South African food & drink
Food - anything goes! Many cultures have lived, grown, and flourished in Southern Africa over the centuries and the food of the region – otherwise known as “cape cuisine”, reflects this multi-ethnic flavour. Portuguese settlers brought chicken liver piri-piri (chili); the Dutch (Afrikaans) settlers influenced bobotie (a dish consisting of layers of mashed potatoes and mince meat); and the local Africans' traditional favourite is pap (a maize meal) or beans.
Cape Cuisine, while featuring many tasty and popular dishes such as Biltong, Boerewors and Sosaties, also boasts some strange and wonderful foods loved by South Africans:
Maotwana - legs of a chicken boiled to remove the hard skin.
Mashonzha - worms that are similar to caterpillars in appearance.
Achaar - a spicy salad made of mango and oil, which if eaten in overly moderate proportions, could result in causing an offensive armpit odour!
Skop - head of a cow, sheep or goat. The head is first scrubbed to remove the skin and unwanted parts like the ears and nose are cut off before the head is boiled and simmered. A dish favoured by African men.
For those who prefer dishes with more appetising appeal why not try out one of our South African style recipes?
> BBQ beef ribs with cabernet sauce
> Old World chicken stew
> Chicken piri-piri
When talking about drink and South Africa anyone would find it hard not to mention its wine. Experiencing somewhat of a renaissance, South African wine has returned very much to the fore with more and more bottles being sold all over the world. In fact, between 2000 and 2001 sales of South African wine increased by 17.8%, but it accounts for just 3% of world production.
The wine culture in South Africa is very old - going back some 350 years. Wine from the Cape is often said to bridge the gap between old and new worlds – and is a good one to buy if you’re not sure which is right for the occasion! It’s also especially well suited to easy drinking which makes it a good choice for a relaxing a braai under the sun.
Over two thirds of the wine produced in South Africa are of a white variety with Chenin Blanc being by far the most widely produced. Of the red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most popular and is widely available in the UK.
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