South African cuisine is a genuine fusion tradition, blending indigenous Khoikhoi and Nguni foodways with Cape Malay cooking brought by people enslaved and exiled to the Cape from the Indonesian archipelago, Malaysia and India from the 1650s onward, Dutch and Afrikaner farming traditions, British influence, and a large Indian community concentrated in Durban whose indentured laborer ancestors arrived from 1860 to work sugar plantations. Maize porridge, mealie pap, is a broad staple, and the braai, an outdoor barbecue, is a central social institution. Braai gatherings center on cooking meat over an open fire as a shared social occasion rather than a solitary task, and biltong, a dried and spiced meat, is another widely eaten product of the country's meat-centered food culture.
Facts
Signature TechniqueThe braai, grilling meat outdoors over an open wood or charcoal fire, a central South African social occasion. 1 Origin RegionSouth Africa, at the southern tip of the African continent. 2 Dominant StapleSourced to the subject's own account Connections
Associated With
Indian Cuisine, Cuisines Durban holds one of the largest Indian communities outside India, the product of indentured laborers brought by British colonizers from 1860 to work sugar plantations, whose descendants built a distinct South African Indian curry tradition including bunny chow.
Source Where to Eat Bunny Chow in Durban, the City's Beloved Curry in a Loaf Dish (National Geographic)Erica Platter
Features Dish
Source South Africa's Most Important Dish, Bobotie, Is Also Its Most Historical (Fodor's Travel)
Source Boerewors - Wikipedia
Source Braaibroodjie (Wikipedia)
Source Bunny chow (Wikipedia)
Source Chakalaka (Wikipedia)
Source Cornish Pasty (Wikipedia)
Source French fries (Wikipedia)
Source Frikkadel (Wikipedia)
Source Koe'sister (Wikipedia)
Source Meat pie (Wikipedia)
Source Mille-feuille (Wikipedia)
Source Mosbolletjies (source article)
Source Potjiekos (Wikipedia)
Source Roast beef (Wikipedia)
Source Sunday roast (Wikipedia)
Source Tameletjie (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Umngqusho
Source Yellow rice (Wikipedia)
Uses Ingredient
Source The Complex History of Cape Muslim Cuisine (Daily Maverick)
Source A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)Amanda Fiegl
Source A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)Amanda Fiegl
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. A Taste of South African Barbecue (Smithsonian Magazine)
Amanda Fiegl, Smithsonian Magazine, 2010- Signature Technique: The braai, grilling meat outdoors over an open wood or charcoal fire, a central South African social occasion.
View the Source 2. The Bittersweet and Spicy History of South African Cuisine (Explore Parts Unknown)
Tony Karon, Explore Parts Unknown, 2018- Origin Region: South Africa, at the southern tip of the African continent.
View the Source 3. South African Cuisine (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead section: braai
South African cuisine is heavily based on meat consumption. A widely observed culinary tradition is braai, a social event in which South Africans gather to cook meat over an open fire.
Introduction
A popular South African snack is biltong, an air dried, seasoned meat.
Dishes
maize porridge in South Africa, traditional porridge/polenta, and a staple food of the African peoples
View the Source The Complex History of Cape Muslim Cuisine (Daily Maverick)
Where to Eat Bunny Chow in Durban, the City's Beloved Curry in a Loaf Dish (National Geographic)
Erica Platter, National Geographic, 2026Associated With: Indian CuisineView the Source South Africa's Most Important Dish, Bobotie, Is Also Its Most Historical (Fodor's Travel)
Curry (Wikipedia)
Ugali (Wikipedia)
Bunny chow (Wikipedia)
Samosa (Wikipedia)
Potjiekos (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia: Umngqusho
Cornish Pasty (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Cornish Pasty, Wikipedia category list
Chakalaka (Wikipedia)
Boerewors - Wikipedia
French fries (Wikipedia)
Mille-feuille (Wikipedia)
Roast beef (Wikipedia)
Sunday roast (Wikipedia)
Frikkadel (Wikipedia)
Meat pie (Wikipedia)
Braaibroodjie (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Braaibroodjie, Lead section [dietary-suitability]Quote, Features Dish: Braaibroodjie, Lead section [dietary-suitability]
is a toasted sandwich made with bread, cheese, tomato, and onion found in South African and Namibian cuisine
Tameletjie (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Tameletjie, Lead paragraphQuote, Features Dish: Tameletjie, Lead paragraph
is a homemade toffee confection which features prominently within the Afrikaner and Malay cultures of South Africa
Mosbolletjies (source article)
Features Dish: Mosbolletjies, LeadQuote, Features Dish: Mosbolletjies, Lead
a traditional Afrikaner or Cape Dutch sweet-bun or bread traditionally made in the wine producing areas of the Western Cape province of South Africa
Boeber (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Boeber, LeadQuote, Features Dish: Boeber, Lead
is the Cape Malay name for a South African pudding
Koe'sister (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Koe'sister, lead paragraphQuote, Features Dish: Koe'sister, lead paragraph
A koesister or koe'sister is a traditional Cape Malay pastry often described as a spicy dumpling with a cake-like texture, finished off with a sprinkling of coconut.
Yellow rice (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Yellow rice, Lead sectionQuote, Features Dish: Yellow rice, Lead section
Yellow rice is a traditional yellow-colored rice dish in Iranian, Middle East, Moroccan, Ecuadorian, Peruvian, Caribbean, Portuguese, Filipino, Afghan, Indian, Sri Lankan, South African and Indonesian
Gatsby (sandwich) (Wikipedia)
Features Dish: Gatsby, Lead paragraphQuote, Features Dish: Gatsby, Lead paragraph
A Gatsby is a South African submarine sandwich consisting of a bread roll filled with chips (French fries) and a choice of fillings and sauces.
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