Local Food Traditions
Food is an essential part of culture. It tells our story. Much more than how we survived or sustained ourselves, the food we prepare reflects our environment and history, but it is also an expression of creativity and cultural identity. Even in South Africa, with its exceptional cultural diversity, cooking over an open fire is such an intrinsic part of our shared culinary heritage that we call heritage day, braai day! But there is much more to our local culinary traditions than the braai. What does our culinary heritage say about how we eat?
Together Whether your tradition is a formal Sunday lunch table with the whole family or friends around a fire, we like to eat together. There is something about passing bowls of food and sharing a meal that contributes to a feeling of togetherness. That is why our parents insisted we have our meals at the table and that is why, although a little strange for an exclusive food and wine experience, guests to JAN Franschhoek, are usually bowled over by the sense of familiarity when they sit down to dine at a communal 18-seater table in the intimate cottage where the experience is presented.
Colourful In many South African households, Sunday lunches follow the tradition of a colourful feast, often called the “Sunday meal” or “seven colours” lunch. The “seven colours” meal usually includes rice, meat such as chicken or beef, and a variety of vegetable sides such as pumpkin, sweet potatoes, beetroot and cabbage, or salads such as coleslaw, bean salad or potato salad. Then there is the vibrant colour of chakalaka and the beauty of biryani. Sometimes the colour of a local meal is in the flavour rather than on the plate. Have you tried a proper Durban curry? ?And sometimes although the plate might be monotone with uphuthu namasi (dry pap with sour milk), umngqusho samp and bean stew, or even snoek and sweet potato, the colour of a South African meal is also in the conversation around the table and of course the blue skies under which we often enjoy our meals.
Alfresco Talking about blue skies… Although it is a term we usually associate with Mediterranean dining in the open air, alfresco dining is very much part of our culture. Even cold winter evenings might be spent huddling next to the fire waiting for the potjie or the rib to cook. It is, however, when the sun is out on weekends, and when a telltale smoke rises from your braai, that family, friends and neighbours will pop in to join – often with their own chop and drink! Taking a drive for an impromptu braai in the veld is another joy. The smell of that juicy piece of sausage braaiing, while you enjoy the fresh peacefulness of the veld, is a special treat.
Something sweet In the early days of the Cape, culinary influences from all over the world as well as the availability of local ingredients contributed to the recipes that were developed. With fruit preserved or dried for winter, they were often included in main meals. Today, still, a fruity touch of sweetness as part of a main meal is nothing strange. Dried peaches, apricots and prunes are often served with meat such as venison. Grated carrot salads have a definite sweetness as does caramelised sweet potato. There is, however, often a balancing acidity to it all with a sweet and sour combination found in many recipes, such as beetroot salads and chutneys, for instance.
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Mind the meat While most South Africans enjoy meat, whether it is a simple sausage cooked over the coals, a chicken in a pot or a more extravagant cut on special occasions, local cuisine is not all about meat. In the Cape Winelands, vegetable and fruit gardens provided fresh and preserved ingredients to the kitchens of the early Cape and for many of us, staples such as pap, beans or samp are often accompanied by a spicy chakalaka or vegetable condiment, with meat only added when budget allows.
On the street Most of these food traditions are nothing strange to us. We know our own food stories and local culinary publications and food media have done an exceptional job introducing us to the variety that is South African cuisine. One such article published around Heritage Day last year by Eat Out, focused on South African Street food. What do we consider as street food in South Africa? Perhaps corn cooked over the coals and road runners or walkie talkies? Perhaps we know Asian street food like dumplings, noodles and yakitori better? South African street food is more than the Boerewors roll, but many of them are bread based. Do you know the Gatsby, Bunny Chow and Kota? And then of course there is Vetkoek and Amagwinya. (Although very similar, there seems to be a small difference, I hear. Vetkoek is of Cape Malay origin and often served with a Bobotie-style curried mince, but is also popular with jam or syrup and cheese, while Amagwinya, is predominantly savoury and served as a meal rather than a snack).
Typically, when served on the streets, there are a few practical considerations. The food must be easy to prepare and eat, and it must be affordable. The Eat Out article introduces our most iconic sandwiches to those of us who might know the name, but not the detail and they give a few spots where you can find the real McCoy. Click here.
This September, do try one of these street food sandwiches! The La Motte Bakery in collaboration with The Food Fox, reimagined these classics, so do try some of these recipes at home – click here.