Going on a holiday vacation to South Africa? One of the best holiday destinations offers a highly diversified safari for your entertainment and enjoyment and also offers the taste of South African food.
South African food is one of the most nutritious on the continent. It has all the colours and flavours, especially non-vegetarian, meat-stuffed dishes, to excite your taste buds and teach you about African traditions. Here are Stewed or Grilled—The Traditional Bites of Africa.
Some restaurants in South Africa serve both modern and traditional African food. Each dish reflects one or more of the different cultural influences found across the continent.
Traditional African food is generally cooked over an open fire or in a three-legged pot (or potjie), so meat tends to be served stewed or grilled.
Starch usually accompanies the meat: mielie pap (maize porridge), potatoes or rice. Beetroot, carrots, cabbage and pumpkin are the vegetables most commonly served.
Read also – Iconic South African Meals.
10 Best Traditional Bites To Taste In South Africa
1. Chakalaka
It is a traditional bite to taste in South Africa with an easy-to-prepare recipe and a spicy relish served alongside the main course.
A gravy is made from chopped tomatoes and onion, to which plenty of grated carrots, chillies, garlic, a bit of grated cabbage, baked beans, and/or cauliflower (diced). It is cooked until soft with hot curry powder. Generally, in South Africa, Chakalaka is a required component for serving barbecues.
2. Potijekos
Potjiekos is a traditional and popular South African food. It is essentially a meat and vegetable meal of the Boers, although it resembles a stew and is not prepared like a stew. It is slowly cooked in a three-legged Cast iron pot over coals with little supervision.
3. Vetkoek
This traditional bite to taste in South Africa looks like a stuffed bun, but actually, it is a traditional South African Pastry. This dish is made of cooked minced beef meat and spread with syrup of honey or jam. It is crispy outside as it is deep-fried and warm and fluffy inside.
4. Mealie
This traditional bite to taste in South Africa is a maize meal served on the cob or made into a beer. This dish is part of South Africa’s staple food and is a quick meal for most African households. It is often processed into the form of Mealie Pap, which is a porridge made from ground maize and other grains.
It is served hot and cold with milk and sugar as breakfast or with meat and tomato stew as a complete meal.
5. Boerewors
The boerewors roll is purely South African cuisine. It can be found at a roadside stand. It is a type of sausage made from seasoned pork, minced beef, or lamb, and spices are added to make it delicious. It is char-grilled over an open flame, placed into a bun and covered in mustard and tomato sauce.
6. Bredie
It is a heavily spiced stew consisting of lamb meat and vegetables. The most common variant is the Tomato Bredie, which tastes great.
7. Frikkadel
This dish is a South African meatball that is almost baked and sometimes deep fried. It is prepared with onions, bread, eggs, and other spices.
8. Sosaties
This is a traditional South African meat-based food. The meat is lamb or mutton, marinated, skewered, and then barbecued or cooked on skewers.
9. Bobotie
This, too, is a typical South African dish made of dried fruits, spiced beef or lamb, and an egg. It is the national dish of South Africa and is similar to Moussaka. It is prepared with curry powder, giving it a tangy flavour.
10. Biltong
It is a South African food made from air-dried meat, usually beef. Many different types of meat are used in making it, ranging from beef to ostrich fillets from commercial farms. Typical preparation involves cutting strips of raw meat fillets following the muscle’s grain.
Other local favourites include delectable Cape Malay dishes and sweet delicacies like the Koeksister and Melktert.
Traditional African and South African restaurants can be found in all major cities and most larger towns nationwide. African food changes with the seasons: open-air grilling is popular in summer, and hearty stews and soups are popular in winter.
Most restaurants serving traditional African food are very reasonably priced. Traditional street food, such as Boerewors rolls, is even cheaper. An open mind; traditional African food may not always sound or look that good, but it’s all delicious.
