16 South African Foods You Need To Try
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Loading... - Scott Bush
- 10 Jun 2022
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A mixture of African, Dutch, French, and Malay, among others, have influenced South African cuisine through the decades.
For your next trip to this beautiful country, here’s our list of sixteen top South African foods you simply have to try.
South African Foods to Try
1 – Braai (Barbecue)
There’s arguably not a more iconic food to start with than South African braai. Braai, simply, is the Afrikaans for barbecue or grill.
But the word ‘braai’ is far more than the grilling of meat. Braais are a social event, deeply rooted in modern South African culture. Braais bring friends and families together.
Traditionally, wood is used to keep the fires burning to cook the meat. But in recent times, modern methods like charcoal fires are also used.
Braais are very similar to potlucks. Invitees will bring their own meat, salads, and other food to the event.
Common braai meats include boerewors (sausage), skewers, lamb, and chicken in marinade. Fish are grilled in the coastal areas.
Befriending a local South African and attending a braai is one of the best things you can do in the country.
Surrounded by great people and delicious food, you’ll get to see a very real side of South Africa.
2 – Vetkoek (Fried Donuts Stuffed with Minced Meat)
As South African foods go, vetkoek are some of the most wholesome and honest you will try.
Literally meaning ‘fat cake’ in Afrikaans, vetkoek start out life as a fried dough cake. This doughy handful of goodness is then shaped and split along the middle.
From there, your choice of fillings is endless. South Africans love to fill them with minced beef, boerewors, or cold meats.
Many will also make them for braais. From there, you can stuff it with one of the many delicious types of meat straight off the grill.
Vetkoek are heavily influenced by the Dutch oliebol. It’s a very popular food among the poorest townships and suburbs of South Africa.
This is largely down to how simple they are to make while being very filling. Street vendors and fast food stores sell them by the truckload.
For an honest, local taste of South Africa, hearty vetkoek is an excellent food to start with.
3 – Boerewors (Sausage)
Many cuisines boast some delightfully flavorsome sausages in their beloved list of foods. South African cuisine is no different.
Boerewors is a rich, spicy sausage that originates from both South Africa and Namibia. The name means ‘farmer sausage’.
Nine-tenths of Boerewors is meat, while various spices and seasonings, like coriander and nutmeg, make up the other tenth.
This delicious sausage always contains plenty of beef. This is then mixed with either lamb, pork, or both, to create a rich, intense flavor.
Boerewors is also renowned for its spiraling shape and is loved by millions across South Africa in a wide range of recipes.
Incredibly, this delicious South African food is also in the record books. In 2014, the longest boerewors ever made, measuring over 5100 ft in length, officially broke the record.
4 – Bobotie
Bobotie is a much-loved South African national dish. Wholesome and hearty, it is a dish rich in flavor.
Remarkably, the dish originates back to Roman times. Ancient Roman chefs would blend and season a combination of tender meats and crunchy nuts, then top it with a layer of milk and egg.
Brought to South Africa by the Dutch, today’s recipe is an alluring dish enhanced by spices like curry powder.
Dried fruit is also used to garnish the top. Raisins and apricots help give a final fruity kick to this hearty South African food.
Vegetarian versions of bobotie have been cooked and gained popularity in recent decades. Lentil bobotie is a particular favorite of South Africans.
5 – Potjiekos (Small-Pot Food)
As with braai, potjiekos encompasses a style of cooking, rather than a particular recipe.
Literally meaning ‘small pot food’, the practice was brought to South Africa by the Dutch through the seventeenth century.
Over time, this cooking method grew in popularity among both natives and settlers across South Africa.
Traditionally, a small, rounded cast iron cauldron is used. This is placed over a wood fire to cook outside for several hours.
So many delicious recipes are cooked potjiekos style. The most common include casseroles and stews, full of tender meat and a variety of vegetables.
South African oxtail stew with baby gold potatoes carrots and button mushrooms is one of many true potjiekos delicacies. Delicious. Read More…
