South Africa is a beautiful country with jaw-dropping mountain ranges, lush forests, wild desert regions, and pristine beaches; making it the perfect destination for an exhilarating vacation. The complex history of South Africa means that the country’s culture and cuisine has been shaped by a range of influences. You can find dishes rooted in Dutch, French, Indian, and Malaysian cuisines in addition to those of the indigenous population.
If you’re planning a trip to South Africa and want to get a feel for the nation’s unique palate, be sure to try these nine culinary delights along the way.
1. Braai
Braai is South Africa’s version of a barbecue. A variety of meat and seafood is grilled over charcoal until it develops a deliciously charred, smoky flavour. Boerewors, a traditional sausage made from beef and spiced with cloves, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper and coriander, is a common main dish. Other favourites are lamb chops, chicken kebabs, ostrich steak, tuna, and crayfish tails.
Common sides are roosterbrood (doughballs cooked directly on the coals) and Braaibroodjie (grilled cheese). Johannesburg, one of South Africa’s major cities and home of the Mandela House and Museum, is the birthplace of braai. Traditionally, butchers would set up barbecues outside their shops to grill and sell their meats, but today braais are considered celebratory, community-based events that usually take place on weekends or to mark special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.
2. Chakalaka and pap
Chakalaka is a vegetable-based relish that contains beans, peppers, onions, carrots, chilli, and a range of spices. It’s traditionally served cold with pap, a creamy porridge made from white corn maize, similar in texture to grits or polenta. It’s common to find chakalaka and pap at braais as a side dish.
3. Bunny chow
Bunny chow is a street food dish that consists of a spicy curry served in a hollowed-out loaf of white bread. The dish was born in the city of Durban in the late 1940s, and while its exact origins are unclear, it seems that the bread loaf served as a handy takeout container for curries sold by Bania – Indian merchants – a word that evolved into “bunny”.
The curry contains chicken, lamb or mutton and an assortment of vegetables, and its thick sauce is seasoned with turmeric, cumin, ginger, garlic, cinnamon, garam masala, cardamom and cayenne pepper. Bunny chow is meant to be eaten with your hands by tearing off pieces of the bread and using it to scoop up the curry, so don’t be afraid to get a little messy when you try this comforting dish.
4. Biltong and droëwors
Biltong is a dried, cured meat similar to beef jerky, only it isn’t cooked. Instead, it’s cured in vinegar before being air dried whole then sliced into strips. This gives it a much softer texture and richer flavour than jerky. A variety of different meats can be used to make biltong, including beef, chicken, ostrich, springbok and fish. It’s typically seasoned with ground coriander, allspice, black pepper and salt.
Biltong is a popular snack on its own, but it can also be used to make sandwiches, much like Italian prosciutto, or added into stews to add depth of flavour. It’s often served with droëwors, which are thin, dried beef sausages seasoned with coriander, cloves, garlic, brown vinegar, chilli, salt and pepper. The sausages are hung for a week to dry, and they can be eaten as they are without cooking.
5. Vetkoek
Vetkoek translates from Afrikaans as “fat cake”, which is an apt way to describe these simple yet delicious deep-fried dough balls. They have a crisp, golden crust on the outside and a soft, fluffy centre, a little like churros or doughnuts. Vetkoek can serve as a sweet or savoury dish, but you’ll often find them served by street vendors filled with traditional curried beef mince. To satisfy a sweet tooth, they can be spread with jam, honey, or syrup.
6. Bobotie
Many people consider bobotie to be the national dish of South Africa because it’s a classic example of Cape Malay food. It consists of minced beef or lamb that is cooked with apple, raisins, onions, and milk-soaked bread, and seasoned with coriander, curry powder, cumin, turmeric, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
The meat mixture is pressed into a casserole dish and topped with a milk and egg glaze before being baked in the oven. Once it has developed a golden crust, the dish is topped with bay leaves and served with yellow rice.
7. Amarula
Amarula is a creamy liqueur made from fermented and distilled marula fruit, cream, and sugar. It has a butterscotch flavour with nutty, lightly spicy notes thanks to the oak barrels that are used to age the distilled marula spirit.
Amarula is exported all over the world but if you haven’t already tried it, be sure to give it a taste when you visit South Africa. It’s delicious over ice, but it also works well in coffee or poured over ice cream, and it’s often used to flavour desserts and chocolates.
8. Malva pudding
Malva pudding is a hearty baked sponge dessert similar to British sticky toffee pudding. Immediately after baking, cuts are made on the top of the pudding and a sauce made from cream, sugar, butter and water is poured over to give it a rich, sticky texture. Custard or ice cream is usually served on the side.
9. Melktert
Melktert (“milk tart”) is the South African answer to English egg custard tarts and Portuguese pasteis de nata. A sweet pastry case is filled with a thick milk, egg, sugar, and flour mixture and dusted with cinnamon, and the dish can be eaten warm or cold. The melktert seems to be heavily inspired by the Dutch Mattentaart which is much like a cheesecake. It’s considered South Africa’s national dessert, and it’s regularly found in restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets – so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.
Get a true taste of South Africa with authentic cuisine
These are just a few of South Africa’s most popular culinary treats, but be sure to try a wide variety of traditional dishes, snacks and drinks during your visit to get an authentic taste of this vibrant country.
