The history of South African cooking

South Africa- what it has?

For the collective imagination, South Africa is full of distant, mysterious and exotic gastronomic rituals. However, it is curious to discover that part of their culinary cults resembles those we use on this side of the planet.

Long cooking, use of fruits and vegetables in their preparations, and the presence of fried foods and cereals in their recipes are part of their infinite food habits.  Marked by a strong English, Dutch and Malay influence, its gastronomy maintains ancestral traditions with native techniques and flavors.

Inhabitants:

We owe the inhabitants of the African continent the domestication of fire and, therefore, the beginnings of cooking. A gastronomic route through its valleys and cities invites you to get up close and personal with the food of the most important cities and get into the aboriginal knowledge. 

The Bushmen, for example, live clinging to the past and still use bow and arrow to hunt; meanwhile, the Vha Venda ethnic group has its main source of food in the porridge, a porridge made with oats and corn, or with the Baobab fruit.  Among their favorite foods are also the worms of mopane, whose flavor reminds of the nuts.

Area and gastronomy:

Depending on the area where they are located, their kitchen is based on simple, universal or somewhat rustic techniques, such as cooking in iron containers, stews with meat and vegetables and roasted on the grill.

These customs have been maintained for centuries, and civilization has not made a dent in them, on the contrary, some have been mixed and fused with gastronomic currents of countries that have been part of its history.

Flavors of South Africa!

Without a doubt, South Africa is a country of contrasts; its flavors are reminiscent of the tribal fire that survived over the years and the colonizers, while culinary modernity is determined by young chefs who seek their character without thinking of their ancestry, surname or skin color.

It is influenced by the cuisine of the eleven aboriginal ethnic groups and the customs of European and Asian immigrants, South African cuisine is characterized by its eclectic mix of flavors.

Of the Dutch people living in the south, they inherited a large part of the confectionery, with ingredients such as coconut and sweet potato, while Malaysian slaves are said to come from pilaf rice and samosas.

As the offer is extensive, to obtain a good brushstroke of the varied South African gastronomy! South Africa is a young country with a desire to build an intense cuisine, amalgamated and inclusive, black and white, but without radicalism, and past and future with seasoning, culture, and peace. The cuisine of South Africa has a variety of sources and states, among which include: The culinary uses of the indigenous people of South Africa such as the Khoisan, the Xhosa, and the Sotho.

African cuisine:

African cuisine is colorful, interesting and unknown to most visitors. And it tastes great. As well as the culinary traditions of the rest of the world, African cuisine changes with the seasons: outdoor grills are popular in summer; succulent stews and soups abound in winter. Gastronomy is the second language of a nation, where their cultures, social processes, and interracial struggles are identified and survive. Gastronomy determines the flavors with which a people identifies and builds their belonging to their land.

Culinary arts:

The South African culinary art has its roots in English cuisine, in the black slaves that came from Asia, it is a product of the fusion between the cultures that immigrated to the country is the result of the presence of countries like Portugal, Holland, Malaysia, Germany, France, India and England and is based especially on meat and seafood from the coastal area of the country. Alternative African foods such as porridge with vegetables or meat sauce are also enjoyed. On the other hand, the foreign uses introduced during the colonial period by descendants of Afrikaners and British as well as by their slaves and servants; this includes the influences of Malaysian cuisine from people from Malaysia and Java.

Recipes:

In South Africa, there is a great variety of recipes. Currently, the South African cuisine is based mainly on meat and this has been reflected in the typical social gatherings known as braai (similar to Argentine barbecues or roasts), which serve dishes of beef with spices served with corn; succulent skewers of meat or tasty vegetable casseroles.

Soup recipes are Butternut, crab soup (or lobster), vegetable soup and mushroom soup. Some of the typical dishes are the Hoenderpastei (chicken pie that represents the typical Afrikaans dish), Biltong (salty dried meat), Bobotie (homemade pork and spicy pork chorizo), Kedgeree Cape (fish and rice), Frikkadelle (meatballs), ostrich (either in stew or roast), Sosaties (baked meat marinated with apricots), bredie Tomato (lamb with tomato stew), Umlegwa (dish cooked with poultry), Umngqusho (prepared with black peas ) and Trotters and Beans (based on sheep's feet and beans).

Foods:

The most popular foods in South Africa are chicken, limes, tomatoes; among the condiments, garlic, ginger, peppers, onions and a variety of spices. 

Meat and dairy products were incorporated into the gastronomy with the domestication of cattle. With the urbanization suffered by some areas of the country further south of the Black Continent, industrialized products such as flours and refined sugars began to arrive. The diversity of cultures in South Africa is well represented in the varied food habits and culinary tastes of its people. There are local dishes with meat from the rich African fauna, such as the ostrich, buffalo, kudu, impala, and crocodile.

Some of the most typical stews are the bobotie, based on ground meat with spices, cooked in the oven with an egg layer. It is believed that this recipe comes from the Dutch colonies of eastern India. There is also the bunny chow, the generic name of the fast food, but there is a dish with that name consisting of a loaf of stuffed bread, usually chicken. This food is common in India and other Indian countries.