Popular Foods in South Africa

Bobotie

This is the national dish of the country. It consists of minced meat (beef or lamb), spices, herbs, dried fruit, eggs, and milk. The name origin is from the Malayan word boemboe, which means curry spices. It is commonly served with turmeric rice (kuning). South African settlers spread the bobotie recipe to Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Today, bobotie is offered on the everyday menu at Boma, a restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom. 

Curry 

When the Dutch and French settled in Cape Town, in the 17th century, their slaves introduced new traditional spices and recipes. Their slaves originated from Ceylon, Indonesia, Batavia, Java, and Madagascar. They used cinnamon, saffron, turmeric, and chilli, and combined them with the local produce. This combination created curries, which are still popular today. 

Melktert

The name of this dessert means "milk tart" or "milk pie". This comfort food is a pastry found in many bakeries consisting of milk, eggs, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. It was originally created by the Dutch settlers, and developed from mattentaart, a type of Dutch cheesecake. 

 

Braai

Braai is South Africas barbeque. They only accept it if cooked over wood or charcoal (no gas). There is one person tending to the fire, known as the "Braai master", while everyone else stands around it and drinks wine or beer. Most foods found in South Africa have meat at the center of the meal. A tradition that has stayed with African cultures to this day is to slaughter a large animal and prepare a meal for the community. This is popular at weddings, ceremonies, reunions, etc. The animals blood is said to please the ancestors, who are assumed to be gathered around the sacrificed animal. 

Sources:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/top-10-foods-try-south-africa

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 2). Bobotie. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:30, October 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobotie&oldid=1047770238

https://www.finedininglovers.com/article/curry-traditions-across-south-africa

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, October 11). Melktert. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:51, October 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Melktert&oldid=1049410165

Claassens, Hester Wilhelmina. Die geskiedenis van Boerekos 1652-1806. Doctoral Thesis, Historical and Heritage Studies Department, University of Pretoria. 10 September 2003.

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, September 21). South African cuisine. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 04:07, October 12, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=South_African_cuisine&oldid=1045597248

https://bbqboy.net/things-you-must-know-about-south-african-braai/