyiva," one person wrote in the comments.

Whether embraced as a new food trend or just a fun kitchen experiment, the pap burger has certainly given South Africans a fresh take on how to enjoy the country’s beloved staple.

Watch the video below:

SA reacts to the woman's pap burger

People in South Africa shared their take on the woman turning pap into burger buns as they flooded the comments section, saying:

Sipho Tsuna Masango said:

"Whoever bewitched you will never see heaven."

Gillian Howlett added:

"I might be wrong, but wasn't this called a ' Kat kop' way back in the day?"

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Ntando Mbatha wrote:

"Ngl Sometimes I wanna taste your pap madness."

Brenda Sibanda replied:

"This year pap has gone through a lot from pap fries, burgers. It needs counselling, true."

Jehovatso Malata Koena commented:

"Please leave pap alone, what’s next, pap as ice cream???"

More on pap stories, Briefly News

• A South African woman has sparked outrage online after showcasing her unusual take on a local staple, pap, which she turned into pap cupcakes.
• A local woman has left Mzansi, both stressed and amused, after revealing her unconventional solution to running out of fries, and she sure made a plan, which she showcased in a video.
• A self-proclaimed “Pap Rights” activist has Mzansi in stitches after releasing a hilarious video calling for the end of what he describes as the “abuse of pap."

Source: Briefly News