Tastes of SA

 it is hardly surprising that South Africa's culinary traditions stem from many nations, cultures and traditions, since the country, on the Cape sea route, is a halfway house between east and west and is the melting pot of many different ethnic groups.

Waves of immigrants from overseas have given rise to a wide choice of international cuisine - English (including fish and chips!), Continental, Greek, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, Hungarian, Malay, Indian and Chinese.

Fast-food fans will also find hamburgers, hot-dogs and southern fried chicken.

But South Africa also has a wide range of "home grown" dishes, well represented throughout the country.
The Asian influence has made a rich contribution to South Africa's cuisine, with tomato and bean bredies (stews), bobotie (a curried mince dish with onions and egg) and rice, pumpkin fritters spiced with cinnamon, ginger cakes, sop en kluitjies (soup and dumplings) and frikkadele (meat balls).

Curry lovers will appreciate the Indian presence in KwaZulu-Natal,
particularly in the Durban area.
Tandorri-spiced chicken or mutton on rice or naan bread - is a speciality while samoosas, curried meat or vegetables in paper-thin pastry - are sold throughout the country.

Seafood is popular - not surprising considering the country's long coastline. Crayfish is a special threat and "line-fish", or fish of the day, is featured on may menus. Kingkilp, a full-flavoured white fish, is recommended. Seafood dishes such as calamari, oysters and abolone are a particular feature in restaurants along the western, Atlantic coast.
You should try snoek, salty, dried fish, which is frequently offered as an hors d'oeuvre or pate.

Inland, the Karoo is renowned for its succulent lamb, while another favourite is waterbloemmetjie bredie (mutton stew cooked with the buds of water lilies), yellow rice with raisins, and baked with sweet potatoes. Mealie-meal is a staple food in the country's northern provinces. Yellow or brown maize or grain sorghum porridge add colour to many a breakfast table Green mealies, or corn on a cob, with butter, are popular. Stampkoring (crushed wheat) bredie is served with beans.
The meat in South Africa is of excellent. When you get a chance try some local game - kudu, impala, or ostrich steaks, tastier than beef but with less cholesterol.
Other tasty dishes are mixed grills, beesstert (oxtail) and guinea fowl casserole cooked with spices and red wine until the meat falls off the bone!
Biltong, wind-dried strips of beef or venison, is frequently available as a snack to accompany a drink or aperitif. Potjiekos, an all-in stew cooked in a three-legged, iron pot, has also come back into fashion. For sweets you can eat koeksisters (twined syrupy pastries) or melktert (milk tart).
No round-up of South African cuisine would be complete without reference to the braai (the braaivleis or barbecue), an integral part of the South African way of life. Steaks, chicken, fish, game and boerewors (spicy sausage) will usually be found sizzling on the griddle and the meat will be accompanied by a variety of salads, vegetables - frequently including "pap"- a kind of porridge - served with a tomato and onion bredie, (stew)

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