WCC Day 1: South Africa

The cuisine of South Africa is often referred to as the ‘rainbow cuisine,’ as it has a variety of multicultural sources and stages.  With such such diversity in South Africa, comes an myriad of culinary cultures forming distinct dishes that demand attention.

South Africa has a 2, 954km coastline bordering both the Indian and Atlantic oceans so fresh fish and seafood are abundant, and has a heavy influence on the cuisine.  Another influence on the cuisine is  the “temperate” climate, with average maximum temperatures of about 25C/77F in the summer, plus adequate rainfall,  makes for good natural grazing for livestock and excellent farm land so fresh produce and a variety of domestic animals abound.

Hunters and gathers, the Indigenous people of South Africa, such as the Khosian and Xhosa, Zula and Sotho -speaking people engaged in cookery food practices.  In the precolonial period, indigenous cuisine was characterized by the use of a very wide range of foods including fruits, nuts, bulbs, leaves and other products gathered from wild plants and by the hunting of wild game. The domestication of cattle in the region about two thousand years ago by Khosian  groups enabled the use of milk  products and the availability of fresh meat on demand. However, during the colonial period the seizure of communal land in South Africa restricted and discouraged traditional argiculture and wild harvesting, and reduced the extent of land available to black people. Men also kept sheep and goats, and communities often organized vast hunts for the abundant game; but beef was considered the absolutely most important and high status meat. The ribs of any cattle that was slaughtered in many communities were so prized that they were offered to the chief of the village.

Following the practice of cookery, arose settler cookery from several waves of immigration.  South Africa was settled from the seventeenth century onwards by colonists from Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. These colonists brought European cookery styles with them. The Afrikaners have their succulent potjiekos, tamatiebredie (tomato bredie) or stews of lamb or mutton with tomato and onion sauce, with or without rice. There are many European contributions like Dutch fried crueler or koeksister, Malva Pudding and melktert (milk tart). French Hugenots brought wines as well as their traditional recipes.

During the pioneering days of the 17th century, new foods such as biltong (dried sausage) and rusks evolved locally out of necessity.  Settler cookery is not defined by one type of dish, rather it is a mosaic of all the dishes, spices, and unique flavours that traveled with the immigrants.

Many dishes eaten today are closely based on dishes from past times, such as Pap, an accompaniment made from maize and eaten much like rice, which was and is a native black African staple; Bobotie, a spicy Malay dish similar to Shepherds Pie; and, Potjiekos, which became an important dish during the Afrikaner’s great trek. Amongst other favourites of the various cultures are biltong or dried meat,  Boerewors, a type of sausage, which is a legacy from German immigrants, and Chakalaka, which is a salad of Malay/Indian origin.

Another popular South African pastime is the braai, equivalent to our barbecue, which also dates back from the trekking days. All manner of fresh foods are cooked over coals and most suburban houses have a braai area.

As mentioned above, one of the typical foods in South Africa is potjiekos.   The potjiekos is cooked similar to a stew, in which the meat and seasonings are cooked with very little liquid, with vegetables added in layers on top of the meat.  The key is to have a close fitting lid,  not to stir the  stew after the initial browning of the meat and not to add too much liquid. There should only be just enough stock or wine to keep the meat from burning.

Traditionally, the ingredients for this dish are very simple: a piece of fatty meat which was rendered down and in which meat such as game, mutton or beef but especially the tougher cuts are browned, onions, seasonings  such as herbs, wine or stock  and vegetables like potatoes or cabbage. It is set over an open fire, covered and simmered under tender.  Venison and game birds are also fantastic cooked in  potjies.  Today many South Africans have their “secret” ingredient which sets their potjiekos apart from all the others and this style of cooking has become so popular in certain areas that they even hold competitions to see who can make the best one.

As with many cuisines, a  typical South African meal can range from from  one dish  to several dishes served at the same time or  in courses. There are few hard and fast rules and this cuisine  has something for everyone: from  fresh crayfish simply cooked, to spicy Malay curries, to hearty Dutch stews and even variations on the British meat pie.

I wish I could say that I’ve been to South Africa and have had the opportunity to taste one of these delicious dishes; however, that is not the case – yet.  I plan to travel to the South Africa region and experience the rich diversity of the cultures as well as the landscape.  During the interim, I tried my hand at creating a South African dish – Cape Malay Lamb Curry with pap.  It was quite tasty!