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SOUTH AFRICAN CUISINE:
THE MOST POPULAR DISHES
AND INGREDIENTS
To provide food and medicine for themselves, the earliest settlers combined a wide variety of European and African herbs, of which they gained knowledge from the Khoi-Khoi (Hottentots) who used herbs extensively. They inhabited the Cape and Namaqualand areas from times immemorial. They lived from the sea and land, but also herded fat-tailed sheep and cattle. The edible plants from the Western Cape and Namaqualand filled their cooking pots. Thus the combination of waterblommetjies (waterflowers - Aponogeton distacchyous), sorrel and pieces of fat lamb gave rise to the well-known waterblommetjiebredie. Van Riebeeck grew aniseed, balm, bay, capers, fennel, garlic, horseradish, hyssop, pimpernel, rosemary, sage and savoury.Some German soldiers, unemployed after the war, joined Van Riebeecks's small garrison at the cape. They married Dutch girls and did not influence the cooking traditions much, except for the introduction of wurst. Our boerewors eventually developed from this. The Dutch also introduced slaves from Java, Sumatra, India, Indonesia and Madagascar. These slaves brought to South Africa their traditional ways of preparing food. Their talents using aromatic spices from the East enhanced local cooking and was only equalled by their ability to adapt recipes to locally available ingredients. The sharp taste of chillies in Malaysian bobotie was replaced by local ingredients such as almonds, dried apricots and lemon leaves to create a distinct new flavour for the Cape Malay bobotie. The Malay slaves also introduced the wonderful bredies, sosaties and biryanis, as well as the art of pickling and preserving for use on the ships.
Another European culture was transplanted to the Cape at the end of the 17th century. The French Huguenots fled religious persecution and settled in the fertile valley along the Berg River which became known as Franschhoek.
They imparted a Gaelic flair to local culinary customs, by changing the way food was served. For the first time, dishes were served in sequence, with a soup, main course, desert followed by fruit, instead of being placed on the table at once, allowing the guest to select what they wanted to eat, opposed to the Dutch custom in old households. Mosbolletjies, both fresh and dried are extract replicas of the French biscotti. Some meat dishes, like 'skilpaadjies' (mixed liver and meat in caul fat) can be traced to the French andouille and recipes of our frikkadels with coriander, cloves and black pepper can be found in French 16th century cookbooks.
The community at the Cape had a fairly well established traditional by the end of the 18th century. They had absorbed the indigenous foods, incorporated the flavoursome eastern influences and had made contact with black tribes and their foods. The British were expanding their trade with the East, and in 1806 took over permanent rule over the Cape. A different lifestyle was introduced and their English breakfast replaced the custom of serving the previous night's leftovers as breakfast fare. Another major contribution was the introduction of leavening agents for cakes and puddings. The Cape dinner tables featured English roasts, which became our latter day carveries. The British 'pudding' culture with the items like roly poly or bread-and butter pudding (Queen's pudding) was introduced to our tables by the 1820 settlers.
The first Jewish immigrants arrived in South Africa in 1840 before the Russian revolution. Very few traditional Jewish dishes are found on non-Jewish South African tables, with possibly the exception of gefilte fish, kugels (potato or pumpkin fritters) and matzah (unleavened bread).
At the request of colonial farmers in Natal, Indians came to South Africa in 1860 to work on sugar cane plantations. The essential part of all Indian cooking, whether vegetarian or not, is the use of spices, of which there are 22 main ones used in Indian recipes. Spices are thought to have an effect on mood, health and lifestyle. The amount of herbs or spices and their choice is not written up, but left by the person preparing the meal. A single herb or spice should never dominate a meal, but rather complement and mix to create the best taste and aroma, and create a peaceful mood. Freshly prepared mixtures of these herbs and spices with ingredients such as chillies, garlic, ginger, salt and oil are called masalas. Rice is a staple food in Indian culture, it is often prepared with more flavoursome ingredients such as nuts, saffron, sultanas, lentils and vegetables to create pilau. Other starches often served accompanying a meal are oven-baked bread (naan), unleavened bread (roti), spiced pancakes (poora) and fried yeast bread (foolka).
Hindus regard the cow as sacred and therefore abstain from beef. If lamb, chicken or fish is eaten, it never exceeds 10% of the meal, with the rest consisting of legumes, vegetables and rice dishes. Durban and Kwa-zulu Natal's restaurants are well known for their curries and very hot spices, an autonomous food-culture influenced by southern Indian cooking.
And so the threads that were to form the South African nation, combined with ethnic food of the Zulu's, Xhosa, Ndebele and Venda were woven together, as the 'Boers' trekked north into the unknown they relied on their knowledge of nature, salt drying meat - biltong, and cooking in three legged cast iron pots.
South Africans love to eat outdoors, with the crackling fire under the African night sky. The coastline produces a rich harvest of rock lobster, abalone, prawns, red roman, yellowtail, musselcracker, kabeljou, snoek and angelfish.
A new trend emerging in South Africa is the use of traditional recipes and ideas combined with some ethnic and traditional ingredients. The result - a delicious and strong local theme in colour, flavour and content, yet still stylish and innovative in its combination and presentation.
Examples of these dishes are:
Grilled banana flowers served with ginger vinaigrette;
Marog pesto;
Soups made from roasted butternut and served with chilli butter;
Beetroot and mampoer;
Green mielie bread soup with hot sweetcorn bread;
Racks of venison served with naartjie and chili marmalade;
Milk tart in a crisp pastry flavoured with cinnamon and served with green figs in a ginger syrup.
The food of South Africa is like the continent. Nothing is arranged, over-handled or stuffed, napped, drizzled or dripped. It is exciting, fresh, robust, vibrant, unadorned, bursting with flavour and very precious.It is served with tradition and surrounded by centuries of ceremonies, but most of all it is shared with joy. Every meal is a celebration - and it's all to die for!
Alikreukel These large sea snails are found mainly in rocky areas along the coast from the Cape Peninsula to Kwazulu Natal. Though tasty, they are inclined to be tough and are best served minced with a cream sauce, with tomato concassees or with garlic butter.Amasi Sour milk
Amatungula The plum like fruit of the Amatungula, a large, dense shrub indigenous to the Kwazulu Natal coast, makes a uniquely flavoured, slightly tart jelly. Apart from its obvious uses in pastries or with cream scones, the burgundy jelly makes an excellent accompaniment to venison and pork.
Asynpoeding A batter made from a basic mixture of cake flour, eggs and milk flavoured with vinegar.
Atjar A hot pickle or relish made of slices of fruits such as clingstone peaches, green mangoes, lemons and kumquats, or mixed vegetables - cauliflower and green tomatoes. These ingredients are packed in jars and covered in either vinegar or oil, mixed with red-hot chilies and other curry spices. The atjar is then left to mature for 1 to 3 months in a cool place.
Biltong These strips of salted, dried meat (beef, game or ostrich) are a traditional South African delicacy. The most popular cuts are from the 'eye' muscle running along the backbone, and any muscle taken from the buttock, including the silverside, topside and thickflank. The main ingredient in the spice mix is salt, which helps to preserve the meat. Bicarbonate soda prevents mould forming, Saltpeter gives an attractive red color, the sugar counteracts the loss of meat juices, and the pepper and coriander add flavour.
Biriani A popular Indian and Cape-Malay dish usually served on special occasions. A biriani is very often made in three stages. First the rice is parboiled in salted water. Lentils are also sometimes used and they, too, are parboiled. Then mutton, fish or chicken is cut into serving pieces and simmered in another pot with chopped onion, root ginger, garlic, and a liberal mixture of aromatic spices until the meat is nearly cooked. Finally the dish is assembled by layering rice and lentils alternately with the spicy meat mixture in a cast iron pot. The pot is tightly covered and the mixture is allowed to simmer slowly until done. The lid is not removed until the moment of serving, so as to retain the fragrant aroma.
Bobotie How Bobotie became a traditional dish in South Africa is unknown. Although introduced to South Africa by the Cape Malays, Bobotie can almost be regarded as an indigenous dish, embellished and perfected by each succeeding generation.
The secret to making this soft-textured dish is to mix the minced meat, preferably lamb, with a little soaked bread, flavour it with a mixture of fried onion, curry powder and apricot jam, and bake it in a slow oven to prevent it drying out. The addition of orange or lemon leaves gives Bobotie its distinctive aroma, while the egg custard topping, added halfway through cooking, imparts an attractive golden lustre.
Boerewors A coarse, loose-textured sausage flavoured with spices such as coriander, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. The kind of seasoning used is often influenced by the area in which the boerewors is made.
Bokkems These are salted, wind-dried fish, usually 'Haarders' (Mullet) or 'Maasbankers' (Horse mackerel) and formed an important part of Cape farm labourers diet.
Braaivleis In South Africa, the smoky aroma and sizzle of meat cooked over an open fire heralds one of the simple pleasures of eating outdoors. The 'Braai' has become part of our everyday lives and to many people it is something of an art form. In the past, 'braaivleis' meant just that - grilled meat served with 'mielie pap'. Today's 'Braaivleis' however, has become more sophisticated with marinated steaks and chops, tasty spareribs and kebabs dominating the menu. Even 'Braai' accompaniments now include such items as grilled mushrooms, herbed bread and vegetable stir-fries. A 'Braai' is simply outdoor grilling whereby the meat is cooked over white amber's, rather than under a heated element. The secret to a successful 'Braai' is not to be impatient, but to wait until a good bed of coals is formed with no tongues of flame to singe and spoil the meat.
Boerboer A flavoured milk dessert with rose water, cardamom and almonds.
Bredie An old Cape name for a dish of meat and vegetables stewed together so that the flavours intermingle and it is almost impossible to separate the one from the other.
Buchu This valuable shrub with strongly aromatic leaves is indigenous to the mountains of the south-western Cape. The dried leaves are sometimes combined with vinegar or brandy to make a remedy for bruises and sprains and to relieve aching limbs.
Cape salmon A silvery-grey, salmon-like fish with an unmistakable Bright yellow mouth and gills, hence the Afrikaans 'geelbek'.
Carpetbag steak A thick cut of steak becomes a 'carpetbag' when it has a pocket cut into it and is filled with oysters.
Chapati Indian unleavened bread made from wholemeal or 'ata' flour. Chapatis are eaten with curries and all Indian savoury dishes. Break off a piece of bread and use to scoop up food.
Couscous The cereal dish of North Africa, consisting of fine semolina, combined with flour, salt and water to form tiny, pasta - like pellets.
Crayfish With their long antennae and rough, spiny carpace, they are one of the delights of the crustacean world.
Curries Served - sweet, mild, or hot. Generally made from the 'C' spices; Cassia, cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, chilies and cinnamon.
Denningvleis A delicious Cape Malay lamb stew flavoured with tamarind or lemon juice, bay leaves and spices to give an exciting sweet-sour flavour and lingering aroma.
Dhania Green coriander leaves sold with its roots attached.
Dumpling Light, fluffy and flavoursome. That's what good dumplings should be. They are a treasured part of home cooking in many countries, including South Africa.
Frikkadels Meat patties, which are very light and moist - meatballs.
Foelie The outside layer covering the nutmeg fruit - Mace.
Galjoen The galjoen's fighting ability when hooked earned its Dutch name. This dark-colored fish ranks as one of our most popular species. - Black bream.
Garrick These coastal predatory fish feed on shoals of haarders (mullet), shad and karanteen. Seasonal migrations occur from the Cape, to Kwazulu Natal. They are aggressive fish, popular with anglers. - Leerfish.
Gooseberry, Cape Delicious golden berries encased in delicate papery pods which turn yellow, then brown as the berries ripen.
Grunter The spotted grunter is a shallow water fish, much sought after by anglers as it is exceptionally fine eating.
Haarders These small, elongated silvery fish swim in large shoals close to the surface of the water, near the shore or inland in fresh water lakes, lagoons or estuaries, where they are netted in large shoals. - Mullet
Hertzoggies These popular cookies were named after J.B.M. Hertzog, who was Prime Minister of the union of South Africa from 1924-1939. The small pastry cases, filled with jam and topped with coconut, were one of his favourite tea-time treats.
Hoender Pastei A chicken pie, which is basically a chicken pot, garnished with boiled egg and flavoured with bacon or ham, then topped with a crust.
Insects Many tribes supplement their protein intake with locusts, termites and masonjas (mopani worms)
Jakkalskos Hydnora africana - served as an ice-cream like dessert when whisked with cream, sugar, sherry and cinnamon.
Jan Smuts Cookies These biscuits were named after General Jan Smuts, who was the first Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919-1924, and again from 1939-1948. It is believed that the cookies were very popular amongst the followers of General Smuts, while his political opponents still preferred to eat Hertzoggies.
Kabeljou A well known elongated silvery fish, almost salmon-like in appearance, which is commonly found in shoals in shallow coastal areas. - Kob.
Kei-apple The round, apricot-colored fruit of a thorny shrub or small tree indigenous to the eastern Cape and Transkei. The fruits are acidic but pleasantly flavoured, and make an excellent jelly.
Kalahari truffle A white truffle, the bushmen word is 'jabba'.
Kambro A large 'root' cooks into a special konfyt.
Kingklip An elongated fish found only off the coast of Southern Africa, where they are trawled from Walvis Bay in the west to Algoa Bay in the east.
Koeksisters Are twisted plaits of golden dough soaked in thick syrup until translusant.
Konfyt Term applied to fruits impregnated with a thick syrup.
Langoustine Considered more succulent and sweeter than crayfish. They are the size of large prawns. Trawled in deep waters off Kwazulu Natal and frozen at sea.
Maasbankers Small, silvery fish trawled of the South African coast, mainly used for canning.
Mabela A grain sorghum, ground coarsely or finely, and used to prepare a tasty brown porridge.
Martingaulas A delicate flavoured wild South African fruit.
Marula The yellow edible fruit of the tall Marula tree, is used for jam and jelly, but is now famous for the cream liqueur Amarula.
Mealie Meal White or yellow granular maize meal usually cooked to a crumbly dry porridge such as Krummel pap, or a stiff porridge stywe pap and served with grilled boerewors and a tomato based gravy.
Mebos One of the Cape's oldest sweet confections, made from dried apricots.
Melktert A South African custard tart, flavoured with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
Monkfish A squat, mottled-brown fish, related to the shark family and found only in South African waters. When gently poached, the firm, white succulent fish is similar to that of crayfish.
Morogo More than 150 different kinds of edible leaves are picked to cook this wild spinach dish.
Mosbolletjies These tall buns packed shoulder to shoulder are made with Mos (must), grape juice in its first stage of fermentation before it is strained and used for wine.
Moskonfyt A thick syrup prepared from mos.
Mukonde A layered porridge that resembles crepe suzettes.
Mussel A bluish-black edible mollusc, found clumped together all along the coastlines.
Musselcracker Two species of oval-bodied musselcracker - The one silvery, the other bronze - occur off our coast, both are good eating fish.
Naartjie A medium-sized, very sweet citrus fruit, with a skin that is easily removed and flesh that separates easily into segments. A North African variety, grown in Tangiers is responsible for the name tangerine. Canned segments are known as 'mandarins'.
Offal General term for those parts of an animal left over from cutting up a carcass, they are also called variety meats. Some come from inside the animal (e.g. Liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, brains, tripe) while others are external (e.g. tongue, tail, feet, head).
Okra Rigid green seed pods, elegantly curved and pointed, also called gumbo and used extensively in Creole cooking.
Onion After potatoes, tomatoes and pumpkin, onions are the most important vegetable crop in South Africa.
Oxtail The tail of a cow or an ox. Oxtail soup and stew are among the most comforting dishes of all in winter. The flavour of oxtail is rich, and long slow cooking develops the soft gelatinous texture.
Oyster A much-prized Mollusc. Their unique flavour and texture being unlike any other mollusc or seafood. Several varieties are extensively cultivated, one of the most highly regarded being the Knysna oyster.
Padkos It is a great South African tradition to pack food for the road when embarking on a long journey by road or by rail, you are limited only by your imagination. The only rule - keep food simple, so it can be eaten with the fingers.
Perlemoen The beautiful single ear-shaped shell of the perlemoen is lined with mother of pearl. The tough, fleshy mollusc in the shell is the edible part, and has a delicious clam-like flavour, which is considered a great delicacy.
Penslawar Curried tripe with pickled onions in a piquant sauce.
Pheasant One of the most popular game birds raised commercially in South Africa.
Pickled Fish One of the best known Cape dishes and is probably one of the oldest. The addition of flavourful spices makes this dish unique and desirable.
Pilchard - sardine In winter, young pilchards migrate south from the west coast of Africa towards Kwazulu Natal where shoals several kilometers long sometimes swim so close inshore that holiday-makers and locals alike scoop them out of the sea using every kind of receptacle to hold their slippery catch.
Pine nut The kernel from the cone of certain types of pine tree, including the stone pine which is abundant in the Cape Peninsula.
Potbrood In days gone by, most bread was baked in an outside oven or Dutch oven, made from mud or bricks. On trek, unless a convenient anthill could be excavated and transformed into a makeshift oven, bread was baked in a heavy cast-iron, three-legged pot. An essential piece of camping equipment, still in use today.
Potjiekos A friendly, leisurly food slowly simmered in a cast-iron pot for maximum flavour. Typically South African, early settlers used this method of cooking for stewing tougher guts of game, mutton and beef, and became a convenient food for people on the move.
Red Roman A bright orangy-red fish with broad, pale brands running down the sides and a blue stripe between the eyes. Popular among fisherman from the Cape to Kwazulu Natal.
Rock Cod Name given to several species of reef fish with long, mottled or spotted bodies, fan like fins and large mouths, which frequent shallow rock reefs in warmer water.
Rooibos tea Unique to South Africa, is produced from a slender stemmed shrub, found growing wild in the Cedarberg.
Rusks Made from specially prepared dough, which may be flavoured with spices and slightly sweetened. 'Beskuit' - rusks with yeast.
Sambal The word 'sambal' is a Malay in origin and means condiment. It is usually a highly seasoned relish of raw fruits or vegetables.
Samoosas Though Indian in origin, samoosas are also a favourite of the Cape Malayas. They are triangular pastries, filled with spicy vegetables or meat and deep-fried.
Samp Dried maize kernels pounded or stamped until broken, but not ground as fine as mealie meel or mealie rice.
Shad A popular angling fish. Generally caught along the West Coast to Kwazulu Natal.
Sheep tail fat Rendered from the tail of the Cape or Afrikaner sheep, which was sought after by settlers from the 18th century. The soft fat was often preferred to butter.
Silverfish-Carpenter A silvery, bream - like fish with horizontal stripes of rose red. These popular line fish are mostly commercially caught in fairly deep waters of the Cape Coast. The tender flesh is delicate, and the fish is best-left whole for grilling, pan frying or baking.
Skildpaadjies Mixed liver and meat in caul fat, braaied on open flames as an hors de Oeuvre.
Smoorvis A dish of Malay origin made with salted fish, usually snoek, as well as onions, tomatoes, red chilies, and potatoes. When caught the fish are 'vlekked' - That is split open from the back, then liberally sprinkled with salt and left to dry in the open. Before cooking, the dried fish is soaked in several changes of fresh water, to remove the salt, then skinned, boned and flaked.
Snoek No fish is more traditional to the Cape than this fierce, silvery predator of the sea. It is elongated in shape, reaching up to 1 metre in length, and though tasty, the flesh should be eaten or preserved soon after capture or it tends to soften.
Soet Koekies Small spicy cookies originally made with a dark dessert wine and almonds so that they would taste like macaroons, but even better.
Sorghum Grain fermented to make the ever-popular sorghum beer. But is also cooked as a porridge.
Sosaties One of the best examples of the Malay influence in our cooking. Sosaties are made from cubes of lamb or pork, threaded with speck on thin wooden skewers. Unlike kebabs, sosaties are covered with a curry marinade and left to marinade for two days in a cool place.
Sour fig-Suurvye Indigenous to the South-Western Cape. Used to produce jam.
Speck Fat usually cut in slabs from the belly of a baconer. Used as the basic fat for browning and adding flavour to vegetables, soups, stews and savoury pastries.
Steenbras Heavy bodied, bream-like fish with firm white flesh, which flakes easily.
Stumpnose Several varieties of this blunt-nosed fish occur around the South African coast. It requires gentle cooking.
Sweet potato Not a true potato but the tuber of a large, leafy plant which grows in many parts of Southern Africa. Sweet potatoes can be either white, or orange fleshed, and takes the shape of a large, flat sausage. - Patat.
Tameletjie A hard, clear toffee made with sugar, a little butter and water. Boiled briskly until the 'hard crack' stage. Poured into a buttered pan, and when set broken into pieces.
Tripe The lining of the stomach of cattle or sheep, but particular the former. These animals actually have four stomachs, so tripe is available either quite smooth or honeycombed. Tripe is nearly always sold blanched, but needs long slow cooking to become tender.
Umngqusho A traditional Xhosa dish, known to be Mr. Mandela's favourite dish.
Van der Hum A South African brandy liqueur flavoured with naartjie peel, which has been popular since the early days of the Cape. The name is said to originate from a sea captain 'Van Der Hum', who was very fond of this liqueur. Use Van der Hum in place of brandy or other liqueurs in dessert recipes.
Veldkool Resembles asparagus tips and is prepared as a delicately flavoured stew.
Venison The meat from several species of antelope or buck; e.g. Springbok, blesbok, impala and kudu, which are available fresh during the mid-winter hunting season. Wild boar and eland are also available from time to time. Venison meat is very lean, and joints for roasting may need to be larded or covered with a fin sheet of speck.
Vetkoek Doughnut-like nuts of bread dough or type of scone dough deep-fried in hot oil until they turn Golden brown. They should be eaten while still warm, normally served filled with savoury mince, but are just as nice served with butter and jam.
Vetkousies Succulent with a rich flavour, is served as a stew. Fat booties.
Waterblommetjies The highly prized, spring flowering waterblommetjie is common in shallow dams and vlies of the southern region of the Cape. Available from May to November.
Yellowtail A handsome, metallic-blue game fish with unmistakable yellow fins and forked tail. It is most abundant in the Cape, during the summer months, but large shoals accompany the 'Sardine run' up Kwazulu Natal coast in winter.
