South African food and cuisine
Posted on 20. Mar, 2010 by admin in Explore
Food in South Africa really can be described as a melting pot, with everything from barbeque to curry being served up in the country’s homes and restaurants. There is also a long and interesting history to South African cooking, and despite having a cuisine all of their own, the largest cities also boast restaurants of every kind.
All possible tastes are catered for in South African restaurants, esecially in the large cities of Cape Town and Jo’burg. It can be a difficult decision choosing what to eat in South Africa, so here is your JF guide to the best of South African food.
South African restaurants
South Africans enjoy a real ‘eating out’ culture and many restaurants in the large towns and cities serve traditional South African cuisine alongside international favourites, such as Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan and Dutch. Dulce cafe and Spur are two of South African’s home-grown chains, but for those shamefully missing home, McDonalds, Nando’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken have not missed South African off the globalisation map.
Indigenous cookery
Cookery in South African was first practised by the Khoisan and Xhosa indigenous people. This type of South African cooking was characterized by the use of many different natural products, such as nuts, fruit and even bulbs. Later, the domestication of cattle by the Khoisan people also threw dairy products and fresh meat into this tasty mix. Indigenous cooking of this type, however, declined with the arrival of the colonial period, as land was taken from black people, forcing them to rely on expensive processed foods like rice, wheat flour, sugar and mealie (maize).
Colonial influence
The settlers of the colonial period did, however, make their own contribution to South African cuisine as they destroyed it, as wealthy men of Indian, British and Afrikaner decent bought the food of their people, their slaves and their servants. This type of South African food is generally categorised as the cuisine of the Cape Malay people, and it contains flavours from Malaysia, Mozambique, Germany, France and Portugal, to name but a few.
Modern South African cuisine
Today, South African cuisine is characterised by the use of plenty of garlic, ginger, chilli, lime, tomatoes, spices and chicken. This style is known as ‘Cape Dutch’ and is thought to be the closest relative to the country’s traditional cuisine. Both the indigenous and settler flavours have made their way into this rich and exciting taste. Curries are also popular among modern South Africans, and, much like elsewhere in the world, they are enjoyed by people of all ethnic origins. Most curry dishes have a lemon juice base that was introduced to South Africa by the Indian labourers of the 19th century.
Braai
Braai, or braaier – meaning ‘barbeque’ or ‘roast’ in Afrikaans – is one of the nation’s best-known styles of cooking. Braai is enjoyed by people of all ethnic backgrounds and social standing in South African. The braai normally uses wood, although recently the use of charcoal has become more popular. Unlike the Australian idea of a barbeque, however, no self-respecting braai chef would ever cheat and use gas. Like elsewhere, however, the stoking of a braai generally triggers a social event, and many will bring along their own side dish and enjoy the occasion in a friend’s back garden. Meats commonly found on a South African braai include, boerewors (sausages), sosaties (meat skewers), kebabs, marinated, lamb, chicken or pork, steak, spare ribs, fish and rock lobster (crayfish). This spread is often served up with pap or krummelpap. Made from ground maize and corn, the porridge-like substances are a staple African food. Again, like elsewhere in the world, the cooking of the braai is considered ‘a man’s job’ and, therefore, can often be quite a long and drawn-out process.
Some other popular South African dishes include:
Biltong: a dried meat similar to jerky
Bobotie: a Malaysian dish of meatloaf and baked egg, normally served with rice, banana, coconut and chutney
Boerewors: a braaied (barbequed) sausage
Bunny chow: known as Kota by the locals, bunny chow is a hollowed-out loaf of bread stuffed with curry
Gesmoorde vis: potatoes and tomatoes served with salted cod, sometimes accompanied by apricot jam
Koeksisters: Afrikaans koeksister are deep-fried, sweet pastries, whereas the Cape Flats version is a little spicier and shaped like an egg
Mageu: a fermented drink made from mealie (maze) pap
Mala Mogodu: similar to tripe, usually eaten with spinach and hot pap
Malva puddings: a Dutch sponge and apricot dessert
Ostrich: either grilled, filleted or stewed, this big bird provides high protein and low cholesterol
Pampeonkoekies: deep-fried pumpkin fritters
Potjiekos: an Afrikaans stew of vegetables and meat
Sosaties: marinated and grilled skewered meat
Tomato bredie: tomato and lamb stew
Trotters and beans: boiled sheep or pig trotters with beans and onions
Umnggusho: made with sugar beans and white maize
Umphokoga: African salad with maize
Umvubo: a Xhosa dish of dry pap and sour milk
Vetkoek: meat-stuffed dough balls, deep-fried and served with fish or jam
Waterblommetjie bredie: known as water flower stew, the flowers of the Cape pondweed are served with meat
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