Traditional South African Cuisine
Traditional South African Cuisine – A food lovers guide
Taste your way through South Africa
One of the quickest ways to understand a country is through its food.
Every meal tells a story.
A story of migration.
Of family traditions.
Of celebration.
Of hardship.
Of cultures meeting, blending and creating something entirely new.
And nowhere is that more true than in South Africa.
Our cuisine is every bit as diverse as our people. Indigenous African dishes sit comfortably alongside Cape Malay specialities, Indian curries, Afrikaner favourites and recipes that have travelled across continents before finding a home at the southern tip of Africa.
There isn’t one traditional South African cuisine.
There are many.
That’s what makes eating your way around our country such an adventure.
So if you’re wondering what to eat while you’re here, we’ve put together some of the traditional South African dishes every food lover should try.
Want to Taste the Real Cape?Reading about South African food is one thing… Tasting it is something else entirely. |
If you’re a food lover visiting South Africa, you’re in for a treat. Few countries offer such an exciting mix of flavours, cultures and traditions. From smoky braais and fragrant Cape Malay curries to Durban’s famous bunny chow and irresistible malva pudding, every dish tells the story of the people who made South Africa what it is today.
The Heart of African Home Cooking
African cuisine is the foundation of South African food.
Across the country you’ll discover comforting dishes like pap, samp & beans, chakalaka and slow-cooked stews. While recipes vary from region to region, one thing remains the same—food is made to be shared with family and friends.
Most of the country eat Pap – a thick porridge eaten with hands and accompanied with a saucy meat or chicken dish. The Xhosa tribe (from the Eastern Cape) however prefer to eat Samp & Beans. This is a mix of cracked dry corn with sugar beans. Note that this is the base carbohydrate with each meal and it is usually combined with a sauce (often tomato and onion), a stew (beef or chicken) or braaied meat. Meat is king and if you can afford meat you will have meat with lunch and dinner! A side often served would be a spicy relish called Chakalaka. On a Sunday the families have more time for cooking and as such they serve what is called “The Seven Colour Plate”. This is a plate that once you serve up lunch has several colours on it as there are salads that accompany the starch and meat prepared for the family on a Sunday.
A wonderful speciality dish to look out for is a chicken stew made from hard back chickens. These are true free range chickens that run outdoors. They are tough and need to be cooked for many hours! Look out for them on menus listed as uMleqwa. These chickens are sold alive in the township communities! You can buy one and ask the ladies to then prepare your chicken for you to take home!
Did you know?
Pap wasn’t always South Africa’s staple. Maize only arrived here in the 1800s, replacing ancient grains like sorghum and millet.
The Spice Route to Cape Town
Cape Malay cuisine is one of Cape Town’s greatest culinary treasures. Created by enslaved people brought to the Cape from Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and East Africa, it combines fragrant spices with generations of family tradition.
Don’t leave Cape Town without trying:
- Bobotie
- Samosas
- Chilli Bites (Dahltjies)
- Salomies
- Pickled Fish
- Snoek Pate
- For those with a sweet tooth – Milk Tarts, Malva & Koesisters!
To preserve fish they would dry or smoke it. The fish most commonly dried or smoked was Snoek – a game fish. When fresh Snoek is traditionally cooked by cutting it open and adding apricot jam, then wrapping it in foil and cooking it over the fire. You are likely to find smoked snoek pate somewhere on a menu – order it immediately – it is delicious with freshly baked bread.
Durban’s Famous Curries
Durban is home to the largest Indian community outside India, and nowhere is this more deliciously obvious than its famous curries.
Look out for Bunny Chows if you love curry – it is a foodie favourite to find at street food stands and makes for a great take-away!
A bunny chow is quite simply a loaf of bread with the insides scooped out and filled with curry.
South Africa’s Greatest Food Traditions:
Braai
If there’s one South African experience every visitor should have, it’s a braai.
We would NEVER BBQ hamburgers or hotdogs! The only variation on this would be Boerewors rolls!
Think perfectly grilled boerewors, lamb chops, chicken sosaties, braai brootjies, garlic bread, fresh salads and a bottle of Pinotage shared with friends around the fire.
Braaibroodtjies. Foodie alert – this will be the most delicious toasted sandwich you will ever eat – anywhere in the world!! Photo courtesy of Middelvlei Wine Estate that offers a wonderful Boerebraai that can booked on their farm in Stellenbosch for lunch.
POTJIE ON THE FIRE:
Potjie or Potjiekos – this one also comes from the Afrikaans community. It literally means pot food. Using a black three legged pot over coals this is a type of stew cooked over the fire. It is usually made by the men and takes a few hours to cook!
Oxtail Stew:
Rusks
Are known as “beskuit” in the Afrikaans community. It literally means double baked bread and was made to conserve the bread to give it a longer life. It has literally been made since the late 1600’s in the Cape and was originally sold to the passing ships. Today it is eaten mainly at breakfast – and we dunk it into coffee or tea to soften it first. Don’t try and eat it plain as you may lose a tooth! You will come across them in jars on safari – they are great in the early morning before your safari drive. The most famous brand of rusks in South Africa is Ouma Rusks – this brand dates back to the 1930’s. The most traditional type is the one made from buttermilk. However you now find all sorts of funky variations from fruity ones to muesli. Once again most Afrikaans families have a family recipe for making their own. Click here to read a lovely article on South African rusks.
Biltong & Droewors
We are passionate about our biltong & our Droewors (dried sausage)! We buy it for pre-dinner snacks, sporting events and for car trips! You will find it being sold everywhere from speciality stores to bars and super markets. It is the adult version of a special treat!!! We love it!! .
Got a sweet tooth?
Make sure you don’t leave the country without trying:
- Malva Pudding
- Koeksisters
- Milk Tart
- Super sweet traditional South African Koeksisters
Koeksisters – sweet – so very very very sweet. It is two pieces of dough platted together, deep fried and then dipped in golden syrup which is absorbs with great thirst! You find these at farm stores as you travel or in supermarkets.
Malva Pudding is a baked dessert that came from the Cape Malay kitchens – both the white Afrikaners and Cape Malay community pass this treasured recipe down through the generations. This is one of the most delicious desserts we have. It is served hot, is moist and melts in your mouth.
MIGRANTS AND THE FLAVOURS THEY BROUGHT TO THE CAPE:
Mozambique – Portuguese brought:
Peri Peri
Pasteis de Nata
Jewish community
Bagels
Rugelagh
Schmears
Ready to Taste the Real Cape?
Reading about South African food is one thing.
Sharing it with locals is something else entirely.
Join one of our Private Cape Town Tours Designed for Food Lovers and discover the people, places and stories behind every delicious bite.