4 Popular Foods to Eat When in South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful country with a lot to offer in terms of culture, entertainment, nature and even food. Foods from many cultures are enjoyed by all and especially marketed to tourists who wish to sample the large variety of South African cuisine.

South African cuisine is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as the braai, a variation of the barbecue. South Africa has also developed into a major wine producer, with some of the best vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl and Barrydale.

The country is home to quite a number of delicious, savoury and mouth-watering cuisines to savour and enjoy. This article shares 4 of the most popular and best foods to eat when in South Africa.

1). Chakalaka
This is a traditional South African food and a ‘mainstay on the South African dinner table’. Chakalaka is a classic vegetable dish and a relish of tomatoes, carrots, baked beans and chillies with curry powder. This mouth-watering cuisine typically involves making gravy from chopped tomatoes and onions, then adding grated carrot, chillies, garlic, grated cabbage and/or diced cauliflower. The mixture is cooked until soft and seasoned as appropriate to bring out its rich taste. It is mainly served cold together with Pap (a starchy dish made from white corn maize), along with barbecued meat, breads, salad and stews.

Chakalaka

2). Boerewors
This is a type of sausage that’s very popular in South Africa. It’s basically made of seasoned pork or from coarsely minced beef, sometimes combined with minced lamb and spices (typically toasted coriander seed, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves and allspice). It’s mostly prepared outside, where it’s grilled in an electric griller, or it can prepared indoors by baking in an oven.

3). Braai/ Shisha Nyama
This is a very popular meal in South Africa and is largely considered a part of the South African eating experience. This meal largely consists of barbecued meat and is usually accompanied with maize porridge (Pap en Vleis) and a cold glass of beer. The barbecued meat usually comprises of beef, chicken, pork, lamb or sausages.

Shisha Nyama

4). Cape Malay Curry
This dish is one of the widespread curry dishes in South Africa and is known for combining sweet and savory flavours using sweet spices like cinnamon and ginger, dried fruit (especially dried apricots), and savory seasonings like garlic and onions. This delicious South African delicacy basically consists of chicken thighs spiced up in South African curry and packed with flavourful spices. It is usually served with a side dish of sweet and fragrant rice.