Taking me right back to my boarding school days - a steaming bowl of Melkos, topped with cinnamon sugar. Delicious ! Do you have a food (or foods) that take you right back to your childhood ? A food which, if you were to eat it again today, takes you right back to the time when you last ate it – no matter how long ago ? One such food for me, is the South African pudding (dessert) known as Melkos.
I spent the final years of my senior schooling at a boarding school (‘hostel’) in Vryheid, South Africa. At that time, over 20 years ago, it was a predominantly Afrikaans town and the hostel was run by a group of Afrikaans “tannies” (an affectionate name which means “Auntie”) and boy, those ‘tannies’ could cook ! One of the dishes they used to make for us was Melkos. I had never eaten it before and my friends had to explain what it was to me, the first time it was served to us.
It is basically homemade noodles cooked in milk and served with cinnamon sugar. (Rather like a cross between hot porridge and a milky, custard type pudding ?) The floury noodles thicken the milk into a custard type delight !
Anyway, we used to be served this as a light dinner. Not after dinner … no – for dinner ! I remember always feeling a bit naughty eating ‘pudding’ as a main meal (“What would Mum say if she knew ?!”)
My husband refuses to eat Melkos. Or to even try it. Hemakes gagging noises turns his nose up when he sees it simmering away on the stove. “Yuck !” he proclaims “All that is, is just raw egg and flour boiled in milk. How can you EAT that stuff ?!?!” My daughter also doesn’t enjoy it …. but the dogs do, so they usually share half the pot with me. Put it this way, it’s probably an acquired taste. I mean, I wouldn’t serve it for pudding if you came around to enjoy a meal with us. Which got me thinking – who would I serve this Melkos to ? The only person I could come up with ? My (Afrikaans) brother-in-law, Dawid - I know that he’d enjoy it !
So, here is my favourite Melkos recipe which comes from the book “Cook and Enjoy It” by S.J.A. de Villiers -:
Melkos
Noodles:
3 eggs
½ tsp Salt
1 cup cake Flour
Water
Boiling Milk (I use 1 litre)
2 pieces stick Cinnamon (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar
Beat the eggs & salt lightly. Add the cake flour & mix well. Add sufficient water to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough thoroughly until elastic. On a floured surface, roll the dough out until 6 mm thick. Cut into thin strips with a sharp knife. Cook these strips in boiling milk, using 1 cup of Milk per person. Add 2 pieces of Cinnamon sticks if desired. Simmer for 20 – 30 mins until cooked through. Spoon into soup plates & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Notes - This recipe serves 4 generously. You could cut the noodles a bit finer than the ones in the photo above (as they do expand & swell during cooking). The Melkos I remember eating had noodles as fine as spaghetti in it.
I spent the final years of my senior schooling at a boarding school (‘hostel’) in Vryheid, South Africa. At that time, over 20 years ago, it was a predominantly Afrikaans town and the hostel was run by a group of Afrikaans “tannies” (an affectionate name which means “Auntie”) and boy, those ‘tannies’ could cook ! One of the dishes they used to make for us was Melkos. I had never eaten it before and my friends had to explain what it was to me, the first time it was served to us.
It is basically homemade noodles cooked in milk and served with cinnamon sugar. (Rather like a cross between hot porridge and a milky, custard type pudding ?) The floury noodles thicken the milk into a custard type delight !
Anyway, we used to be served this as a light dinner. Not after dinner … no – for dinner ! I remember always feeling a bit naughty eating ‘pudding’ as a main meal (“What would Mum say if she knew ?!”)
My husband refuses to eat Melkos. Or to even try it. He
So, here is my favourite Melkos recipe which comes from the book “Cook and Enjoy It” by S.J.A. de Villiers -:
Melkos
Noodles:
3 eggs
½ tsp Salt
1 cup cake Flour
Water
Boiling Milk (I use 1 litre)
2 pieces stick Cinnamon (optional)
Cinnamon Sugar
Beat the eggs & salt lightly. Add the cake flour & mix well. Add sufficient water to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough thoroughly until elastic. On a floured surface, roll the dough out until 6 mm thick. Cut into thin strips with a sharp knife. Cook these strips in boiling milk, using 1 cup of Milk per person. Add 2 pieces of Cinnamon sticks if desired. Simmer for 20 – 30 mins until cooked through. Spoon into soup plates & sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Notes - This recipe serves 4 generously. You could cut the noodles a bit finer than the ones in the photo above (as they do expand & swell during cooking). The Melkos I remember eating had noodles as fine as spaghetti in it.
