As my readers may or may not know, I'm a first-generation South African-American and my parents are both Afrikaaners, born and raised which means that traditional South African dishes were a staple in our home as my parents struggled to get used to American food. South African cuisine is heavily influenced by a variety of countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, France, and the Netherlands as dishes range from curries to rich stews and a variety of meats giving a tremendous burst of life to European dishes.
In my pre-teens, we moved back to South Africa for a couple of years and it was amazing for me to see the culture of my parents being mirrored by those around us instead of their behaviors and perspectives being viewed as strange - such as the wearing of short shorts worn by men in the middle of winter and the fact that they don't start cooking until you arrive since the cooking/barbecue is a very large part of the social interaction. I always remembered my dad being unbelievably confused when, upon inviting American friends over to dinner, the men would sit inside while he stood alone by the grill. Grilling, or having a 'braai', as the Afrikaaners call it, is a huge part of South African culture, which needless to say, supports the huge emphasis on steak and meat for dinner. For all the vegetarians out there, don't be discouraged because, despite meat stealing the show, there are some other cultural staples made of veggies! Without further adieu, here are 10 of the top traditional must-try South African foods.
I also want to mention that this is not a definitive list and rather a tribute to the most common foods that I know many South Africans make and are a big part of my life as well as my family's. South Africa is home to an abundant number of cultures so this list may not reflect the top foods in each tribe or ethnic group.
Slap Chips (South African French Fries, but not quite)
Fries may sound like an incredibly basic item to mention, but this list cannot be complete without slap chips (pronounced slahp meaning 'soft'). Slap chips are much thicker than fries and cooked for longer at a lower temperature, so they are not exactly crispy. In fact, the goal is for them to be soft and floppy which is achieved by soaking them in salt and vinegar. Slap chips are usually eaten as a snack as they are sold by vendors on every corner and I vividly remember the joy these brought my dad as they were one of his favorite things to have when we were out and about. A fantastic choice for the vegans and vegetarians!
BOBOTIE
Bobotie is probably the dish, other than BBQ, that I have made the most in my home and I can usually find some in my grandmother's fridge when I pop in for a visit. Bobotie was influenced by an Indonesian recipe and many consider it to be the national dish of South Africa. It is unbelievably easy to make and PACKED with so many interesting flavors, especially since it is paired with chutney that just takes it to the next level. This dish is made with curry spiced ground meat, onions, garlic, soaked bread (its mixed in), raisins (stay with me), baked with a creamy egg topping and bay leaves. I know these ingredients sound intense, but just trust me when I say the sweet, savory, sour (chutney), curry, and creamy flavors all come together to form an absolute delicacy. Pro tip: It gets better the next day and makes delicious leftovers.
VETKOEK (fat cake)
Rather than a cake, vetkoek resembles a donut without a hole. These little bites are deep-fried, making them crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and stuffed with savory or sweet fillings, or topped with powdered sugar. Savory fillings include things such as spiced minced meat.
BRAAI BROODJIES (bbq sandwich)
If you like grilled cheese, buckle in because these sandwiches make grilled cheese look like the popular girl from high school a few years down the line. Just imagine some quality bread, onions, tomatoes, and a good amount of cheese thrown onto a BBQ grill instead of a pan - one word: legendary. When I tell you these things will knock your socks off... believe me. Braai broodjies are super crispy and smokey on the outside with the combination of flavors from the onions, grill, tomatoes, and cheese all coming together to make the ULTIMATE BBQ grilled cheese. These are a staple at any South African braai (bbq), often as a starter, and every Afrikaaner man knows how to grill them to perfection. Talk about a cheese pull. South African braais often span over quite a few hours and, since braai broodjies cook fast, they are usually the first thing grilled eaten before the meat gets added to the grill. Once you have one of these, no basic grilled cheese sandwich will do it for you. Plain and simple.
MALVA Pudding
Enough of the savory for now, and let's get into arguably the best dessert with such an interesting flavor profile that you keep going back for more as your taste buds try to make sense of all of the rich, goodness.
I have my own malva pudding recipe that I make during the holidays and it is the one dessert I bring to a party because I promise you that you've never tried anything like it. Every person's unanimous reaction upon their first bite is "Oh my god. What is that?!" It's essentially a vanilla pudding cake with an added special ingredient mixed in: apricot jam. It is then topped with a sweet, piping hot, butter, cream, vanilla sauce as soon as it comes out of the oven. I like cutting mine into squares before adding the sauce so it seeps into every fiber of the pudding. Yum. The best thing about malva pudding is that it only gets better as time goes on - the gift that keeps on giving and getting more delicious each time you go back to it. I guess you could view that as a gift or a curse. It’s all the more tempting with each day that passes.
MELKKOS (milk food)
Melkkos is one of those foods that gets me emotional - a cozy, creamy, cinnamon bowl of goodness perfect for cold winter nights. It is arguably one of the most economical and easy comfort foods you could possibly make as its just a little bit of butter crumbled into flour which is then cooked in milk, sugar, and topped with cinnamon. Melkkos makes me think of Christmas and is something I can always turn to when I'm feeling down to bring me back to a place of warmth and comfort. This dish is usually eaten as a dessert or even a light meal and is strongly rooted in South African culture, passed down through generations and generations. A great choice the vegetarians!
Boerewors & Droewors (farmers sausage & dry sausage)
No braai is complete without boerewors and the closest thing you can compare it to is bratwurst, but it's made with intense spices and vinegar that give it a very unique and rich taste. It's a thick sausage often eaten with a bit of chutney, as a side to your steak, or on a hotdog bun. I fondly remember running around while the adults braai and hand me pieces of boerewors right off the grill, as is often done with kids so they don't get hungry while the adults socialize and enjoy the process of BBQing together. (you can see a picture of boerewors under braai a few sections down)
Droewors is boerewors's close cousin as that is what it is based off of, except it is dried, thin, and eaten as a snack food, much like, and often alongside, South African Biltong. I cannot express how much of a staple these two types of sausage are and just how much they represent the culture, with Biltong leading the way. If you are visiting South Africa, these are foods that you absolutely cannot miss.
Mieliepap (mee-lee pahp)
If you were wondering what the main carb source is, you've just found it. Mieliepap is basically the South African version of Ugali. It looks very similar to grits or cream of wheat, however, mieliepap is made from maize (corn) and is much coarser than grits or cream of wheat. Mieliepap, or pap for short, has a level of versatility that you can't help but revere as it is eaten as morning cereal by adding milk (similar to grits), on the side of various meat dishes topped with sheba (a rich tomato relish), or used to make paptert (similar to a casserole). It is a very affordable food that has a consistent place in the pantry of every South African home, breaking the barrier between the classes. For me, Saturday mornings meant waking up to a giant pot of mieliepap on the stove, waiting anxiously for it to be done so I could top it with milk and get a mouth full of hot and cold.
Holidays were often marked with paptert, (pap, tomatoes, cheese, and bacon baked as a casserole) made with the utmost passion by my father. Paptert is another side dish that often accompanies a braai or can be eaten for breakfast.
Potjiekos (poy-key kos)
The literal translation is "small pot food" and it is a traditional South African meat & vegetable stew cooked in a three-legged cast iron pot for numerous hours. The cast iron pot is put over coals for it to slow-cook and it's important not to stir it! Potjiekos can be made using a variety of meats, however, I recommend the oxtail version, with a variety of vegetables like carrots potatoes and spices. You might have noticed by now that cooking involves other people and the South African term "kuier," (kay-yerr) which means to hang out with others and have conversation. In light of this, the slow-cooking of potjiekos is the perfect meal have sitting on the fire while you "kuier" with good friends, leading me to the next item on our list.
BRAAI (BBQ)
In South Africa, BBQ is not just the name of the food but it is a way of preparing it involving good company and lots of "kuier"-ing. Braai is the absolute star of the show and brings many of the foods already mentioned on this list together as one event. As we mentioned, braais often consist of grilling braai broodjies, boerewors, with paptert on the side. So what kind of meat are we talking about? We're talking about a combination of sausage (boerewors), chicken wings, steak, and commonly lamb chops. Lamb is a highly favored meat often eaten at special occasions like Christmas. The sheer variety of meat at a braai is something to behold and this style of cooking is held just about every weekend. South Africans are largely social and I remember our house bustling with people every weekend, the men getting the fire ready and the women preparing the side dishes. It is one of the things I miss the most about South Africa and I fully believe brought my parents the most happiness. When I picture my father happy, I see him standing with his buddies in front of a grill, all wearing short shorts, everyone eating off the grill as the meat cooks, and people actually understanding his jokes (humor is different). It was something that never worked in the States unless other family members were in town, perhaps due to the culturally differing views of meal time.
Thanks for Reading!
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to South African cuisine and as I was recalling dishes, more and more popped into memory so in order not to write an entire book on it, I decided to limit it just a tad. Making this list was so much fun and was an absolute blast from the past so if you appreciated this post, be sure to leave a comment and subscribe to our newsletter!
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